It looked something like this: I. Topic Heading A. a subdivision of the heading. 1. a subdivision of A. 2. and another. a. with a couple of subdivisions b. of its own. 1) and then you can go here 2) with further subdivisions a) and then here b) which gets a little crazy. B. But if you have an A, you must have at least a B. It can have a host of subdivisions, too. II. And you must have a II, or there was no point in having a I. III. And on and on it goes. This used to be what people meant by an “outline.” Among writers, agents and editors, however, an outline is something different. It is a synopsis a brief version of your story. An “outline,” or synopsis, might be written for your own use as a blueprint for your novel or as a selling device.
