 Have you ever tried to draw something by freehand? Even something simple, like a heart or a star? Of course, we probably all have at some point or another. You can do it, and some of us can do it very well. But if, like me, the extent of your artistic abilities involve color-by-number projects and those skills maxed out around the age of six, then you probably understand that it can be very difficult to draw anything by freehand well, and even more difficult to do it with any consistency. While it may be fun, it doesn't always result in a Rembrandt or Van Gogh-type masterpiece, and oftentimes the end result is unrecognizable to the viewer. Sometimes we have to admit that we need a little guidance, a little structure. Sometimes we just need a coloring book. The same can be said when it comes to public speaking. When preparing for and delivering a speech, it is imperative that we have some metaphorical lines. In speech parlance, we call those lines an outline. We have two basic types of outlines that we use when preparing for and delivering a speech, the preparation outline, which you're seeing now, and the delivery outline. The preparation outline is a document prepared before the delivery of your speech that ultimately provides your speech focus and structure. It visually offers an overview of your speech that helps to guarantee your speech is well organized, balanced in emphasis, properly supported with evidence, and has adequate transitions. It is written in full sentences and follows the principles of coordination and subordination. It is a good idea to label each of the parts of the speech, intro, body, conclusion, introductions, and conclusions, etc. It is also important to include the preparation details at the top of your outline, like your topic, general purpose, specific purpose, central idea, and organizational pattern, as well as your bibliography or work cited at the end. The delivery outline should be a very brief version of the preparation outline and comes in the form of keywords and phrases on note cards. It is the foundation for extemporaneous delivery as it provides the speaker all of the essential points of his or her speech without full sentence details that might tempt the speaker to read verbatim to the audience. Speakers even include delivery cues such as make eye contact or slow down or pause in this type of outline to remind themselves how they might best deliver the speech. Just as proper coordination and subordination are essential to good preparation outlines, it would be a good idea to follow those principles in your delivery outline too. What do I mean when I say coordination and subordination you ask? Good question. Let me explain. Coordination is the idea that all points in your speech that have equal emphasis and importance should follow the same numbering or lettering pattern and be indented to the same level. Coordination is the idea that some points are intended to support a broader point and therefore come after those points and are indented one level further. Let's take a look at an example. As you can see in this sample outline, all of the main points are labeled with Roman numerals and are indented to the same level. They are coordinate points in relation to one another. All supporting points are listed as capital letters and are indented to the same level. As a result, they are considered coordinate points with one another. When comparing the supporting points, letter A for example, with the main points, Roman numerals 1 and 2 or I and II, the supporting points would be considered subordinate points. This is because they immediately follow the previous point and are indented over another level. When you look closer at the actual content or message, you'll also notice that the supporting points help to support and to prove the main point. Another important tip to remember when outlining is that it is important to balance the information that you present. Don't spend 5 minutes on your first main point and 30 seconds on your next. To help with balancing out your speech, remember this rule. All points should have at least one buddy. Don't let them be lonely. To translate that into speech lingo, you can't have one without two, A without B, etc. You don't have a speech without having at least two main points. Additionally, is a main point really worthy of main point status if you don't even have two supporting points as evidence to help support the alleged main point? The answer is no, of course. If you have a lonely point, consider doing one of the following. Do more research to find more supporting information, reevaluating the supporting point or sub-supporting point to determine if it's necessary, combining the lonely subordinate point with previous main point to keep the information but maintain balance. As I mentioned earlier, it's good to have some guidance, whether that guidance comes when preparing for and delivering a speech or working on your next artistic masterpiece. Because just as you don't want your octopus sketch to look like a Rorschach inkblot test, you also don't want your speech to be unrecognizable either. So whether you're doing art or giving a speech, remember it's rarely a good idea to go it alone without any planning or structure, to freehand it or wing it if you will. If you take nothing else away from this video, remember this. The quality of a speech is nearly always directly related to the quality of the outline. As the old saying goes, success occurs when opportunity meets preparation. Plan and prepare while creating your outline and you'll be a much more confident and capable speaker.