What is Outlining

The first part of this chapter includes an overview of a variety of pre-writing practices ranging from traditional pre-writing activities such as outlining, brainstorming, and mind-mapping to out-of-the-box pre-writing activities such as engaging in mindfulness practices, front-loading, and scheduling focused blocks of time. The authors describe each pre-writing strategy and provide guidance for when to implement the specific practice. The authors also provide 3 to 6 tips for optimizing each pre-writing strategy. The second part of this chapter features an analysis of qualitative data, collected from real-world writers, about the impact of pre-writing strategies. Findings from the qualitative data analysis reveal that pre-writing can, among other things, combat frustration, lower anxiety levels, remedy writer's block, increase confidence, and expand creativity.