Create outlines before drafting
Unit ID: AIT-M07-U01 Estimated active time: 15-20 minutes
The main idea
Outlines help you check structure before creating too much text.
An outline is cheap to change. A draft is not, and by the time it exists you are attached to it.
Why this matters
Structural problems are almost invisible in a polished draft and obvious in an outline. Good prose makes a bad order feel reasonable.
Safe example
A policy explainer becomes intro, why it matters, steps, examples, and cautions.
Five headings, each with a stated purpose. Two of them turn out to overlap, which is easy to fix now and awkward later.
Better working habit
Ask for headings and purpose of each section.
The purpose line is the useful part. A heading with no stated job is where padding goes.
What to watch for
Do not accept an outline that hides missing evidence.
A confident heading over a section you cannot yet fill will still be there when the draft is written, filled with something.
Mini practice
Create an outline and mark sections that need facts.
Count the marks. That is your research list, and it is better found now.
Check yourself
Before moving on, answer:
- Does every heading have a stated purpose?
- Which sections do I not yet have the material for?
- Do any two sections do the same job?