BellaOnline Forums Career Nonfiction Writing Outlining

Okay, I've never used an outlining program. Are they really that helpful? I can type chapter scene scene in seconds on my computer and save it as a template. What else do they do? Do they give you enough to make it worth shelling out the money?

The advantage of Power Writer (PW) and other similar programs is that there are two interactive panels - the outline panel and the text panel. Clicking in one brings you to the corresponding area in the other.
If you don't want that there seems to be an adequate outliner free at:BellaOnline ALERT: Raw URLs are not allowed in these forums for security reasons. Please use UBB code. If you don't know how to do UBB code just post here for help - we will help out!

heyyou- here is the site for the free download. It looks pretty juevenile, but depending on what you use it for...
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Terrie-- I'm with you. I tend to be so organized, I can't imagine a system that would make it any easier. But if it's free... I guess I would give it a try.

For me it is an editting tool not something I devise in advance of writing. Helps me catch things like grandparents are dead in book one and kid telephones one of them in book three (it's a trilogy)

stamping - thanks for the link

I just use Word's Outlining screen for my notes, but then I know Word backwards and inside out (I teach it). It looks pretty much the same as you've described Power Writer.

I'll work it into an article on creating your own outlining/plotting system.

You CAN DO THAT in Word?!?!?!? How?????

A little more longwinded probably, but you set up two documents and align them side by side by clicking Window | Compare side by side. Then you create your notes in Outline view and your manuscript in either Print Layout view or Normal view.

Nowadays I don't often work on both documents together. I'll do my writing session and then afterwards open my notes file and copy and paste any new info that has cropped up from the ms to the notes file.

Ummmm I followed you through your whole first sentence. Then I think our roads diverged in the woods.

I already have my manuscript written.
In PW in the text box I can place the cursor where I want a note for the outline, type it and it appears in both frames. If I click on a line in the outline it takes me to that portion of the text. If I move something around it follows in the other frame. I can't figure out how to do that in Word.

I AM virtually computer illiterate. Just know how to do a certain few specific things I've struggled to learn. 'old dog, new tricks' - yah know!

Yeah, it does sound like they've just made it much easier for you. It can be tricky to get exactly what you want in Word.

I forgot to mention that I use a Table of Contents to have a quick jump-to guide, as well, for my ms.