10+ Outline Examples & Templates

Do you have plans to create something worthwhile? Before you start stringing along words and sentences, or coming up with intricate designs, there’s something you need to take care of first. What is that, you wonder? Why, it’s the outline. It does not matter what you try to create; with the proper outline format at your disposal, you can be assured that your output has the potential to turn out magnificently. Read on to learn more about outlines and how you can make your own.

10+ Outline Templates

Professional Biography Outline

Biography Book Report Outline

Research Outline

Basic Biography Outline Template

Character Biography Outline

Short Biography Outline

Biography Outline Template for Elementary Students

Biography Essay Outline Format

Artist Biography Outline

Biography Outline Worksheet Template

Essay Outline

Basic Outline Example

Formal Sentence Outline

Informative Speech Outline

Argument Outline Sample

Decimal Outline

What Is an Outline?

An outline is a term for helpful guides that people use to organize their projects, often written documents. There are multiple types of outlines, with school project outlines, business report outlines, a speech outline, and even program-based types like a Google docs outline among the most common examples. These are put to good use because some projects can be too long or complicated for someone to just ‘wing it.’ Think of these as being similar to blueprints for an upcoming construction project. Without outlines, many will be in disarray and their projects may not even see the light of day.

How to Create Your Own Outline

Now that you know what an outline is and what variations of it there are, let’s proceed to learn how to make one. Although you can easily get any outline template online, it’s better if you knew how to create your own from scratch. After all, an outline can be used for almost any kind of organizational or creative endeavor. Without further ado, let’s dive right into the first step:

Step 1: Establish Your Purpose

Before you come up with any barebone outline, you must first discover what it is for. It may be that you’ve already decided on a purpose long ago. If so, then you can proceed to the next step. If not, know that establishing your purpose for the project outline can serve your own personal guideline.

Step 2: Organize Your Main Ideas

Deciding on your main ideas should come after establishing your purpose. If you are trying to come up with an essay outline, for example, decide on what your main points will be. That way, it becomes much easier to break your topic down and express your ideas in a cohesive manner.

Step 3: Expound on Your Ideas

Now that you’ve decided on your main ideas, know that no written output would be complete without further explanation and exploration. If you’ve got specific subcategories in mind, now would be the time to look into them. Remember that your outline can always benefit from the inclusion of supporting details, so don’t scrimp on that.

Step 4: Review and Adjust

As you plot your outline, it is important to review the project document that you have come up with so far. Check for any errors, both glaring and not-so-glaring. As you review and discover that are topics that need adjusting, then by all means do so.

FAQs

People crawl before they learn to walk, and all the plans and documents in the world first start out as outlines. Whether it is a business plan outline, a resume outline, a cover letter outline, or any other outline example, know that you now have the knowledge to take your projects to the next level. All that’s left for you to do is consider your options before moving forward. You are, after all, guaranteed a much likelier chance of success now that you’ve finished this article. Act now and use outlines for all your future plans!