Plotting or Pantsing

Kyle Townsend

Quirky

            Plotting or Pantsing?

            I was asked which I was for this post. But first, let me point out that the word “pantsing” sounds funny. It’s the kind of name you’d come up with on the playground when you’re about to pull down someone’s pants. Trust me on this, I’m young, I was there not too long ago.

            But the topic of this post is not funny words, but how I work as a writer. Do I plot, or do I go by the seat of my pants… however the saying goes?

            Let’s break my routine down.

            I have an idea, something general or something strange, and then I write for a bit. When I’m done, I put the work before me and I act sort of like a shark. Some sharks bump into their meals before they strike, testing it. I bump the words around in my head, play with the ideas, and, if I like the story good enough, I jump right in for a big bite.

            That’s also when I get ‘hooked’ by my own story.

            What happens next is the fun part. I make an entirely new document solely for outlining. I outline the setting and characters and some of the plot (first few chapters or so), and then dive right in.

            So yes, I do plot before I pants. Or… do I pants before I plot? I wrote the random idea first right? This is as complex as the chicken and the egg question… (which, by the way, scientists proved it the chicken came first).

            Putting confusion aside, what I don’t do is plot all the way. I make general ideas and statements and then let my characters grow with what things I throw at them. I continuously write. Usually, my character outlines are poor, so the very situations I put them in actually help me make the character!

            The sad thing about all this is that I usually have to trash all the ‘beginning’ material I wrote in favor of a finalized plot. After that, I start the first chapter and go until I can’t think of what’s going to happen next. By that time, my brain is so supercharged with creativity that I can write the outline of what happens next! I outline as I write!

            Behold the hybrid!

            Hah, maybe not. I usually end up re-outlining what just outlined in the next chapter anyway. Tad inefficient, but every step I take towards the end, my path becomes clearer. In other words, I pants as I plot and plot as I pants.

            It’s a circle.

Who says there can be only one?

You hear the question all the time. “So. Are you a plotter or a pantser?”

Personally, I’m both.

I suppose most authors are a sort of hybrid. Sure, there’s authors who can write a sparkling first draft with no outline. I’ve never personally met one, but I’ve heard about those awesomely talented souls.

 Then, there are the authors who will plot and outline—100 pages of outline for a book.

Personally, if I’m going to put that much effort, I’m going to be writing, not outlining.

Yeah, I’ve tried the major outlines.

“First Draft in 30 days” by Karen Wiesner, and the follow-up how-to book, “From first draft to finished novel”. She says her outline gets about that long, before she even begins writing her draft. I think her process rocks, but it’s not something I can follow.

I took a class with her at one point. One of the many classes on improving the craft I’ve taken. She is a very knowledgeable author, and a prolific one at that. She outlines in 30 days, and her second draft is of great quality—in another 30 days or so. No wonder she is so prolific.

Yet, that type of outlining just doesn’t work for me.

I’ve taken many, many classes. And from each one, I’ve found bits that work for me. I think that’s really all anyone can do.

Find the pieces that work For You, At The Time.

 For each book I’ve written (6+1 novella, at this point) my pants-plotting approach changes.

 I’ve heard this is true for many writers. Different books work with different approaches.

 My latest novel I wrote for SavvyAuthors.Com June boot camp. It’s the second in the series, so went pretty fast. I finished by the 20^th of the month, and that was with taking a few days off. So, in about 18 days.

 First, I need to admit that I’m a fast writer. Plus, having goals and motivation and the expectation of a team really had me pushing hard.

 Second, I need to admit my first drafts are slim. Some complain about overwriting a draft, then needing to cut words. I usually end up needing to add a few scenes and in total, adding about 20k words in my second draft—you know, the important stuff like emotions, setting enhancements, emotions. Putting my characters in clothes. Making sure they’re not standing in some blank, white space. Little things like that J

 As the second book in the series, I knew my people and the places. I knew how my characters would react.

 So, I was able to use my spreadsheet and do a scene outline. (I’ll post about that later this week.)

 Yet, my first draft came in at a bare minimum. My second draft will need a ton of work. Now, part of this is because there were about 12 scenes I didn’t feel like writing at the time, so just put <<INSERT scene about such and such here>>. Those in themselves will add at least 12k if not closer to 20k to my word count.

 Then, I can go back and add the little details J Or not so little as the case may be. You know, the ones that take scenes and action and dialogue and turn them into an actual story that others want to read?

 Yeah, those little details.

 So, to end my rambling, my point is this.

 A writer’s approach to each novel may be different. It changes over time, being an organic thing. And that’s okay.

 But the other point I wanted to touch on is that even when I outline, I NEVER stick to it 100%. The characters/story/plot/events may take me down new roads I didn’t think about and that’s all for the good.

Because in this way, I can have that excitement and organic feel to my writing that pantsers hold so dear, but at the same time I have this little road map to guide me on the major events that is so critical to a cohesive story.

Even if I do go down the scenic route every now and then.