One of the most common debates in the writing world is about pantsers verses plotters. Though these two types of writers are treated like an either/or option, it really is more of a sliding scale measurement for writing methods. Still, knowing which way you swing will help you with your writing and with finding a successful writers group.

Pantsers

Otherwise known as discovery writers, pantsers are people who write by the seat of their pants.  These writers have no outline. Most are lucky if they have a protagonist or general story idea when they first sit down to write. They just make up their stories as they write.

Pantsers write by instinct and enjoy the exhilaration that comes from following every whim when creating a story. You’ll also hear these people talking about their characters taking over the story or surprising them. The book is as much a journey of self-discovery for the writer as it is for the protagonist. 

The downside of being a pantser is how much longer they spend in editing. A pantser’s first draft can be incongruous and include several bunny trails that need to be deleted. After the story is completed, these writers then have to go back and foreshadow the ending that they discovered in their writing process. I’ve heard it said that a pantser’s first draft is really just an extremely detailed outline. I think that’s true for all writers, but pantsers have an even rougher editing path with their discovery writing methods.

Note Of Caution:

If you’re a pantser, don’t let yourself move onto another story until you have the current book polished to the best of your ability. Many pantsers just keep writing books without revising because it’s more fun. This leads to having a bunch of books that are never publishable.

Plotters

Known as the outliners of the field, plotters are organized writers who want to have most of the details created before they start putting words to paper. Before writing, they spend time fleshing out characters, making plot points, and worldbuilding.

Plotters revel in the details. They like to know each character’s backstory and character arc. Some create the ending of the story before anything else so they can plan a path to that ending. Because of their organized methods, most plotters will spend less time editing since they put thought into the plot beforehand. (Please note I said “less time editing” and that there’s still a lot of editing involved in any book.)

A pitfall for plotters is what is generally referred to as worldbuilding disease. They get so caught up in creating a world and fleshing out every part of it that they never write the story. Or, they spend so much time outlining that they lose the desire to write it since there’s already hundreds of pages dedicated to its creation.

Note Of Caution:

If you find yourself outlining but never writing, set a time limit for outlining. If it’s two months, then start writing when time is up regardless of your outline status. There is no reason you can’t add some new things as you write when you think of them.

Final Thoughts: Panster Or Plotter

Which side do you lean towards? I’m more on the plotters’ side of the scale. While I don’t meticulously plan out my plot and characters before a story, I do have the main characters fleshed out and guideposts for my plot before I start writing. However, all the space between my plot guideposts is for discovery writing. After all, each book is made up of some planning and some creativity along the way. You don’t have to stick to one side all the time.

Knowing how you write can help you find a good writers group as well. Plotters can suck all the fun out of writing for pantsers, and pantsers often annoy plotters with their scatterbrain methods. If you can find people who write with a similar technique as you, the writers group will be more beneficial for everyone.

Thanks for reading!

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