What is a skeleton outline?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Just like a skeleton defines the basic shape of a body and provides something for the muscles, tendons, and such to attach to, a skeleton outline marks out the structure of a piece of writing. It can be used in fiction writing, article writing or a copywriting project as a tool to help plan and draft work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re new to skeleton outlines, the name will tell you most of what you need to know!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why use a skeleton outline? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"Skeleton](\"https:\/\/clippings-me-blog.imgix.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/skeleton-1-683x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nA skeleton outline has one primary purpose: to help you write more\nefficiently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Think of it as a GPS for your writing. If you don\u2019t enter a destination and at least take a cursory glance at the route you plan to take, you probably won\u2019t end up on the most efficient route. You\u2019ll get there (probably), but it might take longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Efficiency matters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The scenic route is fine if you\u2019re going on a camping trip, but\nyou\u2019re a freelance writer. Chances are good that the longer you take to write a\nparticular piece, the less you\u2019ll earn that day. A skeleton outline keeps you\non track so you can produce more words without compromising quality.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nRemember, it’s not just about writing fast. Anyone can write fast, but the quality of the result can be questionable. Skeleton outlines help you write quickly and well. <\/a>You hit your deadline and turn in something good enough to get you re-hired.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAs freelancers, most of us can’t afford to turn in bad work, nor do\nwe want to because our reputations are on the line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why does it work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Creating a skeleton outline is a time investment, albeit a minor one. For this method, you take a few minutes to write out the points you want to make in your article. The result is a simple document that keeps you on track in several different ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1.\nFreedom to be inspired<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Some writers assume that an outline limits your creativity, but more\noften it\u2019s the opposite. Whenever I write without an outline, I feel bound to\nwhatever sub-topic I\u2019m working on at the moment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s say that I\u2019m working on a 1,000-word article about training\ndogs, and I\u2019m in the middle of a paragraph about positive reinforcement.\nSuddenly I decide I need to write about the history of behaviorist theory and\nhow it relates to animal training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If I try to do anything more than making a note about it, though,\nI\u2019ll lose track of… wait, what was I talking about? Oh, that\u2019s right,\npositive reinforcement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
2.\nThe bucket effect<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The elements of your skeleton outline are like empty buckets, each\nof which contains blocks of a certain color. If you find that one bucket would\nwork better somewhere else, you can move it, and all the colored blocks with\nit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now imagine that all of your colored blocks are lying on the floor\nindividually. How much longer is it going to take to move all of the blue\nblocks without leaving any of them behind?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3.\nStructured research<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
A skeleton outline helps you to stop flailing about the Internet,\nlooking for statistics that probably relate to your topic. Your skeleton\noutline provides you with sub-topics that let you be a lot more specific with\nyour search. I\u2019ve found that the more specific I can be with my research, the\nless likely I am to follow random leads until I can\u2019t remember where I started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How do you make a skeleton outline?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"Outlining](\"https:\/\/clippings-me-blog.imgix.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/outline.jpg?auto=format%2Cenhance%2Ccompress\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nNow that we’ve covered the “why it works,” let’s move on\nto “how.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fun fact: if you do a Google image search for \u201cskeleton outline,\u201d\nyou\u2019ll mostly find craft templates and coloring pages featuring human bones.\n(Seriously. Try\nit.<\/a>) Scroll down for a while, though, and you\u2019ll start to see documents\nthat look like a book\u2019s table of contents.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThat\u2019s essentially what a skeleton outline is\u2014a table of contents\nfor your piece. It\u2019s not a detailed or necessarily formalized outline like\nthose you may have written in school, complete with sub-topics and full\nsentences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A skeletal outline is really “just the bones,” pun fully\nintended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Take a look at the example below (with thanks to AcademicHelp.net<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Skeleton](\"https:\/\/clippings-me-blog.imgix.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/skeleton-outline.png?auto=format%2Cenhance%2Ccompress\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nYou can use this template to create a skeleton outline for almost\nany piece of copy you’re going to write. You’ll replace the placeholders like\nFirst Point, Detail, and Conclusion with specific references to your topic and\nsub-topics, but the outline won’t get more complex. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nor should it. For the commercial writer, a complex outline is counter-productive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How do you use your skeleton outline?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Once you have your skeleton outline complete, it\u2019s time to flesh it\nout. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you’ve never tried this before, you’ll be amazed at how much\nquicker you end up with a great finished product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 1: Choose your main points <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s say you’ve been asked to create an article about how to\nconcentrate while you\u2019re writing. Your first step is to choose your main\npoints. You decide on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Choosing music to write to<\/a><\/li>
- The Pomodoro Technique<\/a> for self-accountability<\/li>
- Handling inevitable distractions<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re happy with your three main points, or however many you decide to use, you\u2019re ready to move on to details. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 2: Find your details<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s an awkward experience that many writers are familiar with.\nYou\u2019ve chosen a topic and backed it up with three or four supporting details,\neach of which flows into the next one. You\u2019ve started to research one of the\ndetails and found out that actually the rest of your article comes out of\nthat supporting point instead, so you have to go back and start over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ve been there. It\u2019s terrible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the other hand, if I\u2019m using an outline and one of my main points\nwon\u2019t work, I can replace it as necessary without having to re-write much content\nor throw out all of my research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 3: Write<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
If you’ve been diligent in your approach to the first two steps,\nthis last one will be a breeze. Your research is done, the piece is structured;\nnow all you have to do is translate the information into sentences and\nparagraphs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can do this. You’re a writer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Is it possible to write without a skeleton outline? Of course. The shorter the piece, the easier it is to write off the cuff. Use an outline, though, and you’ll almost certainly create better work in less time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That’s the freelance Holy Grail right there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Writing\"](\"https:\/\/clippings-me-blog.imgix.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/writing.jpg?auto=format%2Cenhance%2Ccompress\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If you’re a writer, time is money. Here’s our guide to using skeleton outlines to speed up and improve your writing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":890,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-884","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-freelance-writing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.clippings.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/884"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.clippings.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.clippings.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clippings.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clippings.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=884"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.clippings.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/884\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":950,"href":"https:\/\/www.clippings.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/884\/revisions\/950"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clippings.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/890"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.clippings.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=884"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clippings.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=884"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clippings.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nA skeleton outline has one primary purpose: to help you write more\nefficiently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Think of it as a GPS for your writing. If you don\u2019t enter a destination and at least take a cursory glance at the route you plan to take, you probably won\u2019t end up on the most efficient route. You\u2019ll get there (probably), but it might take longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Efficiency matters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The scenic route is fine if you\u2019re going on a camping trip, but\nyou\u2019re a freelance writer. Chances are good that the longer you take to write a\nparticular piece, the less you\u2019ll earn that day. A skeleton outline keeps you\non track so you can produce more words without compromising quality.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember, it’s not just about writing fast. Anyone can write fast, but the quality of the result can be questionable. Skeleton outlines help you write quickly and well. <\/a>You hit your deadline and turn in something good enough to get you re-hired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As freelancers, most of us can’t afford to turn in bad work, nor do\nwe want to because our reputations are on the line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Creating a skeleton outline is a time investment, albeit a minor one. For this method, you take a few minutes to write out the points you want to make in your article. The result is a simple document that keeps you on track in several different ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some writers assume that an outline limits your creativity, but more\noften it\u2019s the opposite. Whenever I write without an outline, I feel bound to\nwhatever sub-topic I\u2019m working on at the moment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s say that I\u2019m working on a 1,000-word article about training\ndogs, and I\u2019m in the middle of a paragraph about positive reinforcement.\nSuddenly I decide I need to write about the history of behaviorist theory and\nhow it relates to animal training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If I try to do anything more than making a note about it, though,\nI\u2019ll lose track of… wait, what was I talking about? Oh, that\u2019s right,\npositive reinforcement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The elements of your skeleton outline are like empty buckets, each\nof which contains blocks of a certain color. If you find that one bucket would\nwork better somewhere else, you can move it, and all the colored blocks with\nit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now imagine that all of your colored blocks are lying on the floor\nindividually. How much longer is it going to take to move all of the blue\nblocks without leaving any of them behind?<\/p>\n\n\n\n A skeleton outline helps you to stop flailing about the Internet,\nlooking for statistics that probably relate to your topic. Your skeleton\noutline provides you with sub-topics that let you be a lot more specific with\nyour search. I\u2019ve found that the more specific I can be with my research, the\nless likely I am to follow random leads until I can\u2019t remember where I started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that we’ve covered the “why it works,” let’s move on\nto “how.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fun fact: if you do a Google image search for \u201cskeleton outline,\u201d\nyou\u2019ll mostly find craft templates and coloring pages featuring human bones.\n(Seriously. Try\nit.<\/a>) Scroll down for a while, though, and you\u2019ll start to see documents\nthat look like a book\u2019s table of contents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s essentially what a skeleton outline is\u2014a table of contents\nfor your piece. It\u2019s not a detailed or necessarily formalized outline like\nthose you may have written in school, complete with sub-topics and full\nsentences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A skeletal outline is really “just the bones,” pun fully\nintended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Take a look at the example below (with thanks to AcademicHelp.net<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can use this template to create a skeleton outline for almost\nany piece of copy you’re going to write. You’ll replace the placeholders like\nFirst Point, Detail, and Conclusion with specific references to your topic and\nsub-topics, but the outline won’t get more complex. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Nor should it. For the commercial writer, a complex outline is counter-productive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you have your skeleton outline complete, it\u2019s time to flesh it\nout. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you’ve never tried this before, you’ll be amazed at how much\nquicker you end up with a great finished product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s say you’ve been asked to create an article about how to\nconcentrate while you\u2019re writing. Your first step is to choose your main\npoints. You decide on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re happy with your three main points, or however many you decide to use, you\u2019re ready to move on to details. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s an awkward experience that many writers are familiar with.\nYou\u2019ve chosen a topic and backed it up with three or four supporting details,\neach of which flows into the next one. You\u2019ve started to research one of the\ndetails and found out that actually the rest of your article comes out of\nthat supporting point instead, so you have to go back and start over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve been there. It\u2019s terrible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the other hand, if I\u2019m using an outline and one of my main points\nwon\u2019t work, I can replace it as necessary without having to re-write much content\nor throw out all of my research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you’ve been diligent in your approach to the first two steps,\nthis last one will be a breeze. Your research is done, the piece is structured;\nnow all you have to do is translate the information into sentences and\nparagraphs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can do this. You’re a writer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Is it possible to write without a skeleton outline? Of course. The shorter the piece, the easier it is to write off the cuff. Use an outline, though, and you’ll almost certainly create better work in less time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That’s the freelance Holy Grail right there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you’re a writer, time is money. Here’s our guide to using skeleton outlines to speed up and improve your writing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":890,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-884","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-freelance-writing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.clippings.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/884"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.clippings.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.clippings.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clippings.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clippings.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=884"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.clippings.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/884\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":950,"href":"https:\/\/www.clippings.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/884\/revisions\/950"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clippings.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/890"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.clippings.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=884"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clippings.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=884"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clippings.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Why does it work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1.\nFreedom to be inspired<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2.\nThe bucket effect<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3.\nStructured research<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How do you make a skeleton outline?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nHow do you use your skeleton outline?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Step 1: Choose your main points <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 2: Find your details<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 3: Write<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"