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Ultimate Modular Outline Template Version 2.0

Delete the instructions from whatever sections you need to use for your research and notes. Feel free to use only the sections that are relevant for your project. Check out the content repurposing frameworks at the bottom for ideas about what to write.
Christian Waggoner
Link:
Title:
Type/s of Content:
Headline (Variations)
Bly headlines
Journalism Headline
Introductions/Lead-In/Hook Point
Write variations of the introduction and lead-in copy.
Brendan Kane has further info on
hook points
⁠
. But briefly, it’s the thing that will get the attention of your audience. Check out the social pages you like on a platform and filter their library of content by “most relevant/most popular” to get an idea of what sorts of content will hook that audience. Get inspiration from there.
Images
Pictures. Illustrations. Drawings.
Central Argument/Main Hypothesis
The central theme of a piece. The main contribution the author is seeking to make to their field.
How is the argument supported?
Who is the argument for?
WHY
HOW
Supporting Arguments
Sub-theses statements to support the central argument.
Definitions/Background Context/Themes
Define things
Give Background Content.
WHAT
WHY
Subjects and Locations
People central to the narrative and places that are important.
WHO
WHERE
Facts, Statistics, and Figures
The hard and fast numbers.
Objective reality.
WHAT
WHEN
HOW
Lists
Bullets.
WHO-WHAT-WHEN-WHERE-WHY-HOW
Ordered info.
WHEN
WHAT
Methods, Analysis & Theory
How has the author analyzed the evidence to support their conclusion.
WHY
HOW
Commentary
Your Analysis. Think deeply after reading, collecting, and synthesizing your research.
Commentary. What do you think?
WHY
HOW
Instructions/Step-by-Step/How-to/Methods
Educational content.
HOW
Questions
Think about what sorts of questions are inspired by your research?
What are your knowledge gaps.
The 9 why’s exercise could help. Keep asking why. After 9 why’s, you’ll have the truest essence of your line of thinking.
WHO-WHAT-WHEN-WHERE-WHY-HOW
Sources & Evidence
WHO-WHAT-WHEN-WHERE-WHY-HOW
What are your sources?
Data
Historical Documents
Surveys
Pieces of art
Anything used to corroborate the author’s thesis.
Collect as many quotes as possible if you’re tackling a journalism project. It’s better to have to many to select the choicest quotes.
Repurposing and Republishing
If you needed an idea of what to write about once you’ve collected enough sources and analyzed them to populate the subhead, I’ve included some frameworks to you write content exponentially with the power of the Ultimate Modular Outline.
⁠
Justin Welsh
⁠
’s 17-Piece Content Repurposing Framework
Step 1. Write your 2 hero pieces of content.
Write a step-by-step newsletter issue.
Turn it into a twitter thread.
Step 2. Then break it into five pieces
A story
Observation
Contrarian take
Simple listicle
Analysis
Step 3. Turn those into:
5 tweets
5 Linkedin posts
5 Instagram Posts
Notes
Scratchpad. Let your mind roam free here. Don’t be too precious about it.

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