A plot outline must be driven by character to be heartfelt, to create catharsis, and it’s this that makes the outcome of J.K. Rowling’s books count for Harry’s readers, for any bestselling book, so know your protagonist before you really get going with plot. Sometimes writers begin with a plot, sometimes with a character.
Put each group in order from broad ideas to specific details. Broad ideas are more likely to be your main points, while details are the bits of information you will use to support those ideas. Depending on the purpose of your outline, you may have many subpoints and supporting details. However, aim to have at least 2-3 subpoints and 2-3 supporting details for each main idea.[12]
- For example, your main point might be that Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein champions emotion over reason. Your subpoints might be that Victor Frankenstein is restored by nature and that his scientific efforts create a monster. As supporting details, you might include quotes from the book.
- If you're writing a story or presenting a historical argument, a chronological order makes sense. For an essay or speech, pick the subtopic with the most supporting materials, and lead with this argument. From there, order your major subtopics so each one naturally flows into the next.
- Your broad ideas should connect back to your thesis or controlling idea. If they don’t, rewrite your thesis to reflect the main ideas you’re putting into your outline.
WindowsWeb
In Word, outlines are also called multilevel lists. The following steps show how to write a new outline from scratch. If, instead, you want to view an existing document in outline form, read Use Outline view to manage headings and arrange text.
- Click Home and, in the Paragraph group, click the arrow next to Multilevel List.
- Choose an outline style from the List Library. Point to each outline style in the library to view all the levels for the style.
- Start typing to begin the list. Press Enter when you finish the line to start a new line.
- To start a new list level, press the Tab key and begin typing.
- Press Enter to return to the previous list level.
Tips:
- When you start a paragraph with an asterisk and a space (* ) or with number 1 and a period (1.), Word displays the AutoCorrect Options button and begins building a bulleted or numbered list. If you don't want a bulleted or numbered list, click the AutoCorrect Options button and then click Stop Automatically Creating Bulleted Lists or Stop Automatically Creating Numbered Lists.
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You can view an existing outline in Word for the web, but you can’t create and format an outline automatically the way you can in the desktop version of Word.
If you have the desktop version of Word, first use the Open in Word command to open the document in Word.
Then, follow the instructions for desktop Word on Windows or Mac.
When you’re done and you've saved the document, you’ll see the outline when you reopen it in Word for the web.