As your ideas evolve, so do your outlines. Try to keep your outline current with your evolving ideas. One final way of making the writing process more concrete is to keep notes about where and when you are having trouble with a paper. For example, if you are having trouble keeping your second point separate from your third point, make a note of that. Later, when you are revising your paper, check your process notes and make sure that you've addressed the problems that arose while you were writing.
Useful Tips Use a tape recorder.
Some students can talk quite clearly about their ideas but get stuck the moment they face their computer screen. If you have this problem, try talking through your idea, and tape it. Read your paper out loud, or have someone read it to you. Some students don't have problems with freezing up in front of the computer screen. Rather, they write a good deal.