Pantser or Plotter or

The Writing Life
#21

Parent allows that many writers combine the characteristics of plotter and pantser or might vary their strategy with their project. “When I write nonfiction, I outline,” she says. “When I write fiction, I’m a straight-up pantser.”

So she outlined a HOWTO book on Pantsing? :wink:

(The book looks interesting, but as a lifelong Pantser myself, I’ve only unlocked my writing when I learned to embrace story structure. I’m still primarily a discovery writer, but I’m finding greater success with my writing when I see how novels work under-the-hood. I now refer to my writing style as a Plantser, discovery writing from a bare-bones outline.)

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#22

For my last work, I changed the first sentence about 10 times…

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#23

I must be both pantser and plotter. I sometimes just write fluently without any planning and then I get those days where I need to plan every step and scene of my story. And this can take some time but with good planning, a good story evolves :blush:

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#24

For my current work, I wrote nineteen versions of the beginning before I found something with the 20th iteration: “I wasn’t always a golem, and I haven’t always been a detective, but you have to start somewhere.”

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#25

That’s a good one, actually:)

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#26

I admire pantsers beyond compare, just as I worship savant grammarians. I think every piece I’ve ever started began with a kernel of audacity and continued 'til that bucket ran dry. I’ve taken to scene lists in the revisions because no one wants to read 300K of clever prose with plot holes where you could valet a convoy of semi’s. But I do warm to the idea - are you listening mom? - of too much criticism too soon doth tip the kettle into the crick.

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#27

@Luke All of your talk with the unconscious here and in Circle has me intrigued. At some point this week, I plan to watch the Zoom like you shared. I am thinking of cutting my current scene and I think you have given me the motivation to try it out!

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#28

Cool: do please let us know how it goes, Sara.

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#29

My “deleted” file (scenes, chapters, ideas, whatever) is usually much bigger than anything else. When I put something there it’s always with the idea “maybe I can use it later,” but later never comes! Now I’m trying to do “big picture” outlining using Robert McKee’s idea of a story being about a change in value in a character’s life. That idea is helping me a lot in knowing what I want to write about (which is useful :sunny:). One of my big problems has always been that I have to write something to know what I’m writing about. I once worked as a technical writer and my boss even said then that it seemed on my first drafts I was writing to figure it out. lol

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#30

Didion once said, “I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking, & what I’m looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want & what I fear.”

I, too, have a “bottom” file. Used to be a writer would use the bottom drawer of their desk - it’s why is the largest, so I am told - for all their slush. For a while now, I’ve come to understand those pages will never see the day of light, but hopefully, one day, as they pick and peck through my rubble and trash an intrepid seeker of inanity will find a few pages and chuckle. But, before that happens, I started a macabre ritual of reading a few of those fading files from time to time - keeps one humble, and one also never knows, then slipping a snippet into the conversation to see if one or another character finds that particular clumping of words worthwhile. This should be yours, and everyone else within a dozen miles, dose of alliteration for the week. Be safe, the rain has cleared here, and we’re all enjoying an afternoon upon the terrace for drinks later.

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