Overcoming writing procrastination and 'fear of the blank page

Outlines are one of the best ways to overcome writing procrastination and 'fear of the blank page.' A detailed outline means that when it comes time to draft the paper, you won't be starting from scratch. You'll know the major contents of your paper and the order in which they'll be presented. It also means that the final draft will probably be better organized than it would have been if you'd written without an outline, and you won't forget to include any vital sources or information.