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Writers are a funny bunch and the split between plotters and pantsers seems to be an arbitrary one in my mind. In this guest post, Nick Thacker explores why mixing planning with “pantsing” is probably the best route to go for writing fiction. It's certainly the way I write. How about you?
I write using a formula.
*Gasp!* *Shock and awe!*
I know; crazy, right?
Listen, it's not like you think. I've finished a novel, plenty of other fiction content, and am completing a second full-length fiction thriller, and trust me–I haven't sold my soul.
In the writing world, as you're probably aware, there's a polarizing debate between the “pantsers”–those who write by the seat of their pants, plotting and planning as they go along–and the “planners”–those who like to get every detail, plot twist, and problem/solution researched before they begin to work on thier manuscripts.
The Pantsers usually are classified as the ultra-creative, left-brained abstract thinkers, who strive for genius in the creative space by charging into uncharted territory.
The Planners are commonly considered the analytical, detail-oriented people who appreciate well-researched and flawless plots with fully-developed literary devices and very full Evernote accounts of research material.
I'm somewhere in-between, and I'd venture a guess that you are, too.
I write in a creative way, AFTER I've planned out what I'm going to write. I don't try to get everything down into a “research journal,” nor do I actively try to free-write every day.
For me, writing zen falls somewhere between the Pantsers' and Planners' respective camps, and if I had to call it something, I'd say I'm a “Plantser.”
I don't plan everything
As a church music director, I ran a contemporary worship band (think U2 for God) that employed some of the finest musicians I've ever worked with. They were each professional gigging musicians, teachers, or industry pros with years of experience.
I decided to start using “loops” in our worship set–basically a pre-recorded or pre-programmed musical backdrop that would play throughout our songs. Imagine stripping out the guitars, drums, bass, and vocals from a rock band's album, and what you'd be left with would be a backing track that adds color and depth to your sound.
For the band, there were a few things that troubled them. Mainly, we were all worried that using loops would cause us to have less freedom, as we were constricted to a set structure, tempo, and order for each song.
They thought creativity as individuals and as a band would plummet.
It didn't.
Strangely enough, when we playing along with some of these songs' loops, we found that our creativity and overall sound improved DRASTICALLY. We were tighter as a unit, and every member of the ensemble felt as though they had MORE freedom to play licks, leads, and filler material.
The church liked it, and we liked it.
Back to writing
So, how does this apply to writing a novel?
Well, if you plan a GENERAL STRUCTURE for the major sections of your book, and create some simple character sketches, you'll find that the creative juices start flowing MUCH easier when you actually get into the writing process.
You won't have to worry about your end goal; that's already been planned. How you get there, though, in each sentence and paragraph and scene is up to you.
Here's a list of what I like to plan out:
1. Overall theme/idea (duh)
2. Major characters–hero/heroine, villain(s), supporting actors
3. Plot summary (a general structure to guide the major story question along)
4. Scenes and Sequels (to borrow from my boy Dwight Swain!)
5. General notes on the novel's direction
As a self-declared “plantser,” it seems natural for me to resist a set structure, yet want to complain when I get stuck. The method I've mentioned here doesn't solve all the problems, obviously, but it does help me feel clearheaded when I approach the daunting task of penning somewhere near 100,000 words!
I'll expand on the idea of planning/pantsing your novel, and hopefully I'll be able to guest-post again soon! For now, though, leave a comment with your own thoughts on this approach–do you do something similar? Or drastically different?
About the Author: Nick Thacker is a writer of fiction and non-fiction, and he blogs about writing novels, among other things, at www.LiveHacked.com. You can subscribe to his newsletter here.
Turndog Millionaire says
I’m a little similar i think
I have a good plan of where i want to go (what i want to cover in each chapter and scene), but then i just start writing and see where it takes me. I try to keep on track with the plan, but sometimes my creativity will cause me to alter the overall structure. I don’t see this as change, but evolution.
No plan though would be scary. I’d have no goal to strive to, and i’m not sure what the end product would be. I may try it one day though. just to see what happens 🙂
Matt (Turndog Millionaire)
Joanna Penn says
I have an idea and then plot a few scenes, then get to 30,000 words and then extend the whole plot so I can finish before the dreaded block sets in. I reckon this still makes me a hybrid 🙂
RA Jones says
You are right. I certainly am an inbetweener when it comes to plot v pants. So maybe it should be plot and pants? I think that has all become much easier with the advent of software like Scrivener which lets you keep these random jottings –research–plot points–notes on direction– together in once place.
One of the very interesting things about writing a novel is to be able to look back at those initial sketches and plans and see how things change along the way, because I bet they do.
Cheers,
RA Jones
Joanna Penn says
LOVE Scrivener 🙂 There are lots of fans of the software on this site as well. It is revolutionary for novelists I think, and in fact, anything of book length.
Nick Thacker says
Yup, same here–I’m a HUGE Scrivener devotee!
Actually, I’m going to be doing an in-depth post on using Scrivener to write a novel; I’ll be sure to link to it here.
Thanks!
Nick
Nick Thacker says
Here’s that post I mentioned–it’s pretty long, but I think it covers some great ground!
http://www.livehacked.com/writing-2/using-scrivener-and-evernote-to-write-your-book/
Hope it helps!
Nick
Nick Thacker says
@Turndog,
Thanks for stopping by! It’s definitely scary (to say the least) to not have a plan when you start writing. I didn’t at first, and I ended up spending an entire rewrite fixing the first act…
Now, even with “pantsing,” I at least have to keep me going in a direction that makes sense!
Nick Thacker says
@RA,
Absolutely! Even with a barebones outline that I started much too late, the original beginning of my story ends up nowhere to be found in the finished version!
Thanks for commenting, and for reading! Talk to you soon,
Nick
Pam Mingle says
Hi Nick,
I work in a very similar way. However, by about Chap. 4 or so, I start outline. I develop this overwhelming urge to know where I’m heading. Not that I always go there, of course! But doing this makes me feel more secure. Or something! If I deviate from the outline, which I often do of course, I go back and adjust it.
Thanks for a thoughtful post.
Nick Thacker says
Hi Pam!
I definitely feel that urge as well–sometimes before I start writing!
Hiroko says
It would seem that I’m ever less of a planner than you! However, I wouldn’t say I am completely a write-as-you-go sort of person. I don’t take a lot of notes, but the plot summary (among other things) is generally what gets filled in over time.
There is nothing wrong with planning as opposed to writing as you go. You are creative enough to think of a whole story and outline it, right?
Nick Thacker says
Good point–I’m not trying to claim my way is best, just another way.
There’s nothing wrong with planning as you go, or even not planning. I would just argue that unless you’re trying to have a stream-of-consciousness novel, you’ll eventually start to “plan”–even if it’s just the next few words, and it’s only in your head.
Thanks for stopping by!
Nick
Melanie Marttila says
I’m a pantser, and I’m not sying that with any kind of pride, or to be thought of as one of those “ultra-crative” types. I haven’t even published my first novel yet (!)
I have to write through the first draft just to figure things out, but then, I go to my trusty bulletin board and map. I might do character sketches, written and drawn, maps, timelines, histories, etc. So I am a combination. I usually start with a character and I have a good idea what the major events of the story will be, as well as the climax, but things can change and evolve in the writng process, and they usually do.
I love reading about process. I’m fascinated by it, largely because mine’s constantly changing and evolving. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Nick Thacker says
Hmm, that’s a cool way of doing it–so you’re using the first draft as a creative outlet, then using the blackboard as a “catch-all” of the good ideas/plot sketches?
Seems like it would work quite well! I might borrow that idea!
Nick
Joanna Penn says
I also find the process endlessly fascinating Melanie and it probably morphs with time, as we settle into our voices.
Nick Thacker says
Hmm, that’s a cool way of doing it–so you’re using the first draft as a creative outlet, then using the blackboard as a “catch-all” of the good ideas/plot sketches?
Seems like it would work quite well! I might borrow that idea!
Nick
Chrissa - a tad bit creative says
A really great article – thanks Nick. To me, the word that kept shouting out to me while reading your post was ‘balance’. Why should writers have to be one extreme or the other? And I agree, we are often in between. Thanks again 🙂
Nick Thacker says
Right on, Chrissa–balance is key, because most things in life aren’t “Star Wars” polarizing… and there’s no reason “planning” or “not planning” should be either!
Thanks for the comment, and we’ll talk to you soon!
Nick
Eva says
“Plantser”! I like it. I’m more pantser than planner, which is probably why I don’t get anything finished. That being said, there is a point where I sit down and regroup, thus creating an outline of sorts. I really can’t outline pre writing though, other than to have a general idea.
I like your idea of what you plan out–enough to keep me focused but not too detailed to make me crazy.
Nick Thacker says
Eva;
Have you read Steven King’s “On Writing?” He’s a self-declared “pantser,” and he almost vehemently downplays the benefits of plotting ahead of time.
That said, he’s the kind of guy who openly admits that there are other ways to do it, and he does have a general storyline idea in mind when he starts writing.
So definitely don’t get discouraged, but also don’t let your plan to be a “pantser” act as an excuse for not writing! Plot/plan what you need, and “pants” the rest!
Thanks, and take care!
Nick
Joanna Penn says
I also think Stephen King has internalised his process to the point where he has it in his head somehow. Pro writers must get to that stage, right?
Nick Thacker says
Yeah, that’s true–the whole time I was reading “On Writing” I was thinking that there MUST still be a “plan” in there somewhere–even if he’s not consciously aware.
Gene Lempp says
I’m almost identical. The only thing I notice different is that I do a “treatment” which is basically a skeletal run through of the project using the outline. This lets me test the strength of the frame I have in place and usually helps me tweak it prior to full on writing. This might be what you mean by “general notes that guide direction” – in which case we have the same process.
Always great to find fellow Plantsers out there. Honestly, I think we are the majority but just don’t waste time arguing the fine points. In the end it’s the product that matters, not the manufacturing process.
Nick Thacker says
Hey Gene!
“Honestly, I think we are the majority but just don’t waste time arguing the fine points. In the end it’s the product that matters, not the manufacturing process.”
LOVE that quote–well said, friend!
Nick
Mahala Church says
I would like to invite you to do a guest blog on our site. Many of our followers are debut or wannabe novelists, struggling to see the light of day as they work through the process. Your topic is a timely one for all writers. Thank you.
Nick Thacker says
Sure, Mahala–send me an email with the information!
Nick
Monice Mitchell Simms says
Thanx for this, Nick. A frustrated screenwriter for years, when I wrote my first novel, I purposely wrote without a plan, just for freedom’s sake. The process was both frightening and rejuvenating at the same time. And ironically by penning my novel this way, my training and instincts organically took the reins of my pen and I created something soulful, honest and real – something I never would have been able to pen if I had planned every single step of the way. Amen.
Nick Thacker says
I would argue, though, that the fact that you had experience beforehand is KEY–am I correct in assuming the “freedom” and “rejuvenation” you felt may not have been as profound as it was if you didn’t have the experience beforehand?
Great comment, and thanks for stopping by!
Nick
Another Anon says
Dwight Swain (Techniques of the Selling Writer), probably the best book on writing stories that sell that’s never recommended. Good on ya, Nick 😉
Nick Thacker says
I LOVE Dwight Swain–I wish someone would have told me to read his stuff BEFORE I started writing!
Kirstie says
I’m also halfway between pantser and plotter. But I find even when writing out that skeleton of a plot, most of it just sort of flows out, like when I’m pantsing it, so even my plotting of the novel is a bit ‘pantsy’. Does that make sense?
Nick Thacker says
That makes perfect sense–actually, it seems like you’ve perfectly captured what I was trying to say!
Thanks for commenting, and I hope to see you around soon!
Nick
J S says
My ‘first novel’ fell out of a pantster thing. It rambled out after about a hundred pages and I got stuck. I wasn’t sure how to go forward without trashing a lot of the already written work nor where the thing was going. I learned from that and have plotted every novel since then. To avoid unnecessary rework and scrap (my first career is in Engineering) you need to work up the plot.
I’ll sometimes write the intro scene to understand where I’m at and the main character’s voice before plotting.
But I have learned something more recently. While I plot then write, I find I back feed the plot from time to time. Either the story gives me a need like planting a detail earlier or I think up new interesting things to do along the way.
Overall, the plot keeps me out of dead ends and radically speeds the rough draft process. My ‘outline’ often has complete dialog for some scenes that only lack all the quote characters. It seems to work. I wrote my last two books in three weeks (out for editing now) because I had a rail line to chug along from beginning to end.
Nick Thacker says
“I’ll sometimes write the intro scene to understand where I’m at and the main character’s voice before plotting.”
I did the exact same thing my first time around, and it helped me understand the direction, theme, and voice.
Exactly–the plot keeps me out of dead ends as well, but it also tells me I need to include a “McGuffin” or two earlier in the story!
Thanks for the comment, JS!
Nick
NC says
I love reading a lot specifically great novel. I wouldn’t mind seating the whole day just reading novels. I have this kind of idea in my mind but then I don’t know how to put it in paper. Thanks to this post, it gives me a hint. Well, I started writing little by little and I keep on visiting your site for some info. Thanks a lot.
Doug says
I enjoyed reading about your writing process, Nick. I work in a similar way. Beside basic premise and major characters, I plot out 10 major scenes in my novel before I begin writing – opening, plot points, climax, etc. Then I write from one to the next, connecting each together. Some of these major scenes change as the novel progresses, but to me it makes the process seem a bit more manageable.
Could you clarify how you plan out Scenes and Sequels? I have read Dwight Swain’s work, and I use the Scene-Sequel pattern myself. I simply keep this rhythm in my head as I am writing my scenes. For me, it’s more knowledge of structure rather than something I lay out ahead of time before I write. You have it in your list of things you like to plan out. How do you plan these in advance? Do you outline every Scene-Sequel? Just wondering. Thanks again for sharing your process!
Nick Thacker says
Hey Doug!
Sure–I like to view the Scenes/Sequels as cause/effect chains–one thing HAS to lead to another. In my outlines, I literally write out:
Scene 1:
Goal
Conflict
Disaster
Sequel 1 (sequel to scene 1):
Reaction
Dilemma
Decision
In this way, scene 1 of the book goes into scene 2, and so on. Also, I write action thrillers, like Joanna, and I’ll admit that this structure works REALLY well for those, but it may not be as easy to specify these moments for other types of fiction.
If you feel like seeing more about it, I recently launched a free course on plotting and writing the novel using these methods–you can check it out here: http://www.livehacked.com/how-to-write-a-novel
Hope this helps!
Nick
Doug says
Really cool, Nick. Thanks for sharing! I always struggle with how much to outline before I write. Seems like I plan and plan and never get to the actual writing! So do you outline all your book scenes before you start writing – identifying your Goal-Conflict-Disaster and Reaction-Dilemma-Decision for every scene in the book – or do you outline scenes before you write them as your book moves along?
I’ll definitely check out your course. Thanks!
Nick Thacker says
Thanks Doug!
Yes, I try to get the main scenes outlined: “MC walks into a bar, and is shot…” then, I’ll try to piece together WHY he was in the bar (goal), WHAT was going on (conflict) and WHY he got shot (disaster).
After that, I’ll need a “catch your breath” scene, called a sequel: “MC is in the hospital (recovering/reaction), trying to decide (dilemma) who shot him and why. He chooses to figure it out (decision).
That’s just off the top of my head, but you can see that there’s TONS of room for subplots, minor characters, and, of course, personal style.
Using this method allows me the creative freedom of writing fiction while not allowing myself to get too far off-course.
Hope that helps!
Nick
Nick Thacker says
Thanks Doug!
Yes, I try to get the main scenes outlined: “MC walks into a bar, and is shot…” then, I’ll try to piece together WHY he was in the bar (goal), WHAT was going on (conflict) and WHY he got shot (disaster).
After that, I’ll need a “catch your breath” scene, called a sequel: “MC is in the hospital (recovering/reaction), trying to decide (dilemma) who shot him and why. He chooses to figure it out (decision).
That’s just off the top of my head, but you can see that there’s TONS of room for subplots, minor characters, and, of course, personal style.
Using this method allows me the creative freedom of writing fiction while not allowing myself to get too far off-course.
Hope that helps!
Nick
tom Babington says
Hi Nick . . .. lot’s of great ideas here. Just to share an approach that I got from reading KM Weiland’s (I know you like her lots) book on Outlining. Towards the end of her work, she offers this brilliant idea: When you get stuck in preparing your outline, start REVERSE outlining. Start at the point at which you wish to arrive, and work your way back. It is a fabulous concept, and has allowed me to be MUCH more creative in the outline – since I know where I will end up, I can choose lots of highways or byways to get my characters there.
Nick Thacker says
Absolutely–I actually did this without realizing it: I wrote the scene my villain is defeated, and then figured out how I could get there!
Great idea, and it’s good to see you around here!
Nick