Post originally by Evan at 2005-04-25 19:47:34
Converted from Phorums BB System

OK this is a fair question.

An index is a sign that some thought went into organizing the info in a useful and intelligable format. For myself reading through it, it makes it much simpler to grasp what is being attempted and get a handle on where the game is going. Spending an hour or two on formatting the ideas either before starting to write or after you have the main body is something I would consider invaluable in order to present the material to someone else who is going to pick it up and read it. And, like appearance, I consider this to very much be a part of the challenge. Sure it cuts into your writing time, much like searching for or making art does; but it improves the final work in the sense that someone is much more likely to pick up and have a go at something that is both visually appealing and had a logical, easy to grasp methodology for presenting the ideas.

I think I am taking the Formatting concept a bit broader than I used to in my last reviews: previously I used to specifically mark on size of document and other factual elements, but I have found myself moving towards including the formatting of the ideas and the structure of the whole work.

Warm regards,
Evan