1.1: Your first ENTMOgraph
1.2: Starting from scratch
1.3: What (not) to do next
1.4 Why outlines fail
1.5 How to fix yours
You can’t build an outline without any ideas! So grab a topic, unleash your frustration, and brain-dump a few terrible ideas onto a blank page.
Write short. Write fast. Don’t edit. One idea per line.
All finished? Good.
Draw yourself two axes. Theory, and Practice.
Use them to sort “idea space” into four quadrants:
Novice, Thinker, Master, and Operator.
This is “N-T-M-O in a graph,” or ENTMOgraph for short.
ENTMOgraph builds outlines that work.
(Save that missing ‘E,’ I’ll explain it later.)
In simplest terms, ENTMOgraph is an idea-sorting refinery.
Raw ideas go in; labeled, sorted ideas come out.
The refinery has three stages.
Label each idea in your brain-dump. Use N, T, M, or O.
N is for Novice basics. “What is this?”
T is for Thinker proofs. “How do we know?”
M is for Master insights. “Oh, I get it!”
O is for Operator plans. “Do that next.”
Sort your ideas by quadrant. Now you can see each group at a glance.
“Wow, my Novice basics aren’t as clear as I thought.”
“I have a lot of super-abstract Thinker proofs.”
“What unique Master insights are missing?
“I need more specific steps for my Operator plans.”
Refine to fill in the gaps. Don’t edit or delete, just add more ideas.
“Brain-dump, label, sort, refine, repeat.”
The ENTMOgraph refinery is a fast, easy source of endless ideas.
But that’s not enough, is it? You were promised an outline that works.
Let’s keep going.
Don’t ENTMO-sort your audience! Overthinking kills outlines fast.
My advice? Stay far away from the Thinker quadrant. It is the Bermuda Triangle of outline writing. I know. I used to live there.
The Thinker quadrant is where failed outlines go to die.
Why not ENTMO-sort audiences? The parallels are compelling:
Your “Novice” audience wants basics.
Your “Thinker” audience wants proofs. “How do we know?”
Your “Master” audience wants insights.
Your “Operator” audience wants plans.
“How do we know it’s a bad idea? Where are your proofs?”
I want so badly to over-explain this! But I won’t.
I’ll show you instead.
Or rather, ENTMOgraph will.
As ENTMOgraph makes instantly clear,
ALL Authors are Thinker-Masters.
ALL Audiences are Novice-Operators.
Your outline isn’t for you. It’s for them.
See it?
All along, I’ve been feeding you a steady diet of clear Novice basics, detailed Operator plans, sharp Master insights, and vivid visual Examples.
(Yes, “Example” is the missing “E” in ENTMOgraph.)
What have I ruthlessly suppressed? Thinker proofs. The Bermuda Triangle. Over-explaining.
Almost all of my own pre-ENTMOgraph writing habits.
Ouch.
“I’ve known these things for years! But I couldn’t TELL you about them until two days ago.”
That’s ENTMOgraph in action.
Master insights are amazing, but Novice-Operators need plans.
How, in explicit detail, does ENTMOgraph build outlines that work?
With BLING.
“Brain-dump, Label, Iterate, Number, Graph.”
BLING is the ENTMOgraph operating system. It is a detailed, “no-steps-skipped” blueprint for converting high-abstract ideas into outlines that work.
I used BLING to write this book.
Brain-dump raw ideas onto a blank page.
Label each one E, N, T, M, or O.
Iterate to refine: Breadth first, then Depth, then Detail.
Number your ideas for fast sorting.
Graph to check your progress at a glance.
Over the next several chapters, I’ll show you exactly how I did it.
Thanks for reading the first chapter of my forthcoming e-book “Understood: The Communication Guidebook for Aphantasics, ADHDs, and Other Nonverbal Minds.”
Already hooked? Pre-order the book now.
read the first four chapters right now
lock in the lower pre-order price
receive the full ebook in September
Still deciding? Need to see a little more BLING?
Stay and read Chapter 2 right here on Substack, or head on over to Gumroad and download both free chapters.
Thanks for reading!
Please subscribe for updates.
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.