G'day Horseboy64, Thank you for your question. It depends on the length of the work. If it is short like a letter or indeed this answer, I just plan it in my head. If it is a longer work, like and essay, paper or speech, I either write an outline manually or plan it in the document. Having an outline works because I then know how much to allow for each section of the paper. Regards

If you're writing fiction that requires some form (novel, screenplay, short story, rhyming poem, song, etc.) -- in fact, anything with a character or a POV -- you'll want to apply Three Layers of thought and writing to the first draft phase: FIRST: BRAINSTORM on your idea, theme, character, purpose, setting -- anything that sparks you or incites you to write about this person/place/thing -- with a pencil and pad in hand (better than typing -- you'll doodle, scribble, get your mind floating on all the sparks of emotion, imagery, sounds, etc. that come up in the brainstorming session. This can last for a day or two, up to months for a big, complex premise-- and this can include jotting down any dialogue you hear in your mind (if you hear "I say old chap" it makes you consider a British character); action sequences ("a car chase through the fish market"); plot points ("need the bad guy to confront them somewhere" - "bank robbery? diamond merchant robbery? bank vault holding diamond shipment caper?"), etc. IT can include writing entire scenes, just as if you saw it in a movie and were recounting it -- let your brain float and use your pen! NEXT: OUTLINE the structural requirements of the medium you're working in; movies have 3 acts, TV movies are in 7, novels have chapters -- you'll need a beginning, middle and end for any form you're writing in -- beat it out so you'll be able to place what ideas you have (maybe you only know the opening and the closing shots, that's okay), into the structure and see what you need to think further on. THEN: START WRITING and be open to letting your characters talk to you, to lead you... just write scenes and confrontations and discoveries and reactions and new action that changes everything... you know, writing. When you have material that can be roughly assembled along your outline -- don't restrict yourself to it, just use it as a guideline and include everything for now (it's your 'get it all out' draft), that should get you into a rough first draft. Take some time away from it (days), then come back and read it with fresh eyes and get to work. Writing is rewriting, but get out all the ideas before you edit yourself.

If it's a major paper (like the one I'm supposed to be working on) I like to use an outline. But it also has the adverse effect of making the paper already done, and thusly a pain to write. Otherwise, I like to do it freehand.