Lesson 11: Annotate your table of contents

It’s time to annotate your table of contents...

Now that you have written you rough structure and table of contents, now it is time to annotate your table of contents. What does that mean? I am happy to break this process down as a wonderful way to clarify the flow of your outline and prevent any pesky writer’s block by anticipating what is to come for your book writing.

Annotating your table of contents is where you add a 1-3 sentences for each chapter to summarize what it will be about. This will take some time if there are a number of chapters, but by doing this, you will save time once you sit down to write since you will have clear direction about where the draft is going.

A annotated chapter may look something like this..

For nonfiction self-help (example):

Chapter 8: Making Messes
In this chapter the reader will consider that making a mess is part of the artistic process and that one doesn’t have to be perfect to be creative…

For memoir (example)

Chapter 3:
In chapter 3, I have just finished applying for graduate school and have to tell my parents that I’m moving across country. Here we see the risk in choosing calling over what’s comfortable.

See what is happening in both of these examples? They break down in a succinct way what will take place here in the chapter. We don’t have to know everything, but a general idea of the key message, lesson, and or story progression.

Now it’s your turn…