BellaOnline Forums Career Nonfiction Writing Outlining

Oh, don't know how to do that either - I'm probably only one step up from an orangutang with a keyboard.
So yes, it is much easier for me to use a program thay is all set up. Just haven't found the entirely perfect (for me) one yet. Thanks for your attempt to help though. And I will be watching for your article.

I use the table of contents in word too. I figured that one out with my first book.

I tried really really hard to use an outline with the second novel I am writing but i went in totally different directions several time and pitched the idea. Now I am working one about serial killer and it is told from several different characters. I think that is going to need an outline just to keep all the details straight. I usually sit and write whatever and let my brain follow the path it wants to go.

Happy Birthday Terrie!!

Thank you, Elle. When did our forum start tossing birthday cakes onto our names?

Even the previous forum version had birthday cakes If you have your birthday in your profile, it lights up the candles on the day. But it's based on US time, so my birthday always comes up a day late

Ouch! My head is spinning. I came here, I WILL BE HONEST, to cheat a little. I thought, well my good friend and fellow editor ,Terrie, will have all the ins and outs of outlining and I will just get all the goop from her.

Well . . . I can see that everyone has their own method and I think, I'm going to do a little research, but I'm also going to share my method - for fiction at the Writing for Children's site.

I love Terrie's method for outlining and I'm going to take a close look at the various programs mentioned here.

Outlining is very important in SEO Article Marketing and Writing Online.

It does help to have 3 mental 'boxes' in your head as you have to squeeze as much valuable keyword-rich info an article that is often very short. Too much waffling is out! My favorite tip for doing mine is to totally skip any intro and jump straight in after the titling sentence.

Often if you only have 350 - 400 words, you need to be punchy and to the point, making sure your keywords are in there. A couple of minutes with a pencil and a scrap of paper beforehand can save lots of wasted time. I recently found a great little video about outlining which I put on my Newbie Writer website for my readers. (I followed it too LOL.)

When researching my online writing article I found a handy little outlining video - so I popped it on my 'Helping Newbie Web Writers To Earn Online' site:

Polishing Outlining Skills In Readiness For Selling Freelance Articles

Sometimes it's useful to drag up those college skills again!

I have not written a book yet, even though that is my ultimate goal. I thought I would start with article writing and build up to a book.
My biggest problem is staying focused and staying on subject. I'll start on a subject, but then I'll get sidetracked by something else going on in my immediate vacinity and then lose the thought I was on. Or I'll be typing and I come up with a "totally fabulous" idea and then try to merge the two together...all resulting in writing that is all over the place at times. It sounds like outlining would definitely help, does it work on articles as well as a book, or is it more suited for longer topics?