Learn how to write and indent an outline

Subtitle: How to Use a Goldilocks and Three Bears Outline to Help You Write an Outline of Your Own

Introduction: When writing an outline, you want to break the story down to its plot and essential ingredients. What happens first? What things happen in the middle and in what order? What happens in the end?

Perhaps this example of an outline of the familiar children's story called "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" will help you see the process of how to create an outline of your own.

Here is a sample outline for "Goldilocks and the Three Bears."

As you probably recall, the little girl called Goldilocks enters the home of the three bears uninvited. The story breaks down into the following main plot points:

1. The breakfast porridge is too hot and the three bears leave to take a walk.
2. Goldilocks shows up and enters the house uninvited.
3. There is the porridge scene.
4. There is the chair scene.
5. There is the bed scene.
6. The bears return home.
7. The bears discover the eaten porridge.
8. The bears discover Baby Bear’s broken chair.
9. The bears find a blond girl sleeping in Baby Bear’s bed.
10. Goldilocks wakes up and makes her escape.

See the illustrated list for the actual outline and the proper way to indent that outline.