I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have sat down to write a chapter and been stymied by writer’s block. Often, I will have scheduled a whole afternoon to be undisturbed in front of my computer. I value that time because I have a busy schedule and finding time to write is difficult. It always detracts from some other important activity. So, when I have the time to write, I need that time to count. I have found that the best way to make the time count is to outline chapters.
I hardly ever get writer’s block when I am drafting a chapter outline. I simply start a bulleted list and write down ideas as they come. They do not have to be cohesive. I can organize them later. The important thing is that I have them written down ahead of time. By doing this, I begin to see the pitfalls that I will run into. I can sidestep them before it is too late. Outlining chapters is a pain in the neck because it does not feel like you are accomplishing anything. You are accomplishing something. Remember that. Even though you don’t have a product that you can show anyone, you have already done the heavy-lifting. Now, writing the chapter itself will be a breeze. I firmly believe that outlining chapters with bulleted lists saves time in the long run.
