Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach

You've researched your topic, taken copious notes, created a mind map, made lists, but you haven't settled on the best way to organize all of your material. You aren't sure how to structure your chaotic work in progress. Perhaps you’ve tried the ready-made outlines I've proposed—past-present-future, and problem-solution or problem-solution-benefits—but those didn’t fit this project.  Well, here's another: zoom in or zoom out. Could that work? The Zoom In/Zoom Out Outline This ready-made outline is pretty straightforward. You pick a starting point for your topic and from there, you zoom in or out. If you start big and broad, you can progressively zoom in on the topic so the analysis or story ends with a narrow, focused perspective or impact.  If you start at a smaller point, you gradually zoom out to offer a broader application or conclusion. Example: Zoom In Let’s say you want to analyze an issue that concerns you—an opinion piece about civility. You can start at a high level, offering a broad analysi