Free Outline Templates

Outline Template: What Is It?

An Outline is a structured plan that lists the main topics the author, speaker, or project manager wants to cover in their future work. Whether you are writing fiction, applying your skills to resolve a scientific problem, addressing the audience to persuade them your ideas or course of action is correct, or attempting to accomplish your goals as the head of a business project, making an Outline is one of the first steps in the process.

By creating a strategic and detailed plan that explains why you and the concepts you are developing are right, you will increase your chances to succeed, prevent obstacles and delays that can derail your creative process or business initiative, and save yourself time and money revealing potential issues and weaknesses in your writing or management skills.

Check out our library below to find a full list of Outline templates.

Outline Template Types

• Essay Outline Template. If you were asked to explore a certain topic in order to inform, convince, or explain a point to a reader, it is highly recommended to prepare a structure for an essay before you embark on a writing journey - the presence of a logical order as well as an endpoint to the argument will improve the quality of your work;
• Speech Outline Template. Experienced speakers and anxious beginners alike should spend some time reflecting on the speech they are going to deliver to an audience - a proper outline will help you stick to several bullet points that cannot be missed especially if you are interacting with others during your speech and see weaknesses in arguments you are planning to articulate;
• Project Outline Template. Whether you are self-employed and responsible for all the business decisions you are making or your superior gave you a task to manage a project, the process of planning this project is essential - map out an outline that will take into account the workforce available, the budget, the schedule, and the resources you already have at your disposal and figure out how to deliver the project in the most cost-effective way.
• Research Paper Outline Template. Before delving into the extensive process of conducting research and writing a research paper, it is essential to establish a solid structure through an outline. This template will assist you in organizing your thoughts, arguments, and supporting evidence, ensuring a coherent and logical flow throughout your paper. By providing a roadmap for your research, it enables you to maintain focus and effectively communicate your findings to readers.
• Biography Template. When undertaking the task of documenting someone's life story, a biography template serves as a valuable tool. It allows you to structure the narrative in a systematic manner, highlighting key events, achievements, and personal details of the individual. By utilizing this template, you can ensure that the biography remains engaging and informative, capturing the essence of the person's life while providing a clear understanding of their significance and impact.
• Novel Outline Template. Crafting a compelling novel requires careful planning and organization, which can be achieved through a novel outline template. This tool helps authors outline the plot, develop characters, and establish the overall structure of their story. By mapping out key events, character arcs, and thematic elements, the template allows for a cohesive and well-paced narrative, enhancing the writer's ability to captivate readers and deliver a satisfying literary experience.

How to Write an Outline?

Here are some tips that will help you to customize an Outline template or create one from scratch:

1. Prepare a solid structure even for a simple Outline - there should be an introduction, main points that prove the statements you make, minor points that belong to larger categories and allow you to further elaborate on the propositions and notions specified in writing, and a conclusion that gives you and the reader or listener an opportunity to brush up the key arguments and see how everything ties together.
2. If the point of your work is to appeal to a certain audience, make sure you adjust the upcoming project to make it appropriate for the reader or listener. For instance, a thesis you have spent months on should elaborate on every tiny detail and it is recommended to avoid generalities that will be well-known already while your research devoted to a topic new both to you and your peers can be simplified so that every person gets a chance to acquire new knowledge.
3. The Outline format matters too - consult with your teacher or mentor in case there are requirements related to the work in question; otherwise, you may opt for an alphanumeric outline using Roman and Arabic numerals along with letters. Do not use the passive voice and complete sentences in the bullet points and peak the interest of the reader by teasing the contents of the paragraph or section of the work in headers and sub-headers.
4. Be open-minded and ready to rewrite the summary of your work not only when you are writing an Outline but also when the project is almost finished. It is likely you will stumble upon new data or discover imperfections in your draft - while it may be challenging to revise the Outline once it was approved as the fundament of your work, you naturally become more confident learning more about the topic which is why fleshing out new ideas and clarifying your points will only enrich your writing.

Haven't found the template you're looking for? Take a look at the related templates below:

• Writing Paper Template;
• Book Template;
• Poster Template.