SUMMARY: Ed Wilson talks about the use of scenes when writing.

One of the things I always incorporate in my outlines are scenes. I may not always call it a scene, but it serves the same purpose. The organizational levels, for me, work out like the following:

•  Book
  • Chapter
    • Scene
      • Opening paragraph
      • Middle paragraphs
      • Closing Paragraph
    • Transition
  • Transition

Continue reading →

After having written nearly a dozen technical books, I know the value of an outline. In fact, in some ways, developing the outline is one of the more difficult aspects of writing a technical book. The outline is so important, that it actually becomes part of the book contract with the publisher. Because it is so much work, I try to make the outline as useful as possible, and not do as I did in Freshman English, write a sort-of outline after I finished writing. Continue reading →