We’ve all been lost in the weeds of a draft, whether it’s an 800 word essay or an 80K word book. We’ve got the beginning. We’ve got the idea. We’re in, and maybe we’ve even written all the way to the end—but it’s just not working. Here’s why outlining can pull you out of that hole.

1. Outlining forces you to nail down what you’re trying to do. Are you wr…