Outlining in Reverse

I read "Outlining in Reverse" this week, and I found it very intriguing. In the article, Hamburger states that he prefers to do reverse outlining, meaning that he composes an outline after writing down some main chunks that he already is clear about. 

I agree and disagree with Hamburger in some aspects. I agree that to sit down and do a specific outline can be daunting. I prefer to make a different outline depending on the assignment. If it's an essay, I usually do bullets with a separate section for each paragraph. If it's longer, I usually group my research based on topic similarity or relevance. It all just depends on how long the assignment is and how in-depth I need to go with it. I disagree with writing the outline after having written part of the work. That seems backwards to me because I can't stand it when someone doesn't complete something all the way through. To do some of the finished product, then do the outline, then go back to the finished product... it seems haphazard and very ineffective to me. 

But one thing about this article does ring true: reverse outlining can be abused. Maybe that's why I disagree with it. To me, it seems as though if you keep going back and forth between outline and draft, you will either keep adding extraneous information or experience the Christmas Tree syndrome. The Christmas Tree syndrome is when you keep chopping the Christmas tree until the three is practically only one foot tall (like you see on TV). Likewise, reverse outlining can result in constantly chopping off extra information until there is practically nothing left. Either way, I think reverse outlining works for only some people. I am not one of those people. Although I don't advocate a standard outline for every assignment I do, I think outlining should be done before drafts, not after, in between, or anywhere else.

*I am very proud to say that I used a vocabulary word. That is all.