“If writing a book starts with an outline, I guess I’ll never write a book.”

One of my brilliant clients said this to me recently and I couldn’t wait to prove her wrong.

While it’s true that starting with an outline gives you a clear vision of your book project, verifies that your idea can span the length of a book, and functions as the map you’ll be working from for the next several months, an outline does not have to look like something you did back in junior high.

And even though one of my favorite activities in junior high was to organize the local library’s card catalog, I can understand that not everyone does their best thinking in neatly organized lines.

So let’s look at the things you do enjoy:

• Map making
• Vision boarding
• Post-it note-ing
• Life size whiteboarding
• Notebook doodling
• Paper napkin dreaming

Guess what? You can outline your book using any of these methods.

In fact, you’ll be in good company: I know a bestselling author who has written 15 books. The outline for his upcoming title is currently plastered in post-its across the south side his office wall.

When you publish your book, no one is going to come back and grade you on your outline.

Don’t let technicalities hold you back from doing the work you were meant to do.