Don't Forget the Road Map

Over the last few weeks, the Rogue Valley's Indian summer has given way to rain and fog. When my kids were young, they'd squeal with delight when they'd wake to the drizzly or foggy mornings of November, because they knew--being native Oregonians--that the holiday season was just around the corner.

Next month, I'll offer some tips on writing a holiday letter, but this month, it's time to get organized. Before tackling any writing project, take the time to plot your course: Make a road map.

Any kind of road map will do. Experiment with several organizational techniques until you find one that suits you. Though the formal outline has its firm believers, I find it tedious and confining--and I trace it back to good ol' Mrs. Steinman.

She was actually young and stylish--so unlike the stereotype of the old, stodgy English teacher--but she hammered away for months, it seemed, on how to write a formal outline. Invariably, I'd spend more time obsessing about the "correct" way to outline than on the actual writing assignment. So I took an alternate route. When I was required to hand in an outline with my final draft, I'd write the essay first--using my own technique--and then I'd outline my completed essay.

But if formal outlining works for you as a prewriting tool, by all means, use it! Writers who swear by the process claim that a project will virtually "write itself" if you've invested enough time in an outline. Knowing how all the parts fit together before you start writing is a distinct advantage, but formal outlining is only one approach among many.

When tackling short pieces--like articles, essays and letters--I rely on one of two techniques. With both approaches, I research and/or think about my topic long before my fingers hit the keyboard. Next, if if I'm using the first strategy, I make a list of the points I want to include. Sometimes I'll put them in a logical order; other times, especially when I know the topic well, I just list the points randomly--so I won't forget them! Using the list as a springboard, I begin my first draft. I call it a "scratch" outline--a working version of Mrs. Steinman's formula.

With the second strategy, I dispense with the list altogether and just plunge in, discovering what I have to say--and the order in which I'll say it--as I write. The very act of writing sets my gears in motion. The result is a loosely structured "free writing," that I carefully organize in the next draft.

If you're a visual learner, try making a tree diagram. Write your main topic (say, "Highlights of 2008") at the top of the page, then divide and subdivide the topic into smaller and smaller parts, branching out on the page like an inverted tree. Then pick the most promising material to write about.

"Mapping (also called "clustering") works in a similar fashion. Write your main idea ("Highlights of 2008") in the middle of the page, then circle it. Next, write down words that relate to the main idea, circle them and draw lines connecting them to the words that triggered them. Once the page is full, look for word clusters; they'll suggest a structure for your first draft.

If only Mrs. Steinman had known that form matters less than function! It's not the technique that matters; it's the act of planning. Starting a writing project without a road map is like driving over Mt. Sexton on a foggy night. Ten minutes of planning this month just might save you an hour of writing next month, when you'll need it the most.