Plotting vs. Pantsing: Which should you do?
So how does my idea turn into a story?
Well you write it, of course!
But how does it become a fully fleshed-out story? You know… where does the beginning, middle, and end come from?
Well that all depends on your answer to this important question:
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
New writers might be wondering: What the hell are those?
These two terms are used to define how a writer builds their story.
PLOTTERS are writers who outline their stories from beginning to end, identifying every component of the plot: from inciting incident to false victory to the darkest hour.
PANTSERS are writers who let the story develop through their free writing, revealing character motivations, interesting plot points, and their major conflict along the way.
Neither writing style is wrong but knowing which you are can help you develop a routine that produces productive writing sessions as you develop your first draft.
How do I know which I am? Or what’s right for me?
Well, I’ve made a fun quiz to help you identify which style matches your personality. Click below to check it out!
But my best advice is to…
Try both!
Experiment for a couple of weeks while you are drafting and keep track your productivity. I suggest starting with pantsing then:
Track your word count with every session.
At the end of your pantser week, tally up your word count total.
In your plotter week, make a mini outline. Plan what you want to accomplish by the end of each session (or chapter) in your plot. Don’t forget to track your word count!
Then at the end of the second week, compare your word counts, compare how you felt after every writing session, ask yourself which you enjoyed the most!
Your results will tell you a lot about where you should go next in your writing process.
I started my writing life as a pantser: writing whatever scene or conversation came to mind. The characters that came to life in those sessions and the feelings they have to share with me were enthralling! I wanted to write more, and when the inspiration hit me, I could for days… until the well dried up. As I looked at my draft as a whole, I realized what I had come up with didn’t have any plot, and I wasn’t sure how to fix it. I was stuck.
So I then I tried being a plotter. I read as many books and blog posts I could about developing a plot. Then spent a night drafting my outline, and this is what I came up with.
I felt so accomplished after finishing! Now, that’s not to say every detail was laid out exactly. You can probably see spots where I really generalized a plot point like “Eris threatens something Lily holds dear,” but I made that a goal for Chapter Nineteen.
Each chapter that I wrote now had a goal, an end point I needed to get to in order to move the plot forward, and this worked for me. My sense of success and accomplishment felt real each time I sat down to write.
So once you know what you are, does that work for every story?
Not always…
Each story is going to have its own voice and its personality. Some tools and tricks you used for one manuscript may not work for others.
The most important thing to do as you draft is…
Be flexible and pay attention to your story’s needs
The best thing a writer can do while drafting is be in tune with what “works.” Knowing that can help you push through your writer’s block and get something on the page even when it feels impossible. Which is why next week’s post is about that dreaded writer’s block! It’s the bane of all our existence, but I have a trick that always helps me breakdown the damn and let my creativity flow. So stay tuned!
In the meantime, let me know which writing style you favor in the comments. Are you a plotter? Pantser? Bounce back and forth? How do you determine which story prefers what style? I can’t wait to chat with you about it! Oh, and don’t forget to subscribe so you can stay up to date!