Too often writers get stuck because they’re skipping the outlining stage of the writing process.

Here’s how I break down the steps of the writing process:

1. Ideas/Hunches
2. Research
3. Outlining
4. Execution
5. Editing

Stuck writers may come up with an idea (Step 1). Research it (Step 2). Execute a sentence (Step 4). Then, critique how that sentence sounds (Step 5). They skip outlining all together (Step 3).

Who can blame them?

In my experience, sequencing ideas (or outlining) is the most difficult step. Outlines don’t fit the natural flow of writing. They’re written vertically, which causes my brain to shift gears when going from the outline to the article. I may introduce new concepts or re-arrange ideas while writing and forget to update my outline. An outline can easily become outdated and hard to manage once writing begins.

What if we could transform outlining into an intuitive process that made all the steps of writing flow together in harmony?