Reverse Outlining: What it Is and Why to Do it
A reverse outline is an outline of a text that has already been written, as opposed to an outline, which is
usually created before a text is written as a way to plan out and decide on the best order of ideas.
Reverse outlining a text written by someone else can be immensely helpful in achieving a full understanding of
the text. It also allows you to break a text into its parts to analyze the way the writer organized the information.
Studying the way effective (or ineffective!) texts are put together is a great way to improve as a writer yourself.
Reverse outlining can also be an excellent way to break your own writing into parts in order to analyze it
carefully before committing to a final draft.
Instructions:
First, make a copy of this document so you have your own document to edit.
Then, fill in the chart below with a one- or two-sentence summary of each paragraph of the
article “What if Friendship, Not Marriage, Was at the Center of Life?” by Rhaina Cohen. Be sure
to be very careful to capture each paragraph’s central point completely yet concisely and
objectively, while avoiding use of any of Cohen’s original wording or phrasing; using your own
original wording now can prevent accidental plagiarism later! If you use Cohen’s exact wording,
be sure to enclose it in quotation marks. ALSO: be sure not to include any of your own
thoughts, opinions, or commentary. A summary should be completely objective. (But
don’t worry – you’ll get to respond next week.)
The first six paragraph summaries have been done for you, but you are welcome to delete my
paragraph summaries and write better ones! Note the way I use quotation marks to make it
clear when I’m quoting exact words.
Note: This is a relatively long article, with some short paragraphs and some long paragraphs.
You may find this process a little tedious, but at the end of this endeavor you will have a very
thorough understanding of Cohen’s article…which is just what you want before you write up a
response to it.
Paragraph #
Central Idea
1
Opening paragraph describes the close friendship between Kami West and
Kate Tillotson; West tells her boyfriend that Tillotson is her #1.
2
Cohen explains that West was being so “blunt” in order to avoid another
situation like in the past when her then-boyfriend tried to interfere with her and
Tillotson’s friendship.
3
Cohen quotes West remarking on how friendships and marriages are
supposed to be prioritized: “Our worlds are backwards,” said West.
4
Cohen explains how our idea of what romantic relationships “look like” has
evolved, yet one thing that hasn’t changed is our belief that our romantic
relationships should be our highest priority.
5
West and Tillotson are re-introduced as examples of people who have shaken
up “the norm” and have close relationships that are similar to traditional
romantic relationships “minus the sex.”
6
Cohen explains that we don’t really have a category or a name for these kinds
of friendships, and she quotes professor and author Brittney Cooper who
describes them as “soul-inspiring” as a way to compare them to the love
between siblings or romantic partners.
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