About three weeks ago I wrote a comment on a blog and used the phrase “sometimes you have to know where to stand.” When it was agreed that it sounded like a title, I wrote a quick three sentence synopsis of a non-existent movie. I liked the idea, so I sat down and wrote a 6,000 word story. I had no idea where I was going, I just had the phrase and a little off-the-cuff synopsis to use. I didn’t plan. I just wrote. Here is the story, which is pretty much a rough draft, yet passes as a finished story.
People often say that there are two types of writers, planners and pansters, i.e., people who write from the seat of their pants. My example above is pure panster. It is the method I use most often. I write for some of the challenges you can find on WordPress, and those are pure panster as well – I see the photo, perhaps read a key word, and write. I wrote two long novellas (25K + words) based on Writephoto challenges, so as I was writing those stories, I had no idea where I would go until I saw the next photo. I also wrote a full length novel this way! I have not published that novel, but it was written.
Most challenges are written 100% off the cuff as was the story described in the first paragraph, but more often I will write non-challenge stories when I am walking. I will at the very least get the basic idea, some major plot points and even whole chapters (if a book), but will often have the entire thing down, start to finish, in my head. I then will sit down and write it all out, like I am taking dictation.
OK, time for a confession. A little over half way through The Halley Branch I sat down and roughed out the rest of it by writing a chapter name and a short synopsis. For that one, the last half was closer to what a planner will do.
Recently I had an idea for a book. I wrote it, front to back, in my head over the period of about two weeks while walking or while driving to and from Cape Cod. This is pretty typical. This is how I write.
Except this time I didn’t sit down and write the book.
The first thing I did was write a synopsis. I think I once said it was 11K words, but I looked again and it was actually only 7,000 words. Anyway, I wrote down all of the main ideas I wanted in the book.
Next I sat down and wrote a list of characters and place names. You have to understand that this is a fantasy based in part of Iron Age Scotland, but with no references to real places or people. I did use real people’s names (I’ll admit, there is a mix of languages in my names…) and created place names from the language(s) (again, I mixed languages – there were at least three pre-English languages in Scotland). This list grew to about 4 pages, but I listed every name used, even if only used once. I have added characters and places since I have started the actual writing process, and I have taken names that were listed as one-offs and used them as fuller characters, so the list isn’t static.
I then did something I have never done this early in the game. I sat down and wrote a list of chapters with a short paragraph to describe what happens in that chapter. There were a few changes to the story line from the synopsis, but I did write that chapter list straight through, front to back, and haven’t changed it (OK, I have combined a couple of chapters as I have written and added a new short chapter, but nothing was deleted and no changes of order of ideas presented).
After that was completed, I started to write. I am now 35K words into my rough draft. As I said, I am following the chapter list pretty closely, but all of the details are written on the spot. I have also been finding places where I would put something in and realize it was foreshadowing or that it made more sense than what I had originally been thinking. Still, I am using the framework I had created earlier.
Hmmm, all of this sounds an awful lot like planning, doesn’t it? A written out detailed synopsis, a long lists of character and place names, and a chapter list with a paragraph synopsis for each paragraph (almost an outline)? I think people would accuse me of being a planner!
I am still writing each chapter in my head. that is, I write the chapter name and take a short break. I think out the chapter. Then I sit and write. I do make some changes as I go along. And, as I said, I wrote the entire thing in my head before I wrote one word down. And the chapter list was done straight panster style, wasn’t it?
I’m not sure if someone is going to come by and take my panster card away! But I do have to admit, for the first time in my life I am writing a book as a planner.
What are your thoughts on the planner vs panster thing? Which are you? Can you be a bit of both (like I was with The Hally Branch) or swap back and forth between methods (like I did for that short story of the first paragraph and my current WIP)? Obviously I think those last two questions are “Yes, of course.” What do you think?
Trent's World (the Blog) 
I like pantsing since I’m a perfectionist and can’t get myself to write otherwise -buuuut, I noticed I had trouble continuing a story later because it took me so long to read back and then pick up the feel and story. Do you ever have that problem?
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When I first started I used to do that. I would pretty much reread the entire story each time I picked it up. I don’t worry about it any more. The first thing to think of is that no matter how much of a perfectionist you are, a first draft will always be a rough draft. Consistency of content and style (tone, feel) can be fine tuned during editing. The other big thing is that stories seem to have a life of their own. Each does have its own voice and it is pretty easy for me to find that voice, particularly if I work straight through with few stops. All of the stories I post on my blog are rough drafts, but there is a continuity to them so even a long one feels complete and unified.
Back to your original statement, to me it seems odd that a perfectionist likes pantsing. When I try to be more perfectionist is when I do my most planning – that helps ensure I get it just right.
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Yeah… I’m a bit of mess. Thanks for the advice. I have been curious since attempting.
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I live by the motto “let the story decide.” For me that allows the flexibility for all types of writing. Sometimes I start with a scene and see where it goes, other times I have a complex outline and follow it unless the story dictates otherwise. My goal is always to let the story unfold as it wants-getting myself and my notions of what I “should be doing” out of the way. I think we have to be willing to accept we don’t know what’s going to happen until the words start flowing-it’s the magic of it all!
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I like that philosophy. I do often follow soemthign similar and cant’ count the number of times that I threw something in at the beginning on a whim that becomes a big plot point later. Can a pure planner have those types of happy accidents? The voice of the story and the characters in it often are a surprise to me, and I have to let them say what they will. I agree, that letting the words flow as they will is the magic of it all.
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at the start I thought ‘definitely pantser’ but these days a bit of both. I create so much in my head and hang onto it that it seems wrong to think of myself as pantser; no harm in mix and match.
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I’m like you in that I do a lot up front in my head and tend to hang on to it, but funny I never thought of it as “planning”since I didn’t write it own. Agreed that there is no harm in a mix-and-match method.
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I’m sure my legal career- needing to carry large chunks of contracts in my head when negotiating – has been part of the training fir the way I write.
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It seems a long-term masterpiece is being planned.
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lol, I certainly hope so!
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I am panster through and through
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I’m a little surprised that most people who have comment are pansters. I am also surprised that I actually became a planner for my WIP! lol, I’m staying a panster for short fiction, we’ll just have to see if I go back for long form fiction…
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I’m a plantser :-) The thought of totally pantsing anything longer than flash fiction terrifies me, but my brain won’t entirely plan either. I have to discover the story–or pieces of it–as I’m writing. I really like using the snowflake method, starting with a premise and gradually building out to a more complete plan. I’ve never worked through the whole process to a scene-level outline–I always get itchy to start writing. But I probably should, because maybe then I wouldn’t have a hot mess of a novel draft that I’ve been fiddling with for almost 3 years. *sigh*
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I’ve always been a pantser… until now. I still basically wing it as I’m writing, but what I’m learning with my series is that there has to be a certain amount of planning. And I have to give my publisher a general idea of the plot since they wanted to use the same cover designer for the first three, so they titled two of them before they were written 😂
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I can just imagine having to provide titles for two books that haven’t been written! I am over 40K words into my WIP and the document is titled “no working title yet”. lol. I can see a lot of advantages to doing more planning that I have in the past. If there are going to be a lot of subplots and things like that, it can be difficult to keep it all straight without having a written reference someplace. With a series, to get that overall plot arch right, and have it for each book, yeah, I understand a need for planning there. And for you with a Publisher, I can understand they want to know what is going on. and the
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I wish I got to come up with the titles! They’ve changed all mine, and TBH I hate what they’ve chosen. The 2 psych thrillers sound like RL Stine books. 😭 But I trust they know what they’re doing. 🤞I’ve started a binder to keep track of characters, places, etc for the series. There’s definitely something to be said for planning. But i think pantsing is more fun, because then you get to surprise yourself, as well as the reader.
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I think a hybrid approach between planning and pantstering is best most of the time.
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Wow. I am so impressed that you just sat down and wrote a 6000 word story. Just like that. So easy! I am definitely a pantster! Not a planner. But marvel that this time you planned what you would have pantsed! I am amazed you got to 35K. My ‘pantses’ never get past 10k and then fizzle out. Perhaps there is something to this planning business. I know most great writers plan, but somehow when I plan, I lose interest. I would much rather let the characters choose the way.
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When I started to write, I’d get an idea, work it out in my head and write those 6K word stories and didn’t realize that most people don’t. What was difference with the story a few weeks back is that I did no planning in my head at all, I just wrote almost stream of conscious, yet it works out. It is that easy – sometimes – I just finished a period of well over w year that I have a few forced stories, most of the 100 word variety, so there does have to be that something.
My current project is pretty much a planned event, and I am now a little over 37K words (I wrote a couple of thousand last night). If the idea is there…. My book The Old Mill is over 100K words, and that was pure pantser. Maybe. As I said, I often write from beginning to end in my head, so all of the hard parts are solved before I start writing. The issue with that, is it is really hard to have a mix of complex and subtle… But is it really 100% panster if I already have the entire plot, most of the scenes, the ending, etc. worked out ahead of time? Just because I don’t write it down, can it not be called “planning? Not sure…
Anyway, keep writing!
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Hmm you raise a very god question there. I think it’s still called planning if you’ve got it planned in your head. The real question is, does the plan ever change while you are writing? Or is it more or less already figured out? And are you a thinker? Do you spend ages thinking about your plan/plot/characters so you really hone in the idea? Or is it just a rough plan that you hatch out on the go?
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It depends… Typically I think of the story on walks, as if I am reading them. Then I will sit down and write out what I had in my mind. Sometimes it goes close to what was originally in my head, sometimes I chose a slightly different course. Once I start writing I often do even more thinking, but usually on a “local” level, that is, the next chapter or so. Anyway, I rarely do things (talking longer stories) the same way twice, so…
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Your way sounds doable. Not as much hard work as properly planning, but not totally winging it either. I think I will try your way :)
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I like it :) I have done pure 100% sit down and write, though rarely with longer works (long short story/short novella is the longest). And there are those stories based on the challenges where I have no idea what will come next until I see the challenge, then I sit down and write the next chapter – very much a panster method!
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I am most definitely a pantster whether it be poetry or prose I am a pantster in life too a bit of a whirlwind!! Keep writing Trent just keep writing ☺️
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I’m a bit of a panster in real life, too, which means that I am super unorganized ;) I have tried all of the things people are supposed to do, like lists, but… My poetry is very much stream of conscious, so 100% panster there.
I think there are a lot of us out here :)
Thanks! You too, keep writing :)
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We will and we are 🙂💜💜
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I think I’m a hybrid planner-pantser. I have a starting point and ending and one or two points in the middle and then I write. Once I’ve started, I tried to plan a few points for the next chapter before I write it but that happens as I finish the chapter before it.
I just read a book called, “Take off your Pants! Outline your books for faster, better writing.” It had some good points/tips, but I think we each need to find the process that works for us.
Great post, Trent.
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It sounds like you are a bit closer to the panster side. I agree that everyone has their own way of doing things. Doing the semi-almost outline for this happened as much because I had the entire story already mapped out in my head and I didn’t want to lose it, but other times I’ve tried outlining it has been a disaster. I know a lot of the big names have very set ways of doing things, even using a lucky mechanical pencil or whatever, but I have read others that have said every book was completely different. Some were planned, others off the top of the head from start to finish.
Thanks! Have a great weekend!
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Cool, does this mean you’re writing for Novel November? Nanu nano?
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I may have been a planner, but deep down I am still impatient – I started this over a week ago, so too early to call it NoMoNaWri or any of the other November challenges. That’s fine, I will still most likely finish in less than a month – over 35 K words in about two weeks is a good start…
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That’s great. Keep that momentum!
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:)
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Much I agree with there in terms of the writing struggle. I’ve been a planner for many years and that got me some starters that have gone nowhere. While my blogging is fun and keeps me writing the only time I finished a short story was to go pantser!
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When I first started I tried to be more of a planner, but I would think of something, want to get it down on “paper”, and just write until the entire thing was done. The planning just didn’t work for me in the past, so I understand.
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