Like hypochondriacs, writers who don’t outline are convinced that they’re afflicted with a mystifying illness—the fake malady of writer’s block, in this case (see Chapter 3). After trying to write blindly, they feel frustrated and complain about how hard it is to generate words. “Clear thinking becomes clear writing,” said Zinsser (2006, p. 8). We’re not doing improv, so let’s collect our thoughts before stepping onto the stage.
