An outline is akin to having a road map. 🗺️
Sure, you can just start writing random topics that you know will go in your book . . . . at some point and eventually.
But an outline. Oh, man, you know what you’re writing and it all adds up to a BOOK.
And what does writing by outline do?
⛯ Efficiency abounds
⛯ Progress happens
⛯ Joy in the writing process shows up!
But . . . . You hated learning how to write outlines in school.
I know I hated that. I could not keep up with the Roman numerals followed by capital letters, followed by numbers 1., 2., 3. etc., I think, and all that indentation.
So, let’s put that aside. You only need that level of outlining if you’re writing an academic book.
For your purposes, where you’re writing a compact but content-rich book of limited length, you just need a table of contents (TOC).
Yup, that’s it. But don’t diminish the noble TOC. It offers such value!
And it, too, is a way to outline your book. Honest!
And here’s why:
👍 It offers a broad view of your book
👍 It tells you and your reader what to expect when they read your book
👍 It serves as a roadmap. <— I know I mentioned this before, but it bears repeating.
And by road map I mean that you map out the reader’s journey–what to read first, what to read next, and after, and after that, until the end.
That’s pretty helpful because sometimes the thought of writing a book makes people a bit worried.
🌟 Awkward.
🌟 Anxious.
🌟 Afraid.
And having a roadmap means you’re never lost.
You have guideposts so you know where you are at all times.
And that’s why you want one. A TOC, so you always know where you’re going in terms of what order your chapters appear. And that makes it clear and easy to read for your readers.
Hooray for the TOC.
How is your TOC coming along?
P.S. Among many other craft and business tools, how to create a fantastic TOC is what you learn in Little Book. Big Impact. You can check out the six-month book-writing program here.