Brainstorming & Outlining Lessons

Suppose you want to build your dream house. You've picked a lovely plot of land and you're ready to begin. What's the first step? Do you build right away? Hopefully not, unless you've already designed the house. Are the rooms measured? Do you know where the kitchen will go and its dimensions? Without the right planning, your dream house will look like a nightmare, with uneven walls and triangular rooms.
This same principle of planning applies to writing. We call it outlining. Put simply, outlining is the process of ordering ideas. Unfortunately, beginning writers often resist outlining, and end up with uneven, disorganized compositions. But what are the benefits of outlining? How is it done?
First of all, outlining will save time. Once you have all your ideas ordered, you can get on with the task of writing. Otherwise, you'd have to write and order your ideas simultaneously—what a strain! Do the groundwork first, then get on with the building.
But most importantly, a thorough outline ensures a logical, interesting composition. Each idea is related, adding depth to the main topic or thesis [see next page]. A disorganized paper, on the other hand, weakens the power of the ideas it presents. Now let's take a look at the steps for creating an outline.

Brainstorming
Before beginning your outline, you want to generate supporting ideas. This is done by brainstorming, or jotting down everything that comes to your mind about your topic. This includes facts, opinions, theories, and so forth. There are lots of ways to do this. You can simply make a list on lined paper, or you can write all over a piece of large paper, connecting related thoughts. Its always beneficial to brainstorm in groups. Whatever your approach, the key is to flood yourself with ideas.

Writing Exercise Prompt 1.

A) In a small group, spend twenty to thirty minutes brainstorming ideas for one of the topics listed below. Remember, jot down everything that comes to mind, even if it seems irrelevant or silly. (Feel free to choose your own topic.) Be sure to save your paper. You'll need it later.
• kids in the workplace
• violence on television
• immigration policy
• the need for recycling

The Formal Outline
After brainstorming your topic, you're ready to begin an outline. Here is a model of a formal outline. Take a minute to study it.
Thesis Statement (includes introduction)
I. Main Topic
A. Subtopic

1. Supporting point
(a. detail)
(b. detail)
2. Supporting point
3. Supporting point
B. Subtopic
1. Supporting point
2. Supporting point
II. Main Topic
(Same as above)
Conclusion
Notice that the outline begins with a thesis which states your main idea; it tells the reader what your composition is about. This statement is included in the introduction, which, like the topic sentence of a paragraph, should interest the reader. Next, the Roman numeral I signifies the first main topic. Depending on the length and depth of your paper, you might have two, three, or even four main topics. While the main topics support the thesis, they must also be broad enough to merit their own lists of supporting details. This is where the subtopics enter. Subtopics, indicated by capital letters, group the main topic into separate categories.
Each of these is followed by supporting points, or details. (If these details require further support, add lower case letters.) Again, the amount of details will vary. (This can be altered to apply to just stories and not just essays but essays are the pure foundation of what stories also came from. So if you're exceptional at school essay projects you can be a brilliant storyteller as a writer, my dear readers.)

Continuing to the next main topic, simply repeat the process. When you're done, be sure to add a conclusion. This will remind you to summarize your thesis at the end of your paper.

Here's a sample section of an outline. Notice how the ideas reinforce one another. Also, note the movement from general to specific.

Thesis Statement: The world is endangered by overpopulation
I. Main Topic..
...depletion of resources
A. Subtopic..
running out of energy sources
1. Supporting point..
.....oil reserves are running out
a. Detail ..statistics on oil reserves in the U.S.A.
b. Detail .....statistics on oil reserves in the Middle East
c. Detail.
...statistics on oil reserves in U.S.A. and Middle East ten years ago

At first glance, the formal outline might appear intimidating. But once you practice, you 'll find it extremely helpful. Also, remember that outlines are extremely flexible. The models above but you should modify it to your own purposes. (In other words, don't always go with the flow. —Lumna10.) Some writers, for example, don't distinguish between supporting points and details.

Like all writing processes, an outline benefits from revision. Your first time through, don't worry about getting all the ideas perfectly settled. In fact, you might even make adjustments during the writing process. Leave yourself room.

Brainstorming Into Composition Of An Outline In Action
Writing Exercise Prompt 2.
Now it's your turn to write an outline. Using your brainstorming notes as reference, create a formal outline. (If you want to modify it, check your approach with your teacher first.) The outline should have at least three main topics.
Important: Since this is an exercise solely in outlining, feel free to invent supporting details for your main topics, as long as they're not too far-fetched. However, if you're going to compose an essay using this outline, your details must be factual.