Chapter 11 -- Outlining Documents for Clarity and Structure

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Chapter 11

With all the "wizard" technology around, wouldn't you think somebody would come up with a wizard that can write your document for you? Word 2002 doesn't go quite that far, but by using the outlining capabilities of the program, you can make planning, structuring, drafting, and reorganizing your document a clean and simple process. Many professional writers (present company included) use outlining to provide a kind of "road map" for the documents they'll eventually create. Outlines enable you to think first about the logical foundation of your document so that when it's time to write, you can let your creative energies flow from your fingertips.

In this chapter, you'll learn all about the outlining capabilities of Word. Whether you love outlining and want to make the best use of all available tools or you're only creating the blasted thing because your supervisor asked for it, you'll find the tools easy to understand and use. And with practice and a few tips and techniques, you might find yourself actually enjoying it.