How to use PowerPoint to Outline Your Book

A Badman Publishing Guide for Members

Introduction

The main benefits of using PowerPoint for outlining are its visual and organizational capabilities. The two main features for authors are firstly, PowerPoint allows you to create a clear and structured hierarchical outline with ease. Secondly, the “Slides” view, which we are going to call “cards” for this guide, allows you to see an overview of the storyline as it is developing, with the extra benefit of being able to move the cards around.

Why outlining is such a valuable tool for authors.

Our companion guide “Outlining to Create Your Manuscript” explains the features, benefits and advantages of using outlining in order to write your book intuitively and time effectively. That guide, which you would ideally read first if you haven’t done so already, covers the following headings…

Why outlining matters
What is an outline
Some of the many benefits of outlining
Different types of outlining
Choosing the right outlining format for you
Outlining Your Main Ideas
Organising your chapters
Structuring your main plot
Incorporating subplots to keep things interesting
Writing your first draft using your outline as a guide

Creating your manuscript content in Outline view

To begin creating your outlining exercise using PowerPoint, open PowerPoint on your computer. Once PowerPoint is running, locate the “View” tab at the top of the window. Click on it to reveal a drop-down menu with different viewing options. From this menu, select “Outline View.” [sample] This option will change the way your cards (slides) are displayed. Instead of showing images or designs, it will present your cards as a simple text outline. This text-focused view allows you to concentrate on the actual content of your card without getting distracted by visual elements. Focusing on this card based outline, ensures that your ideas are clear, organized, and easy to follow.

Creating your cards

To create your card titles, use the Outline View in PowerPoint. This view allows you to easily manage the content, and later, the order of your cards. Begin by typing the title for your first card. Each title you enter will represent a distinct slide in your final presentation. It is important to be clear and concise with your titles to ensure they effectively convey the main idea of each slide. Once you finish typing a title, press the “Enter” key on your keyboard. This action will automatically generate a new slide for you to work on. Repeat this process for each subsequent title you wish to include in your presentation, ensuring that all titles are recorded in a logical order. By following these steps, you will build a clear and flexible outline for your book.

Formatting your cards

When creating your cards, it is essential to use subtitles and bullet points effectively. This strategy plays a crucial role in organizing the content for each card, ensuring clarity and ease of understanding the linear journey through the story.

• Subtitles:
  Use the “Tab” key to indent and create subtitles under each main card title.
  Subtitles serve as a brief summary or label for the card content.
  They help you focus specific topics and events at that point in the storyline.
• Bullet Points:
  Employ the “Tab” key to create bullet points that list key ideas or information.
  Bullet points break down complex information into manageable chunks.
  Items in bullet points should be concise and directly related to the card’s main topic.

Organizing your “digital cards” in this way helps you with a helicopter perspective of the storyline and how it is progressing from one event to the next, It streamlines the flow of information, making it easier for you to present the storyline clearly. The combination of subtitles and bullet points allows for a structured approach that keeps the outline going in the right direction.

The benefit of rearranging your cards

Rearranging cards in your outline is a simple process that can save you time. To change the order of your cards, go to the Outline View. In this view, you can see a list of all your cards at once. By clicking and holding on a slide, you can easily drag it to a new position in the list. This dragging and dropping method makes it easy to manually adjust the sequence of your content. Whether you want to move a slide up or down, this feature allows you to make those changes quickly and efficiently. You can rearrange your cards until the order fits your vision for the outline. This flexibility helps ensure that your ideas flow logically and that your storytelling is clear.

Expanding and collapsing cards

To improve focus on certain areas in your story’s timeline, the Outline View lets you expand or collapse cards easily. This feature helps you manage the amount of information displayed at any given time. By right-clicking on a slide title, you can choose “Expand” to reveal the detailed content related to that slide. This is particularly useful when you want to dive deeper into specific topics without being distracted by other cards. Conversely, if you want to minimize the information and concentrate on broader themes, you can select “Collapse” to hide the details of that slide. This ability to toggle the view allows for more efficient navigation and aids in organizing your thoughts clearly.

Create cards from your document

If you have created an outline in your word processor, for example Microsoft Word and want to incorporate it into your PowerPoint outline cards, the process is straightforward. First, open your PowerPoint application. Next, locate the “New Slide” option, which is typically found in the ribbon at the top of the screen. Click on this option, and you will see a sub-menu where you can find “slides from Outline.” Select this choice to prompt a file selection window. Navigate to the location of your Word document containing the outline and select it. Once you confirm your selection, PowerPoint will automatically generate cards that reflect the structure and content of your outline. Each section of your outline will correspond to a card, making it easier to set up your outline efficiently.

Previewing and polishing

After creating your outline, it is important to return to Normal View. This allows you to see how your cards appear as a whole. In this view, you can evaluate the layout and flow of your outline. Take a moment to review each slide to ensure they convey your messages effectively. You might notice areas that need improving, whether in content, design, or both. Use this opportunity to make necessary adjustments. Fine-tuning your cards enhances clarity and engagement. Adjust text size, colours, or images to better align with your theme. Continue refining until you are satisfied with the overall outline of your book.