This question is from Ms. Wendy Paine Miller. And okay, I didn’t get it under two minutes, like I wanted. But I talked as fast as I could!
For all you pantsers out there, get ready to cringe.
For you readers out there who have no idea what the words plotter or pantser mean, allow me to explain.
I’m a plotter. I plot out my story before I sit down to write the rough draft.
There are others out there who call themselves pantsers. They don’t plot before they sit down to write the rough draft. They wing it. Or, they write by the seat of their pants. And somehow they do not suffer from ulcers. It’s completely baffling.
If you have a question you’d like me to answer via vlog, please send them my way (either in the comments section or in an email). If you missed my previous vlogs and want to take a look, you can find them on my youtube channel.
Let’s Talk: What’s your writing process like? For you nonwriting readers, what kind of writer do you think you’d be?
You novelists blow my mind. In a good, good way!
CRINGE. LOL!
Can you guess I'm a pantser? I must admit I'm a bit jealous of the plotters. Everything's neat and tidy. Plotting drains all my inspiration and excitement.
I'm at pantser…but I'm beginning to think maybe I should try to plot — you are convincing me here, Katie!
Love it! This puts me in the mood to plot out a new story. Oh well, not time just yet. 🙂
loved this!
I'm an avid plotter but I also feel I can change as I go along and go with my gut feelings sometimes.
GIVES ME HIVES. head is spinning now….going to go lay down.
Love the vlog!
Yep, I'm a plotter. I heart colored index cards.
How fun, a video blog! I'm a plotter, like you. I get my idea and have several steps after that to round out characters, figure out GMC, and I always do a chapter by chapter outline that's pretty detailed. I also HAVE to know the end of the story before I start. Sure, it's not spontaneous, but every once in awhile a great scene will hit me and I'll sneak it in. Can't ignore gut feelings for sure. Have a great weekend!
I'm a Plotser. I plot the skeleton and then pantser the meat. Ew. That's a gross illustration.
ANYWAY !!!! Love the VLOG 🙂
I jot in a notebook.
I'm a panster and a plotter.
I use 3×5 cards occasionally. Other than that, I hold it all in my head. I have a love-hate relationship with ambiguity. 😉 Art that's too precise isn't art at all, so when I outline I feel like I've lost some essential element.
You did awesome! I don't feel so bad now cause I kind of do that process now although I didn't until about two books ago. Great job!
Wow, I'm new to these terms but I'm definitely…definitely…a plotter. I'm too Type A to be a pantser!
My process is very similar to yours, Katie. I haven't actually finished my first draft yet, so I was interested to hear the rest of your process. I was planning to do the same, though–look through it a few times myself, send it for critique, and then start submitting and looking for an agent!
Happy Friday!
Like Keli, I started out as a pantser, but I'm a dedicated plotter now. I have a chapter by chapter/scene by scene outline I follow. I'll be blogging on the Water Cooler next week about my plotting process. 🙂
I wrote my first five stories as a pantser. If you read them, you'd be able to tell it. They lack the flow and form of the stories I write now.
It wasn't until I had to rewrite 3/4ths of a story for my agent that I morphed into what I refer to as a planster. I work from a detailed synopsis now and have the major elements of my story nailed down before I begin writing. When I start a new scene, I know what's happened before, what's going to happen in the scene I'm writing, and what is supposed to happen in the rest of the story.
Even though I have a plan, I leave enough room for creativity to add interesting elements to my stories. I still like pleasant surprises, and my method allows me to experience some. Granted I don't have big surprises, but little ones are enough to give former pantser me a bit of a thrill.
Plotter.
And I use The Book Buddy, a wonderful work text created by best-selling author Susan May Warren. It's almost (almost) like having her sit down beside you and talk you through your book: characters, subplots, spiritual theme … all the must-haves for a strong book. It's a must-have for me!
I'm a little of both. I try to plot, but usually get too obsessive about it so I just have to start writing. I need to have an idea of direction, but when I start writing my stories usually take on a life of their own. But it can be stressful that way,which always has me wishing I was a better plotter:)
I'm a pantser. Even when I do revisions, I fly by my seat. But I'm slowly turning into a mix of the two. Being a plotter helps in keeping track of goals/motivation in each scene and having a bit of structure is useful.
I'm more of a plotter, like you. I love using index cards to write the highlights of scenes and switch them around until it all fits together.
Do you use Scrivener? I got it after NaNoWriMo last year, but haven't used it yet. (I only ask b/c it's the one program I know that has digital index cards.) I've discovered that I write more creatively when I do so by hand. Not exactly convenient, but something different (and better) happens in my brain.
Katie, You rock. Thanks for answering this! You did so beautifully.
I load up carefully selected journals and fill them before and as I write (w/ much of what you mentioned above).
I always love to hear how stories are born.
(Think this will be the only blog I comment on…still w/ limited access.)
Love these vlogs!
~ Wendy
If the creative process of creating artwork is akin to writing, I'm a plotter. I do a thumbnail sketch before I begin. It gives me a good idea where the text and the artwork will go. Not to say that the final concept doesn't change from time to time, but the layout gives me a foundation to build on.
You should vlog every day! Your and my process are super similar. (Your and my?? – need an editor)
Happy Friday!
I was with you until you jotted all your scenes out. I usually get an opening a couple in the middle and maybe an ending but I don't know them all until I'm writing. I do know the direction I'm heading when I write, though. Guess I'm somewhere in between.
You were thorough, fast! Great vlog! Have an awesome weekend.
I have no idea how people pants! I've tried twice and ended up abandoning both stories. I still rewrite as a plotter but I would've had to totally rewrite with those stories.