From boing boing

Explain your topic to a smart friend unfamiliar with it, record what you say, and transcribe the recording Instead of building your book from an outline, build it from an FAQ, so that you can never stray far from addressing an actual, concrete question Outline the book’s arc and each chapter’s arc not by the logic and organization of your subject but by the journey you want the reader to take, from what (you think) they currently know or believe to what you want them to know or believe. (This means you need to look closely at what your intended readers actually know and actually believe.) Work with an experienced developmental editor who will flag all your false assumptions—I see the heart of the editor's role as playing the part of an intelligent but uninformed reader