Greg Bales

In which I declare “outlines are for pussies” to be a foolish attitude for a writer to have.

It has taken me years to learn the value of planning ahead when writing. Even into graduate school I told myself that the structure of an argument was best when it developed organically from the source material. I wrote slowly, painstakingly, and, more often than not, futilely trying to prove my point. My essays were often clunky and, worst of all, rarely came to a conclusion at all, much less a satisfying one. Not until my last semester did a professor ask, “Do you outline before you write?” No, I didn’t, and even at the time she asked I wasn’t entirely convinced it was necessary.

Not to confuse being organized with actually having an argument; indeed, in retrospect I more often than not wrote in order to to find something to say. One must respect the creative process if one wants to be creative, and sometimes that is the way things go no matter how much structure you try to impose. My bigger problem was that I didn’t respect that process: I treated first drafts as final and vice versa, too often ending work precisely where it should have begun.

But Greg, I hear you ask, whatever did you learn in college if not how to outline? Dear, dear Reader, do not be so naïve! There is a difference between learning how to do something and learning the necessity of it! Do not forget it!