Like any great adventurer with their eyes on the prize, you're going to track down a map to follow. Laying out a simple outline will make it easier to see the full trajectory of your story. It will also help you identify holes that need to be filled and story points that need further developing. Crafting an outline at the preparatory stage of your essay writing will also go a long way in verifying that you've chosen a topic that's strong enough to support an entire essay. Not to mention that the outline will help you organize the logical flow to ensure that your instructor remembers your most important points. From our today's article you're going to learn the secrets to crafting a solid outline that will pave the way for an effective essay.
Make it Simple
Don't aspire to create an elaborate, super detailed Roman numeral catalogue to chart your path forward. You may get by a simple plan reflecting the points you're going to cover in your paper. All that need to go into your outline are big picture headers and supporting subtopics for each paragraph. You should already have a pretty good idea of what these themes and supports will be by now, as they've been rolling around in your brain during brainstorming and rewriting. And if you put enough time into your preliminary writing your illuminating details should be pretty easy to fill in.
List Main Arguments
It's critical that you think of the arguments you'll be developing in your essay and reflect them in your outline. You may write down three or four main arguments, phrases, or sentences that lead up to the logical conclusion and confirm your thesis statement. Use Roman numerals to label each argument.
Mention Evidence
Under each argument, put another three or four statements to support it, labeled with uppercase letters. To help you with this, do some research and use the information, results from other studies, quotes, and other relevant data wherewith you can support your position. Take care to note citations and give proper credit to the authors whose ideas and finding you're using to backup your arguments. This will not only keep your safe from committing plagiarism but also bolster your essay. If you want to get down further statements supporting these sentences, label them with numbers and after that with lowercase Roman numbers.
Work Out Transitions
Think of the transition sentences that you'll use in your essay to introduce each new idea. Thus you'll ensure that there's a smooth flow of ideas and your paragraph topics don't jump from one to the next in a disjointed jumble.
Recap
Write a sentence that would sum up everything you intend to tell in your essay. This is a conclusion, so this final sentence should wrap up your ideas and neatly conclude the essay. Make it convincing so that your reader understands and appreciates your argument or, in the best case scenario, is convinced of your thesis. Remember, most readers retain only the first and last points you make in your essay. Therefore, while the intervening arguments must be sound and strong, the beginning and end must be attention grabbing. Make sure to take this into consideration when creating your outline.
Final Thoughts
Just because you make an outline doesn't mean your plan won't change. In fact, be ready that a bit of tweaking will occur as you explore potential structures and framing devices for your story. Still, following the trail that you can adjust along the way is much easier than just plucking from an amorphous cloud of ideas, even the best ones.
Remember, good storytelling is a function of a great idea, excellent planning, and thoughtful story flow. It's always easier to navigate your way to a story with a roadmap in front of you.
The article provided courtesy of PapersOwl, the essay writing company that offers different forms of academic assistance to students.