How I Became a Writer Part 3- Plotting vs. Pantsing
It is safe to say that over the short time I've been "a writer" that I've learned a ton. From "telling vs. showing" to lazy word choices to jargon, it's been a whole new education for me. One of the things I never thought about is methodology of writing fiction. I blame this on the fact that I've never really tried to write fiction before and thus have never studied the theories.
There are two major ways to write that I'm aware of and I've now used them both. Plotting, in which the author lays out in-depth character profiles, a timeline, outlines a story, develops character arcs and more is one. "Pantsing" or writing by the seat of your pants is the other. It's pretty self-explanatory.
Which one is better? Both have their time and place. Really, whatever works for the individual author is what's best. If the author isn't comfortable with what he/she is doing, it's not going to end well.
When I started writing "American Revolution 2056" I started with the plotting technique. I started with the very end and outlined a road map to that end. In this case, I couldn't imagine any other choice. There were too many details and time issues to screw around with.
And it was profoundly helpful to lay out each character. Height, weight, eye & hair color, any striking features...all of that stuff that helps a writer (and ultimately a reader) see that character and relate to her/him. Then there are things like flaws and redeeming features, motivations and how they're going to change over the story. To write about a character in-depth, with their heart and soul in mind, it helps to think it through beforehand.
And I didn't know any other way. Then I went to a neat discussion group with published authors, including Allen Eskens, Mindi Mejia, Susie Calkens and another writer. They discussed "pantsing" and how it worked for them. I confess, I was skeptical. Write without an outline? Crazy talk!
Then I was writing within AR56 and noticed that at times, I just went where the story and the character took me. That's kinda the essence of pantsing. The real dark side to that is that when the creative juices start flowing, I've found myself writing far later than I should because I want to ride that wave while it's here. Eh, there's always coffee.
So I decided to try writing entirely by pantsing. My second book (it's still in its first draft stages) is called "Ghosts" and I used a teeny-tiny outline and just sat down to write. It's a different type of book than a modern thriller, so pantsing seems to have worked. I riffed off of a thought and went where it took me. It was different, that's for sure (that's Minnesotan for "strange"). But quite liberating at the same time. My initial impressions are that it let me just blurt more stuff out onto the page and sometimes get at more feelings for the characters.
Where will it all lead? I have no idea. All I know is the timeless wisdom that the only thing I know is that I know nothing.
There are two major ways to write that I'm aware of and I've now used them both. Plotting, in which the author lays out in-depth character profiles, a timeline, outlines a story, develops character arcs and more is one. "Pantsing" or writing by the seat of your pants is the other. It's pretty self-explanatory.
Which one is better? Both have their time and place. Really, whatever works for the individual author is what's best. If the author isn't comfortable with what he/she is doing, it's not going to end well.
When I started writing "American Revolution 2056" I started with the plotting technique. I started with the very end and outlined a road map to that end. In this case, I couldn't imagine any other choice. There were too many details and time issues to screw around with.
And it was profoundly helpful to lay out each character. Height, weight, eye & hair color, any striking features...all of that stuff that helps a writer (and ultimately a reader) see that character and relate to her/him. Then there are things like flaws and redeeming features, motivations and how they're going to change over the story. To write about a character in-depth, with their heart and soul in mind, it helps to think it through beforehand.
And I didn't know any other way. Then I went to a neat discussion group with published authors, including Allen Eskens, Mindi Mejia, Susie Calkens and another writer. They discussed "pantsing" and how it worked for them. I confess, I was skeptical. Write without an outline? Crazy talk!
Then I was writing within AR56 and noticed that at times, I just went where the story and the character took me. That's kinda the essence of pantsing. The real dark side to that is that when the creative juices start flowing, I've found myself writing far later than I should because I want to ride that wave while it's here. Eh, there's always coffee.
So I decided to try writing entirely by pantsing. My second book (it's still in its first draft stages) is called "Ghosts" and I used a teeny-tiny outline and just sat down to write. It's a different type of book than a modern thriller, so pantsing seems to have worked. I riffed off of a thought and went where it took me. It was different, that's for sure (that's Minnesotan for "strange"). But quite liberating at the same time. My initial impressions are that it let me just blurt more stuff out onto the page and sometimes get at more feelings for the characters.
Where will it all lead? I have no idea. All I know is the timeless wisdom that the only thing I know is that I know nothing.
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