It sounds like reverse outlining might help you. Sketch out a rough outline, but then draft to your heart’s content. Then come back to the draft and summarize each paragraph or section you have written. When you’re done, you’ll have a conceptual roadmap of the draft, which you can then evaluate in order to revise.

I have a couple of “reverse outline” processes that I use, and actually, I think it would make a great post. Thanks for the idea — I’ll get started!

Cheers,
Loren

While I can draw up an outline with ease, my problem lies in implementing that outline. After the basic structure is written and I begin drafting, my mind races out to a tangent that can not fit in with the rest of the points I want to present. It is as though my creativity and my logic only meet while my fingers are at the keys, and I can not predict what will come out before that point. I have learned the hard way that judicious editing is a requirement, unless I am expressing core feelings that can only be clarified and not edited.

Which leads me to my question. How can I find a comfortable middle ground between early drafting and late drafting?

I realize that practice is important. Practice is only useful in building habits, though, and is not useful in learning new ones. At the moment, practicing outlining seems to only increase my reluctance to outline, since I typically don’t use the outline while drafting.

Thank you very much for this tip. I can see how finding a balance will improve my writing.