Dreading the Writing Assignment? Outlines to the Rescue

Writing technical articles is a challenge. There you sit, surrounded by reams of research, notes and interviews. Where do you start?

Remember 5th grade English? You start with an outline.

Outlining has fallen on hard times lately. Mind mapping and brainstorming are much more fashionable. These techniques are great when generating ideas, but once you've got your ideas germinating you've got to outline them. Without an outline, your article will:

  • Be an unstructured mess.

  • Take three times as long to write.

    Don't let this happen to you ? outline. If it's been a while since 5th grade ? or if your "progressive" school didn't stoop to teach you actual English skills ? let me remind you why it's important and how to do it.

    • Outlining keeps you from writing an unstructured mess. Readers, especially American readers, prefer distinct sections in their media. For example, look at American screenplays. Movies invariably have three acts, and anything that doesn't have them is considered an art film. Effective speeches often contain three parts, and readers like three points because the structure makes easier to retain information.

    • Outlining shrinks your writing time by a third to a half. How do you whittle down that pile of research notes and interviews into an article or white paper? You guess it ? outline it. By assigning sections to your notes before you start writing, you'll categorize, simplify and clarify. Not bad before you've even written an introduction. For example, let's say you're writing an article about mirroring. You can divide such an article into several different sections depending on what your client wants to get across. Here are some examples of different outlines:

    • 1) Explanation of mirroring 2) Differences between local and remote mirroring, 3) Contrasting mirroring with other forms of replication, or

    • 1) Define mirroring 2) List environments that require mirroring 3) Decision matrix for assigning different mirroring levels.

    Once you've done your research it's simple to assign pieces to different sections. Believe me, it'll light a fire under your writing time.

    Christine Taylor is president of Keyword Copywriting, which helps marketing and PR pros leverage their relationships with technology clients. E-mail her at chris@keywordcopy.com, call her at 760-249-6071, or check out Keyword's Website at chris@keywordcopy.com

    About The Author

    Christine writes technical marketing communications for data storage, networking and pharmaceutical clients, including:

    EMC
    Commvault
    Quantum
    StoneFly Networks
    Sybase
    Maranti Networks
    ClariStor
    Fujitsu
    AES
    Obagi Medical Products

    She specializes in trade journal articles, white papers, press kits and online content. She serves as a contributing editor to Computer Technology Review and acts as editor-in-chief for Storage Inc. and Storage Management Solutions.

    Before moving into technical journalism and marketing she served 20 years in the IT trenches, including systems administration at Avery Dennison's Research and Development division.

    chris@keywordcopy.com

    recurring maid service Buffalo Grove ..
    In The News:

    The iconic Mary Kay pink Cadillac goes electric with the Cadillac Optiq, available only to the company's top 1% of sales force performers.
    Cybercriminals abuse trusted Intel driver to gain kernel access and shut down Windows Defender, enabling undetected malware deployment since July 2025.
    Using email aliases for online shopping and subscriptions can protect your privacy by preventing companies from linking your activity across websites.
    New research shows AI overlap does not equal job replacement, with knowledge-based roles seeing most integration while physical jobs remain least affected.
    Scammers target seniors who avoid social media by exploiting public records like obituaries and real estate filings to steal personal information and money
    Recovery team in Italy use AI-enabled drones to detect missing hiker's red helmet, leading to successful recovery after months of ground searches
    Google Salesforce system breach exposes business data while scammers use incident to target users with fake security calls and phishing attempts.
    Google announces Pixel 10 lineup with Tensor G5 chip and Gemini Nano AI, introducing Magic Cue, Pro Res Zoom up to 100x and satellite emergency support features.
    C San Diego study reveals 86% of school safety companies monitor students 24/7 on personal devices, raising privacy concerns.
    Users can now add their favorite outlets' coverage to the Top Stories section of Google search results by utilizing the 'preferred sources' feature. With just a few clicks, you can add Fox News.
    Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
    Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS shows an unexpected frontal glow that Harvard's Avi Loeb says cannot be explained by sunlight reflection or standard cometary outgassing.
    Receiving order confirmations for purchases you never made could mean your email address is being exploited in fraud operations targeting multiple retailers.
    First wireless brain implant works with Apple's official protocol, enabling hands-free control of iPhones, iPads and Vision Pro through thought alone.
    Data brokers sell personal details that scammers use to target retirement funds through fake financial advisor calls and convincing phishing attempts
    Ten innovative tech solutions from gait sensors to smart pill dispensers help adults 65+ track fall risks and prevent injuries before they happen.
    Meta AI internal documents revealed chatbots were allowed to flirt with children and engage in romantic conversations until the company was exposed by Reuters.
    ChatGPT will avoid giving direct mental health advice under new OpenAI rules following instances where the AI model provided harmful or misleading responses.
    Your phone tracks you in more ways than that little GPS icon suggests. Here’s how to find and clear hidden location logs on iPhone and Android.
    Authorities in France and the Netherlands have been notified. Meanwhile, impacted customers are being told to stay alert.
    Apple just rolled out a redesigned Blood Oxygen feature to specific models, following a recent victory in a legal dispute.
    Kidney dialysis provider DaVita experienced a ransomware breach by the Interlock gang affecting 916,000 people in the second-largest U.S. healthcare attack of 2025.
    A Chinese-made Unitree R1 robot walked Manhattan streets and shopped for shoes as part of KraneShares' $28 million AI robotics fund promotion campaign.
    The ShinyHunters cybercriminal group breached Google's Salesforce system through vishing attacks, stealing business contact details and customer data.
    Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
  • Suspense Novels Made Easy

    Suspense novels are probably the easiest novels to write. Suspense... Read More

    Writing Secrets You Must Know

    Writing better is critical for students. But it's even more... Read More

    The Myths Of Writing: Have You Bought Into These?

    There is an image most people carry of the artist... Read More

    Writing with a Sense of Adventure

    We've all been told that we need to use all... Read More

    Tips for First Time Authors : 2 Easy Steps to Make Your First Book a Success

    Congratulations on writing your first book. That is quite an... Read More

    Keep your Book Dream Alive

    Is your book nearly finished, finished, published, or even in... Read More

    Creative Writing Tips - Have You Established Your Main Character At The Start?

    In the beginning of your story you have to grab... Read More

    Ten Tips to Help You Finish Writing Your Novel

    1. Set aside a time to write and keep it... Read More

    The Magic of Layout in Your Story

    "The Magic of Layout..."???Okay... "magic" might seem a bit over... Read More

    Dreading the Writing Assignment? Outlines to the Rescue

    Writing technical articles is a challenge. There you sit, surrounded... Read More

    8 Advantages to Writing a Book as an Entrepreneur

    As an aspiring or an established entrepreneur, you are an... Read More

    How to Write Headlines for How-to Articles

    Want to write a how-to article but can't come up... Read More

    Is Now the Time for a Play about the War in Iraq?

    Everone knows that comedy is mostly about timing. If you... Read More

    Mission Possible: Get Published with Goals, Guidance, and Persistance

    You send me an e-mail. You tell me you've written... Read More

    Ferreting Out Work

    FERRETING OUT WORK You keep hearing that there's work out... Read More

    Time to Write

    SO YOU WANT TO BE A WRITER?Many people have entertained... Read More

    How to Write Funny -- Its All About Timing

    My Dad has this old joke that goes, "What's the... Read More

    What Nationally Published Columnist, Cindy Laferle Has To Say About Writing & Journalism

    Today Norm Goldman, Editor of sketchandtravel and bookpleasures is honored... Read More

    If The Viewpoint Character Is A Secondary Character, Have You Established Who He is?

    Creative Writing Tips ?I have said above that if a... Read More

    Top 10 Common English Goofs by Web Authors

    In reviewing and browsing web sites over the years, I... Read More

    Basic Writing Tips ? Some Controversial, All Correct

    As a previous article ("Making Better Word Choices ? 4... Read More

    What Is The Single Worst Mistake Most People Make When Writing Classified Ads?

    All sales begin with some form of advertising whether it's... Read More

    Linguaphone Language Learning Solutions

    Language Training - A key to Global CommunicationLanguage Training is... Read More

    How You Can Become a Certified and Profitable Proofreader

    A certified proofreader is one that has taken a few... Read More

    Writers Block is No Longer a Problem

    "If you're like me, than I'm sure you're pretty familiar... Read More

    premium house cleaning Glenview ..