Planes, trains, and automobiles.
Bikes, scooters, and motorcycles.
Boats, snowmobiles, and skateboards.
Modes of transportation. Ways to get from one place to another.
Luis Alvaz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
If we know where we’re going and have a semi-reliable means of transportation, then odds are we will arrive at the intended destination. If we don’t know the way, we can use some form of a map to guide our travels.
(Note: I still laugh forty-some years later at how, through the magic of those high school career aptitude tests, it was revealed that the perfect profession for me was as a cartographer. Of course, I had to consult the dictionary to find out what a cartographer actually was. After some consideration and with no clue how to become a cartographer, that plan was quickly scrapped. In hindsight, I question that decision.)
Yan Irvan Ardi Ristanto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Reading is a mode of transportation. Reading takes the reader places. When I read one of my favorite authors, Rick Bass, his words bring me to the Yaak Valley of Montana or the Hill Country of Texas. When I read books from this month’s STEM Tuesday Transportation Book List, I’m transported underground with Big Bertha digging tunnels for roadways, discovering what makes various types of working boats work, and sitting alongside crash test dummies as they make our vehicles safer to operate.
As writers, it’s our job to create the mode of transportation to take the reader where we want them to go, whether it’s for entertainment purposes, informational purposes, or both. But how do we do that?
We do it by having a plan. The writer of any stripe needs to have an idea of where the destination lies to create the way there. As a sign in my local elementary school reads, “Begin with the end in mind.” Know where you want to go and then plan the way to get there.
Writers need a reliable tool to navigate their story, so they must develop a carographer skill set.
They need a map. They need an outline.
Yes, the DREADED outline.
Just like me in my school kid days, I hear your collective groan. I understand. The thought of the classic structured outline, with its headings and subpoints, often throws creators into full retreat. The utter stodginess of it all!
With apologies to my 5th-grade English teacher, Sister Verene, OSB, I do not employ the classic outline structure she drilled into her students. In fact, I spent many a frustrating day as a writer, knocking my head against the wall, thinking that was the only way to outline.
Luis Alvaz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
I finally reached out to others and paid attention to craft tips from writers, and discovered that a working outline is simply a form that helps get the ideas down.
Writers, embrace the outline! Find an outlining methodology that works for your brain and make it yours. Scribbles on scrap paper. Notes on your phone or computer. Even the classic outline format of headings and subpoints. Whatever gets the job done and transports the ideas in your head to the desired destination.
When ideas become concrete on paper, and not just inside your head, they become real. They have a life. They can grow, be revised, and reach their final destination by following the outline map created. Ideas become complete stories that take the reader places. Therein lies the magic.
And that’s transportation at its finest!
Hop on, writers and readers! We’re going places.
Motacilla, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Mike Hays has worked hard from a young age to be a well-rounded individual. A well-rounded, equal-opportunity sports enthusiast, that is. If they keep a score, he’ll either watch it, play it, or coach it. A molecular microbiologist by day, middle-grade author, sports coach, and general good citizen by night, he blogs about sports/life/training-related topics at www.coachhays.com and writer stuff at www.mikehaysbooks.com. Two of his science essays, The Science of Jurassic Park and Zombie Microbiology 101, are included in the Putting the Science in Fiction collection from Writer’s Digest Books. He can be found roaming Bluesky under the guise of @mikehays64.bsky.social and @MikeHays64 on Instagram.
The O.O.L.F Files
This month on the Out Of Left Field (O.O.L.F.) Files, we take a deep dive into getting from one place to another with an exploration of transportation.
20 Scientific Benefits of Reading Books for Cognitive Development
“Books transport readers to different worlds, stimulating imagination and fostering creative thinking.”
Each page turned is a gateway to an uncharted territory of ideas and visuals. While reading, your brain creates vivid images based on descriptions, which ignites your imagination and sparks creativity. This process can help you develop innovative solutions to problems by encouraging you to think outside the box.
How to Write an Outline via WikiHow
Outlining via the George Mason University Writing Center
University of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies K-12 Lesson Plans
As the son of a civil engineer who specialized in bridges and highways, I can appreciate classroom projects like The Great Dinkytown Bridge Challenge. It reminds me of playing with my dad and building structures out of things we had around the house.
MetroDreamin’ Transportation System Design app
MetroDreamin’ allows you to design and visualize the transportation system that you wish your city had.
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In November, as pundits discussed polls and politicians held watch parties, a quiet victory took place. Of course it was quiet — this victory went to the librarians.
Janet Slingerland has written over 2 dozen books for young readers, including Superfast Motorcycle Racing. To learn more about Janet and her books, go to