The Trouble With Boredom

I'm bored, awful bored. I've been looking at the same page on and off for about 3 hours.

The problem is; its a table of contents.

"Table of Contents Syndrome" is a worrying problem. All it makes you good at is making Lists. But Lists are generally a preface to a more in-depth discussion of topics mentioned in the List. But what if you don't know what you're talking about?

The List can have two forms: Large and Small. A large List can be a very good thing. If you are writing for volume (which I am) then you can easily break up the text into smaller sections that can be independent, while the List takes care of any notion of flow.

If, however, you are writing for specification or description, a List can be a mixed blessing. Imagine writing a 2,000 word paper (about 4.5 typed pages). A large List will have basically written the paper for you, although if too large then you will only provide minimal detail and probably end up making a very poor and unclear, if succinct, point.

In this case, a short, broad List is more useful. You know what you are writing about, and by keeping your List short and broad you have more room to be creative and descriptive.

So, remember: when you are writing, plan it out – and keep your Lists tidy.

Back to the Table of Contents I go.