The process of writing my first novel has undoubtedly revealed where I fall on the plotters vs. pantsers spectrum. I dove into Lost Girl Road with only a title. I’ve been back-pedaling ever since. Each of us has to discover what version of the creative process best fits our drafting tendencies. Michael Cairns is here to offer advice on how to combine the best of both worlds by being a planning pantser. I also might add that story podcasts he reads on his blog in a crisp English accent are quite addicting.
The Planning Pantser – Unconscious Planning as a key to Increased Creativity.
I describe myself as a pantser whenever asked about my writing process. I do so because I never write any plans down, and I will often begin a story with the first sentence and then paragraph and so on, with no fixed idea of what’s coming next. But I feel slightly disingenuous when I do because the truth is, I’m planning all the time. Whatever manuscript I’m in, I’m living with the characters 24/7.
The plotters vs. pantsers debate will never end. There are arguments on both sides of the fence as to which process, planning or pantsing, is best for creativity. I think they both have merit, but I struggle to plan in any traditional way. I sit with coloured pens and plain paper, an open word doc, some photos, all sorts of things, but nothing comes. However, as soon as I type the first word of a story, ideas explode in my brain. Once I’ve had a brief lie down to recover, I’ll get to work.
I know for some pantsers, the going is considerably tougher. But there are techniques I use that I believe will enhance and expand your creativity a great deal. There are four of the ways in which I do my unconscious planning.
Be your character: I spend as much time as I can with my characters, trying to get in their headspace and think about how they feel in any given situation. I write a wonderful mash-up of fantasy, sci-fi and horror, the only rule being that you have to care about the characters. So I might spend the drive to work deciding how Bayleigh feels about Krystal being given the chance to go zombie hunting with Luke. What does it do or her self-esteem? How does it affect the mother/daughter bond that’s beginning to grow between them? I’m not writing anything down or specifically thinking forward in the story. I’m giving the characters ammunition, so when I do sit down to write, there are already a hundred ways I could go.
Think of the worst thing: People keep reading when they care about what happens next. This occurs when they care about the characters. The generally accepted truth that there are only twelve different stories, or seven, or five, depending on who you talk to, supports this. If we didn’t care about the characters, wouldn’t we just stop reading new books?
So characters keep people reading, but what makes them loathe to put down a book is when the characters are put in a situation that is worse than anything they had already imagined. So Dara may have already found Frank’s wedding ring in his jeans pocket, but did she truly expect his wife to show up at the door? And what’s more, did she expect his wife to be the long lost half-sister she only discovered she had yesterday? (okay, so I don’t write romance, I’ll admit it).
So as you’re sitting on the train, imagine the nastiest thing you could torture your character with and then make it worse. And you can go completely over board with this, because it’s all in your head.
Think of the end. This might sound obvious. To most planners, it’s probably appalling and shocking that, most of the time, I start not knowing how my story will end. I like it that way. As I progress, so I learn more about the characters and understand where I’d like them to end up. However, if you’re struggling for creativity, knowing the ending can help. I often figure out the finale of a book after the first ten or twenty thousand words and then fill in the gap as I go along. I also think this can help to streamline your writing. My early drafts were often horribly wordy and bloated because I had no defined goal. With an end in mind, you might find your books are shorter because the way to reach that point became clear. As long as your characters have room to breathe and, most importantly, the reader is moved, then the length of the story is irrelevant.
Imagine conversations. This is a fun one. I like to have conversations in my mind (don’t laugh), often about nothing much at all. The fun thing is to have them with your characters, as though you just met them down the pub, or standing on the sidelines at (enter relevant sporting/schooling occasion here). You might talk about the weather, how their latest axe is holding up and what happened to that big meany dragon they were bitching about last week. What happens for me is the character starts spouting off about another character or some quest/mission they were on and all of the sudden I know what’s happening in the next three chapters. I do think it earns me odd looks as I mouth the words to myself while queuing in the supermarket, but it’s a great way to plan unconsciously.
I hope for any pantsers reading that this has helped with your creativity and for any plotters, maybe you’ll be more willing to ditch the outline and dive into the great unknown. I’d love to know what gets your creative juices flowing so do let us know in the comments below:
Where do you fall on the plotters vs. pantsers debate when it comes to getting any type of writing done?
The Planets are a team of superheroes, tasked by an ancient group called The Assembly, to battle an alien foe. The Spirit Room finds the Planets at a crucial point in their battle, with the stakes higher than they’ve ever been and the pressure mounting. However, all is not quite as it seems and the Planets discover there is more to their struggle than they first thought.
You can connect with Michael and his social media sites via his blog Cairns Writes where you can download a free copy of novella Childhood Dreams (A Game of War, Part one), find podcasts, free short stories, info about me, and of course, links to where you can buy his books. You may also be interested in reading the author interview that appeared on this blog.
Chocoholic Michael Cairns is a writer and author of the superhero fantasy series, The Planets and science fiction adventure series, A Game of War. A musician, father, and school teacher, when not writing he can be found behind his drum kit, tucking into his chocolate stash or trying, and usually failing, to outwit his young daughter.
Michael’s books can be found via Amazon, Kobo, and Smashwords.
Images supplied by Michael Cairns.
Hi Michael
I’m a pantser for the most part too, though I’ve learned to do character sketches and “normals” (something I learned from the book, First 50 Pages). I find that this really helps me keep things in line. As I get farther along, I’m probably going to have to set up a chart to keep track of the scenes as I write them as well.
I’m pretty sure as to where my story is going and where I want it to end up, but I probably should think more about the situations and conversations that are going to get me from point A to point B.
Hi Glynis
Thanks for the comment. Character sketches work great, particularly if you have a large cast.
I must confess, I find not having those conversations and situations planned in advance really exciting. It’s those moments that take your story somewhere you weren’t expecting, because that’s when the characters get to run the show 🙂
thanks again
Mike
Amazing – Michael’s techniques, along with imagining my story as a series of movie scenes, are just the ones I use. As a concession to plotting, I will often create a calendar and generally note where chapters or scenes fall chronologically. Sometimes, I don’t know how a story will end until I’m somewhere near the middle and the destinations and fates of the various characters has become clear in my mind.
Hi Charles
Cheers for the comment. I’m glad I’m not alone in my mad conversations in the supermarket queue! 🙂
I think the calendar idea is a good one. That’s an area I think it’s easy to get confused with, particularly if you’re writing a series or a number of books in a row (as I’m fond of doing). Having it in a least some sort of chronological order would be very handy, particularly if you have more than one story line or multiple POVs.
Thanks again
Mike
Hello Michael, I’m writing a new novel based on a full length play I wrote years ago but always felt wasn’t satisfying. So, right off the bat, you could say I’m a plotter. But I’m finding that converting the play to a novel has forced me to go deeper into the characters, and to have a richer feeling for the geography and physical look of the scenes. The story is changing as the characters reveal themselves. And I need to write in such a way as to keep my reader glued to the words and turning pages. So, I’m really a pantser, right? Anyway, I value having the overall plot in mind from day 1.
Hi Larry
One of the things I’ve loved learning about writing is just how many different variations there are in the methods people use. I’ve recently written a scifi novel in the first person, as much because I wanted to try something different as anything else. I think however, when i get the urge, I’m going to go back to it and rewrite it in the third person, as per the rest of my stuff. It’ll be interesting to see what alters and what stays the same. I imagine, as with you, I’ll learn about the characters doing it the second time around.
I live the idea of moving from one medium (theatre) to another though. It makes me wonder what one could create by taking stuff that’s already out there (I’m thinking story songs, plays, poems, etc,) and turning them into novels. Could be fun 🙂 Again, you’re beginning with a plot, but would that make it easier to pants the other details and characteristics?
cheers
Mike
I don’t write novels but i like to read them. I like well defined characters, who have a strong personality and can face the torture though i hate those who like to put their characters through trying times, which are beyond human imagination. Even some best sellers have that tendency.
I get my ideas like a flash of lightening and unless I record them instantly, they vanish in the same manner and yes, I type a few words and get going…then I keep thinking oh! how will i finish it but the thoughts keep flowing. Now what do you call it?
Hi Balroop
That sounds like classic pantsing to me! I think what you are describing is what some people would call writer’s block. You have wonderful ideas and get going on them, but something in the back of your mind keeps asking what happens next. It’s this that can sometimes stop someone writing and the secret is just to keep going and let the ideas take over.
Of course, if you’re happy to just write a bit and stop once it stops flowing, that’s great too. I think it has to be about what you’re enjoying. It can be fun to take one of those books where the author has pushed it a little to far and re-write the bits you don’t like! You don’t have the stress of having to write a complete novel or work out the ending, because it’s already there. 🙂
thanks for your comment
Mike
Hands down, I’m a pantser. Although, it’s a new term to me. Jeri, you probably guessed that right from the start. I only had one thing in mind when I started my manuscript…the ending, and how Paige meets her fate resulted in my taking on her character and really trying to become her, which was kind of fun because she’s so very different from me. After taking a short break from the story, I found it challenging to get into my rewrites, and I realize now it’s because I was no longer in her mind. I had to get back. I even started listening to the music that she likes. Now I’m back in her skin, and things are happening. Thank goodness.
I enjoy reading about other writers and their processes. Thanks for sharing yours, Michael. Best of luck to you and your future novels.
Hi Mandi
Thanks so much for your comment.
Rewrites are always a tricky business, particularly if you have one strong protagonist. Can you find the same tone to your writing and make it blend together when you’re editing? I struggle to just re-read my work without making tweaks, but I think that’s often the best way to refind your character. Try to reread as though you hadn’t written it and get into the feel of the novel, just as you would one you were reading for the first time. Best of luck and thanks again.
Mike
Mandi, I’m glad you’re getting back into Paige’s skin. She’s such a fascinating character, and it’s gonna be wild to see where you revisions take you. All during drafting my novel, I’ve had trouble keeping myself in my protagonist’s mind, and it shows. Argh, I will continue to revise it until it reaches a more readable level. I’ll do much more plotting next time around as the process of the first book has taught me I don’t easily escape my orderly, analytical and editorial nature. Organized creativity is what will work for me, yet some writers cringe at that notion. There’s just sooooo many ways to get the writing done!
Hi Jeri and Michael,
This is one of my all-time favorite discussions! I fall firmly… in the middle, swaying to the pantser side when the ideas are flowing and marching over to the plotter side when I’m floundering and need a little more structure to help guide the muse. I used to think that made me a bit schizophrenic but now I think I prefer to refer to myself as ambidextrous!
Happy writing!
Anne
Hi Anne
Absolutely. I think you have to see them as tools, to be used at the right time. It sounds like you have a great balance. I’m always trying to formalise and develop my planning process, just because I want to have as many tools at my disposal as possible. There are pros and cons to both, so why not get the most out of yourself by trying everything and seeing what works?
cheers
Mike
Hi Jeri – I feel totally out of my depth commenting on this post other than to tell you I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I am not a novelist, wish I were, but it was interesting to read about you holding conversations with your characters, wondering about their feelings, etc. I can see how you would make your characters come to life that way.
Lenie
Hi Lenie
Thanks for your comment. I’m glad you enjoyed reading it. There are so many ways of finding more to your characters and the ones above are just a few. The more you can do, the more likely your characters are to make a realistic, in-character decision when faced with a dilemma. This is what makes pantsing viable, I think, as a writing style.
cheers
Mike
What’s the word for being in the middle? Or a bit of each? Maybe because I write business non-fiction I do plot the big picture, and then pant as I write.
Is that Plotser? Or Pantter?
Thanks Jeri.
Hi Patricia
I like Plotser 🙂 Pantter sounds vaguely rude, or canine…
It’s interesting, coming at it from a non-fiction perspective. You are, I imagine, basing your writing on information you already know. In much the same way as a fiction writer is basing their writing on their knowledge of people and how they act. So the process is similar. The question is, do you ever begin a business book thinking it will be about one topic and it morphs into something else entirely? If so, do you run with it, or put it aside and try to get back to the original idea?
cheers
Mike
I’m somewhere in between a plotter and a pantzer. I have somewhat of an idea and write some to see where it goes. But I cannot go far without stopping to plot and flesh out the characters. I don’t necessarily have all the details of the plot worked out and it’s better if I don’t because things reveal themselves as I write.
HI Donna
It’s those moments of revelation that I love about pantsing. I often find I’m typing a sentence without thinking about it and suddenly the whole scene makes sense. Someone says something, or takes the story in a new direction and it happened only because the character made it happen. It’s like reading the book as you write it, so much fun 🙂
cheers
Mike
I thoroughly enjoyed these tips, and getting to know a little about Michael Cairns! I’m not a novel writer, so the terms plotter and pantser were new to me. I assume pantser refers to flying by the seat of your pants? I think that would be me, if I ever get around to writing fiction.
Hi Meredith
Thanks for your comment.
I think that’s where the term comes from. It seems to make sense. I’m so glad you enjoyed the post, hopefully it’s pushed you a little further down the slippery slope toward fiction writing 🙂
cheers
Mike
Wonderful spotlight, dear Jeri…
These tips might help us resolve the dichotomy…
If we think in the end and go straight in that direction, we would be plotters…
If we tend to pay too much attention to Michael ‘ s tips as regard to imagining conversations …maybe that would turn us into pantsers…
Anyway, one thing is clear: neither of the two types act randomly… The potential plot might be there since the very beginning….
Pantsers or plotters: two sides of the same coin.
Thanks for sharing.
Best wishes, Aquileana 😀
Hi Aquileana
Well said. It’s all part of the same process and is, perhaps, about which part of it you choose to pay attention to. There are strengths and weaknesses to both and as an author I would choose to be able to access either when necessary. Anne in the comments mentions how she used both at different times, which I thought was an excellent approach.
For me, the challenge is to strengthen my plotting skills and use them when I need to.
I’m glad you enjoyed it.
thanks
Mike
Even though most of what I write is personal experience I have had occasion where the period I am writing about is so distant that I remember almost nothing. I have also written about historical periods where I was not a part of. In those instances I relate to what Michael said about having no idea where the story is headed. I remember one of the first short stories I wrote. In this the plot, the characters, the twists and turns, the ending, all came to me as I wrote. Had I been asked to verbalize the story at the outset I would have had no idea.
Hi Tim
Thanks for the comment. The last thing you said is where I sometimes struggle with confidence. A lot of writers, normally planners, will be able to tell you about the book all the way through, long before it’s written. I’ll often throw the concept out there and flounder when trying to say more. Sometimes it feels like I should be able to say more, but, normally, once I sit down and start writing, the confidence issues get forgotten pretty quick. 🙂
cheers
Mike
As a memoirist, you might think that it would be easy to be straight pantser, but I found it helpful to start with an outline. I didn’t go through and write a lot down before starting the draft (maybe two or three pages), but I spent a lot of time being my characters — lived with them then, lived with them now for the writing process!
I should also add that memoirists run the risk of including too much, so plotting is helpful to make sure that you weed out what should go in, and what shouldn’t.
Hi Laura
I think one definite plus of plotting is being able to trim away what you don’t need before you start writing. I think if I wrote more slowly I could get very frustrated when I have to chop so much out in the edit, but because I tend to write pretty quick, it doesn’t bug me. So yes, planning is a real bonus for working out what’s important before you begin.
cheers
Mike
Hi, Michael,
Fabulous tips & insight into the “Writing Life.”
I write non-fiction, but read mostly fiction, which I LOooooVE. Is that weird?
For me, my favorite characters have some sort of ‘likable’ quality (even if they’re HORRID & Horrible) for example, some of the characters in Downton Abbey. A few characters are atrocious, but still totally delicious.
Now, that’s damn good writing.
Thank you, Michael & Jeri. x
PS. when I write, I have NO idea where it will go. Sometimes I’ll get done and say “Where the hell did that come from?!”
HI
Thanks for the lovely comment.
I know what you mean about those sorts of characters. I think they’re tough to get right. You have to be able to empathise with them on some level so they aren’t completely detestable, but the fun stuff comes from them being horrible so it’s a balancing act. Based on what I’ve heard about Downton, I’d be very pleased if I could create characters that compelling. 🙂
cheers
Mike
Thanks for this. I totally related to absolutely everything that was said here. I often say that I start with one word (perhaps even the first thing that comes to mind) and that leads to a sentence, a paragraph and so forth. Its the only way for me, the plot develops en-route, as does the authenticity of characters, and then large chunks get taken out as I come to rewrite and rewrite with complete familiarity of everything and everybody. I too live with my characters, 24/7, I am literally there in the setting, I see it as if its a miniscreen on my forehead. I often say that I need to drop in and visit some of these ‘people’ and places, because they are so very real to me, and I miss them, the way we might visit friends and family. I do know writers who plot, almost mathematically; create timelines, character traits, and put everything on charts and then join it all up at the end – if that works for others, then fine, but plotting is way, way beyond me, I need to . . . I dunno . . . channel, I suppose. 🙂
Hi
Thanks so much for the comment. I’m glad the post resonated. I love the word channel. I’m having an interesting dilemma recently. I listened to a great interview with Steven Pressfield over on The Creative Penn http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2014/06/18/steven-pressfield/ and in it he spoke about channeling his muse. He believes his words come from somewhere else and he acts as a sort of conduit. While I love the idea of creativity working like that, I really struggled with it. My words come from me. I’m not channelling anything except a lifetime of reading and watching and listening to stories. So I do think when we write in that sort of space, we are channeling, but it’s our subconscious into which we’re tapping, not anything external to us. Any thoughts on that?
cheers
Mike
First let me say (and no offence to anyone who likes to use it) that the word ‘muse’ bothers me. A lot. But that’s just me personally. I know some writers love to use the term, and I don’t know if they do because it makes them seem more ‘writerly’?
I especially get annoyed, for some irrational reason, when people talk about it as if a living breathing person, as opposed to what it actually is–at least in my humble opinion; the personification of their own knowledge or memory.
“My muse told me to say this, or that . . . My muse isn’t being forthcoming lately . . . My Muse is playing up . . . My Muse demands I sit down and write RIGHT now . . .” And so forth.
I particularly hate it when they give it a gender.
When I talk about channelling, or my inspiration, this is of course to do with every minute of my entire life and my mood; subliminal information deposited somewhere deep within the labyrinths of my memory banks that bubbles up to declare itself as knowledge I had along and demands to be utilised and reinvented right then and there.
For me, it is ‘footprint information’, derived from both first hand experiences, taken from my entire existence (and there have been many in this lifetime alone) and quite frankly, through my humanity; my sense of empathy and ability to read the minds, and feel the experience and emotion of others, is to the point where I feel I can, most times, actually own them.
That said, there are number of characters, or situations, I’ve written that appear to delve deeper than what might be the norm, and I do question from where that all came.
It’s romantic to think that the spirit of a writer past might come to push my hand, I am a writer after all, but I do rather suspect its my natural propensity to dig a bit deeper; to overanalyse even minor situations before I even know they’re relevant. And again, unless I really am being reincarnated time and again, I put it down to having evoked what I never knew was remembered in the first place, or hasn’t really been forgotten at all.
It is absolutely ME that writes, even if I do wonder, when I read it back, who actually wrote some of what I do . . . And even if I do use words that I have to look up the next time I read the manuscript.
Anyhoo . . .
well said 🙂
Great post and a subject close to my heart. I’m like you in that I’m a combination. I have a vague outline of a plot, and while I might know the ending before I start, it may take 10-20K words to really know where it’s all going. But I do like to have a basic plot I’m working with, even if it changes, as I think it’s a good anchor, for a go to position when you get stuck. As for the characters, they are so important, and really part of why I wasn’t completely sure where my current novel was going initially was because `i didn’t know how the 2 main characters would deal with each other. I too also start short stories with a freewrite, or a random sentence. Ultimately I’m an aspiring Plotter who likes to have the creative pantser element running alongside.
Hi AK
I love your last sentence, I think that sums me up to a tee.
I do think having a few signposts can help, particularly when you’re feeling lost or struggling to get the words out.
Nice to meet you on twitter as well 🙂
cheers
Mike
I love the Plotter/Pantster debate. I suspect it’s a continuum, and we’re all somewhere along that line. I’m a Pantler because I start as a pantster, get about 30K in and find I have to plot, or face drowning. That said, I can definitely relate to Michael’s full immersion style planning. I’ve ended up at the wrong place [in the car] more than once because my brain’s been in the story and the rest of me has been on auto. :/
Hi AC
Thanks for the comment. I have an image of you driving round in circles while working out whether two characters should kiss or have a fight 🙂
I think it’s absolutely a continuum. I also think it’s something that is good to develop, so move around on the line and try different approaches. I’m always working on trying to plan more and in different ways. With varying degrees of success…
cheers
Mike
I really like the concept of getting inside the character. It takes the pressure off of the writer and allows the character to take over.
I am firmly in the pantser camp, though I often dream of being a plotter. In the end though, I generally slide in there dishevelled, mildly wild eyed and just on time. Come to think of it, it’s kind of fun. How could I get a sense of adventure from my writing if I always knew where I was going?
Hi Debra
I couldn’t agree more with your last sentence. Where’s the fun if you know exactly where you’re going? 🙂
cheers
Mike
Thanks for making me feel a little less crazy. I can hardly write a character unless I’m at least partially him or her…smelling, feeling, thinking as he or she does. I told my editor once to hurry up and send back my manuscript because I was lonely without my protagonist. None of which answers your question…plotter or panster! Laugh! I think a little of both. I have a bit of beginning in mind, and certainly a bit of the end. Filling in the stuff in between is what gets my heart going….sometimes I ride the pony, and other times the pony rides me.
Hi Jacquie
I’m glad I’ve managed to share your weirdness. 🙂 I have slightly scary moments when I’ve driven to work and pull into the car park only to realise I have no memory of the journey because I’ve been chatting to my protagonist. This is fine after a good night’s sleep, but otherwise can be a tad scary… 🙂
I like your last sentence. If the pony knows where it’s going, let it run.
cheers
Mike
I think I’m a planner but not in a conventional way. Most of my creative time is spent thinking about what I’m going to write. By the time I sit in front of a keyboard it’s all in my head and the writing process is almost like copying something even though there is no physical copy to work from.
HI Ken
That sounds like a fascinating process. Do you imagine words or pictures before hand, or the actual plot and character details?
cheers
Mike
Hi Michael, Hi Jeri. I don’t know which way I would lean for a novel and was unaware of the terms, though in reading others’ novels I usually sense where the author tended.
Hi Paul
I do think you can read certain novels that are tightly plotted and catch on quickly. Plenty of foreshadowing and hints here and there. Other times, often in long rambling works (not mentioning any names, Stephen King, ahem), it’s a bit more obvious that they haven’t planned. I like both ways and I think some styles demand tight plotting (murder mysteries) while others work well with a looser structure.
cheers
Mike
I enjoyed the spotlight here Michael on Jeri’s blog! I think many people are a combination of pantser and plotter. After all, you can be a pantster and then go back and put pants on – I mean proofread and make sure plots are in place. Right now I’m just caught up in the wonderful feeling of hitting publish on blog posts but will get to a second book one day 🙂
Hi Christy
Thanks for the comment. You’re absolutely right. I tend to pants more than plot which means my edit takes considerably longer than most plotters. Fortunately i’m slowly coming to love the editing process and I have a wonderful editor who makes me look far better than I actually am 🙂
I have utmost admiration for anyone who regularly blogs non-fiction. I post twice a week, but it’s all fiction. I love writing posts for tours like this one but I couldn’t imagine doing it regularly!
cheers
Mike
Love this post! I think I am a bit of both of these. Non-fiction is my bit. I tried the non-fiction thing based on those who said to write what you like to read. It was a total Fail with a capital F. I like to read sic-fi so these books sound great to me!
Hi Cheryl
Thanks for the comment. It’s interesting how we find different things that suit us. When I started my blog I tried to do non-fiction stuff for about six months and really struggled. I love reading non-fiction blogs but I had no passion for it so it came out that way. As soon as I started blogging fiction it went really well. It’s about finding the passion for something that gets you through the first draft and everything that follows it! 🙂
cheers
Mike
Sometimes I go overboard with Kurt Vonnegut concept: “Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them—in order that the reader may see what they are made of.”
Hi William
Yes!! Torture them and then torture them some more. My current WIP is a sprawling zombie apocalypse and it’s pretty much seven books of me torturing these seven characters… so much fun 🙂
cheers
Mike
Hi Michael, and Jeri,
Michael, I think much the same as you. I think once the creativity is flowing and you have a fair bit written, then it is a good time to consider the final outcome. I ask myself how much trouble I can drop my characters into without knowing the exact answers up front. Invariably, ideas come that ratchet the tension and throw unexpected wrinkles into the story. I like to consider degree of probability as a gauge.. if it is too far-fetched, I think it throws people off.
Kind Regards,
Bill
Hi William
There seems to be a sweet spot for me when I have a think and everything slots into place. That’s not to say it doesn’t change, but so far I get to that point, about a third to a half of the way in and it all makes sense!
I agree with the probability thing as well. I find that if i’ve taken a wrong turn, my writing will become sluggish and won’t feel good. It’s normally a good sign I need to go back over the last few thousand words and find where I went wrong. I’m getting better at noticing when it doesn’t feel right and catching it more quickly.
cheers
Mike
This was absolutely fantastic! While I write non-fiction this part nailed it on the head for me, “People keep reading when they care about what happens next.” Thank you so much for sharing Michael with us, Jeri! 🙂
Hi Mike
Thanks so much for your lovely comment. I glad it struck a chord. 🙂
Cheers
Mike
Nice post, Michael! Initially, I’m afraid to admit that I don’t delve into characters, plot, know the end or title of my manuscript. I start writing and let things go. After about the first or second draft, I create an outline and then I add meat to my characters. I ask questions, such as you do, about how my character is feeling, or what would a normal person do in a situation like this one. I guess the way I approach a story is unconventional, but *crosses fingers* so far I think I’m doing all right. LOL!
Hi Denise
Thanks for your comment. I’m impressed that you create the outline afterwards. I should probably start doing that, just to help with remembering everything in the right order. 🙂
I do sometimes feel though that the first draft is just so my brain can get the story out onto paper. After that I can add all the juicy details I missed the first time round.
cheers
Mike
Hi, my names Jon (Hi Jon) and I’m a pantser. What? Wrong meeting? Oh, sorry…
I have never understood or been able to outline. My mind can’t grasp the concept at all. I can say without a shadow of doubt in my mind that I will always be a pantser. Much of what you mention here is stuff I do on a regular basis.
Most of the time I have little more than a picture or an opening line and the rest just galls into place as I type. I noticed in an earlier response you mentioned the channeling bit. I agree with the idea of channeling our subconscious. Stories and strangeness live in there and come out when we allow them a bit of space in the world around us.
Hi Jon
I think perhaps that’s why I still stray away from outlines. There is a magic that comes from completely free writing that I’m perhaps scared an outline will chase away. Everything we need is in our subconscious and with practice we become better at accessing it. The more we write, the easier it is to set it free and let it do it’s thing.
So, rather than becoming obsessed about planning before hand. why not write as much as possible as fast as possible to develop those muscles of accessing and using our subconscious, where we know all the good stuff is. Once it’s down on paper, we can use our more logical brain to examine it as a story and see whether it has the essential ingredients. If it doesn’t, chuck it out and write another! 🙂
cheers
Mike
Am definitely a planning pantser. Not only when it comes to writing but just about everything in life actually. If you are not flexible you will miss out on a lot life has to offer.
Hi Catarina
Absolutely. See what’s in front of you and go with it. If one day inspiration strikes and takes your story off on a tangent, go with it and see what happens next 🙂
cheers
Mike
I guess I am a pantser. I have never heard of the word before and I don’t spell check has either. I do write novels but just writing blogs I can see where I fit in.
I meant to say I do not write novels.
Hi Arleen
Spell check gets confused over so many things 🙂
I must confess I only came across the word after I’d written a couple of books and started reading some of the wonderful writing blogs and books there are out there (such as this one :))
cheers
Mike
Jeri — I’m a panster even though I don’t write fiction (but I read a lot of it and love it). I’ve never been able to plan out a blog post or interview or other piece of writing. Every writing book says you’ve got to have an outline but I can’t seem to do it. Writing is iterative for me. Like you I start with the title of the post and then write. I guess over the course of a post or whatever it will start taking shape, but it just happens.
Hi Jeannette
Thanks for the comment. I think one of the driving reasons behind writing this post was that I think exactly the same way as you, but I’m sure our subconscious is working on our fiction, or blog post, or whatever it may be, without us realising it. I like to try and formalise and explore the processes through which I’m going, just so I can make them more effective.
Having said that, I’ve read a blog post recently in which the author said that having an outline is essential and I just can’t agree. However hard I try, I can’t outline!
cheers
Mike
I am not a writer but I love reading especially books which have murders and mysteries etc. and I often wonder how the author gets these ideas. It’s good to have the insight from an author.
Hi Mina
Thanks for the comment. I love finding out how and why authors approach what they write. I’m glad you found it interesting.
thanks
Mike
I’m with Pat, I need a word for the middle. I think I’m a bit of each. But It would depend on what I’m doing. Because I write recipes, wine and then short stories it makes it a bit of a conundrum. I do plot out what I want to say, and then I write. So where do I fall? I’m not sure… LOL.
Hi Susan
Thanks for the comment. I think the key is having a process that works for you and tweaking it if it isn’t perfect. When you say you write wine, is that some mystical ability to create wine from words? Because that would just be amazing! 🙂
I’m guessing you make your own wine. Any particular type?
cheers
Mike
LOL, What I meant but left out a word was I write ABOUT wine. It would indeed be magical to make wine out of words … BIG Smile.
I don’t plan at all other than just coming up with an idea. If I had to plan the whole thing out, I’d never get anything written.
Hi Beth
When you say you’d get nothing written, is it because the actual act of planning stifles you, or that you can’t get inspired to plan, or something else entirely? I’m interested in what puts people like us off that traditional style of planning.
cheers
Mike
I’m a planner for the most part, unless I’m doing some stream-of-consciousness writing… which later gets analyzed! 😉
Hi Lorraine
Thanks for your comment. Do you naturally plan? By which I mean, do you begin by planning because it’s how you like to create? Or do you do it because it supports your writing?
cheers
Mike
I like to plan because I have an analytical mind. I like to have direction, and an idea of what, exactly, I’m going to write about. Often a general guideline works just fine; when I edit, that is where the little details come in.
I would have to agree with you Michael! I do not plan what I am writing. I get an idea and then I sit down and write one sentence at a time. I like what you mentioned about coming up with conversations in your head. You have a deep imagination and it gives me incentive to get weird and outside the box with my writing. I also listen to music when I write. I like listening to movie soundtracks to help get me in the mood of what I am writing. Thanks for the great advice and good luck with your books and future endeavors. 🙂
Sincerely, Crystal Ross
Hi Crystal
Thanks so much for your lovely comments.
I love the music idea, but as a musician I really struggle to have music on. I find my mind is too focused on the music for me to write and I end up including bits of lyrics in what I’m writing. I like the film score idea. I might try listening to something suitable just before I sit down to write. Great idea, cheers 🙂
Thanks
Mike
I can see how I could be combo of both, depending on what I’m writing. While I’m not a novelist, I do try to write conversational, engaging posts about recipes I’ve tried. This is the writing I do most often. And while I may know the recipe I’m going to write about, I don’t ever usually have an idea to the story that really makes up the bulk of the post. I just sit down and start writing. Now, if I had to write a more formal article or paper for some reason, then I would definitely be more of a planner. Interesting. I never even knew these terms until reading this post!
Hi Pamela
Thanks for the comment.
I think that natural, conversational tone you mention probably comes through more easily when you don’t plan. Of course, there are plenty of planners for whom planning is what enables them to write more naturally, but for me I like the freedom that I think supports my voice coming out in what I write.
thanks
Mike
Hello; I found a lot of myself in this post. I don’t make long range plans for my blog posts, but once I settle on a topic; I find I can write a solid post in a very short time. I can work straight through. That is unless my doggie penny decides a break is required so i can scratch those spots she can’t reach. And writing a novel is like writing a blog in that there are very few new ideas only people sharing their own unique perspective on topics. looking forward to your book, max
HI Maxwell
I’m glad the post resonated with you. I love your outlook regarding no new ideas, only new perspectives. I think a lot of writers can be paralysed by the fear they aren’t saying something new, when in reality, it can be as much about how they say it and, of course, the characters they choose to tell the story.
cheers
Mike
I’m definitely a plotter when writing. Sometimes I can do some free writing and get some good stuff out but for the most part, it has to be outlined and structured from beginning to end. Will definitely look at Michael’s podcast for future listening while driving. Thanks for sharing!
HI Carl
Thanks so much for your comment. I’m not sure I made it clear in the post how in awe I am of plotters, but I love the fact that you have it all planned out. Amazing! 🙂
Hope you enjoy the podcast.
thanks
Mike
I’m a pantser as well, but like you, I never leave my characters or story. Or, I should say, they never leave me alone. Loved your tips
Hi TBM
Thanks for your lovely comment. I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
cheers
Mike