Writing an Outline of a Paper

Writing an Outline of a PaperAn outline of the paper is a fundamental part of writing a paper. It helps the writer lay out what is to be included in the paper, and the various parts that will make up the whole. It also acts as a guide for the writer in determining what should be added to it. If you cannot seem to make a beginning work, make sure you write an outline of your paper so that you will know where you are headed.Begin by outlining the different parts of your first draft of your paper. Write each section on a separate sheet of paper and place that sheet in front of you with the title of the section at the top. This will help you easily refer back to it as you go along.Start with your beginning sentences. This is the first thing that the reader will see when they open your paper. If they know nothing about you or your work, then they will have very little reason to continue reading. If you do not make your starting sentences with interesting, then your outline of a paper will not. You need to come up with something that will intrigue them enough to continue.Next, write the topics in the introduction to your paper. This will set the tone for your entire paper. You do not want to give the reader the impression that you are not knowledgeable about the topic. They need to know that you know what you are talking about. This will give them the reason to continue.The second paragraph of your introduction paragraph is the body of your paper. Be sure to write several paragraphs describing who you are and how you came to this project. This will give your reader a chance to get to know you better. You do not want to include personal information in your first paragraph because this will be a shock to the reader and will probably lead them to give upon your paper before they even begin.Your first paragraph should start off with a question. You can ask yourself this question before you write your first sentence, and you can write the answer at the end of your paper. The answer should relate to the topic of your paper. For example, if you are writing about medieval literature, then the answer to the question, 'What is medieval literature?' should be related to medieval culture.The next paragraph should be about three pages long. It should describe how you used the information you gathered from your research. It should provide some of the history about the piece of literature you will be discussing. You do not want to directly discuss any historical figures in the writing of the paper.The conclusion should be a two or three page summary paragraph. This will provide the conclusion of the entire paper. This should also include a list of references that you used for the research that was included in your paper. You may also use this section to include information about your sources that you used in your research. You want to make it as easy as possible for the reader to access your sources in your paper.