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Monday, July 11, 2011

No Longer A Pantser


Okay, let's face it: we all came to this earth with different strengths and weaknesses. We have taken some of those strengths and made the very most of them. We've tried to improve our weak points, and if nothing else, accepted that we can't excel in every facet.

I lack organization skills. I do. My brain gets scrambled easily, and so I either make lists to keep myself on track, or I spend days at a time flying by the seat of my pants doing a whole bunch of who-knows-what while accomplishing very little and exhausting myself in the process. (I know that sentence was exhausting, but I don't see why I should be the only one tired around here.)

Anyway, there's a point to all this. I'm seeing a similarity to the way my uncontrolled me lives my non-listed life, and the way I wrote my first novel. Sure I knew my protagonists, my antagonist, and the main conflict, but beyond that, I was a free bird. Flying where ever the wind took me. And guess what, I loved it. It was so much fun. For me - the writer. Turns out it may not be as much fun for the reader. (See step number two in Victoria Mixon's How to Plot Wrong, in 3 Easy Steps .)

I was seriously letting my characters lead me through every adventure while neglecting the fact that I was supposed to be driving my plot every word of the way. Of course there was plenty of 'character development' happening in those scenes, but not all of them were relevant. And here's what I ended up with: a 180,000 word novel. I gradually got it down to 150,000. This is what my test readers reviewed. Still too long. I then managed to kill enough of my darlings to slender it down to a whopping 123,000 words, but it still wasn't enough. I did more research and reading, more growing and learning, and eventually whittled the piece down to where it happily resides at a lovely 89,000 words.

This time I'd like to avoid the nearly 100,000 word detour and stick right with the plot. Did I gain from this experience? Yes. And I wouldn't take it back, but I certainly won't do it again. This time I'm plotting it out. Mapping the direction of my book, scene by scene, to ensure that each part serves its maximum purpose.

Do I still find surprises along the way? Of course! And I'll go with them; luckily my outline is not carved in stone. As a writer, I am forever flexible. But I'm hoping to kick out a better product the first time around.

With all this said, I am not one to say what is right and what is wrong. I've only learned that, for me, it's much better to plot than to fly by the seat of my pants.

So what works for you? Does pantsing serve your writing purpose, or are you a plotter? What about in your everyday life? C'mon, I've told you about me, now I want to hear about you.

43 comments:

  1. Solid pantser in the writing world, organizing/planning freakazoid in real life. It's like I compress all my frustrations and let them explode in a marathon run with my characters through their lives. I love it with my whole heart.

    I admire your ability to cut your word count! My first novel clocked in at 355 pages. Second novel, 201. Progress!

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  2. Wow, that is a long MS! I have the opposite struggle-I need to add words.
    In the past, I knew the beginning and I knew the ending, and I worked the middle to get at the end that I wanted. I never outlined before, but now I've opened up to it and it helps me a lot.

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  3. I pretty much pantsed the whole way on my first draft, but there was enough guidance to land me with only about 91,000 words. Only! Ha, I know. I'm there with you on wanting to craft a little more the next time around, make a better first product that won't require quite so much whittling. Plotting is daunting to me, though. I'm a pantser in real life, too. It's a mess. :)

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  4. A little less than mid-way through my first draft I discovered the joy of plotting. Every so often before that time, I'd hit a brick wall and have no idea where I was going. There was the haze of the plot, but I needed to know exactly what was going on. Such is my life. By profession and nature I am a planner. Of course, the plans never go, well…as planned, but at least there is that backbone there to get back to. I've found that since I've outlined the rest of my novel out by scene, I've hit no more ruts. I've changed the outlined only a bit so far too. I did give myself the pleasure of letting go in my outline. It is by no means a step-by-step plan, just a bunch of ideas thrown into the rough estimate of what will happen.

    Welcome to the plotter side of the family!

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  5. Ahhhh, plot. My first draft of Magickless was not only 180k but also hand written. I thought I had killed all my darlings when I transcribed it and managed to get it down to 169k. Then I foolishly began my first round of submissions. Oh the naivety!

    Now It is just over 100k and entire paragraphs, nay, entire chapters have been marked up up and away, lost in a long gone draft.

    I'm currently waiting for my editor to get back to me with what will hopefully be a close to final copy, and in the meantime i've been taking a stab at book 2. Turns out the dread of repeating my 5 years of toil has made me naturally start a document called "Plot of book 2"

    After so many query letters and book synopsis, writing a book outline seems easy.

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  6. Did u get the term pantser from Larry brooks?
    As for me....I think I pants my first two ms. But after Larry brooks class I have changed my ways and spent a ton of time learning the plotting/story structure craft.

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  7. I am a pantser... BUT I'm learning to be a plotter. It's taken me forever to finish the first draft of my WIP. But I've plotted the rest of it and I'm almost finished!! So, I'd say I'm half and half. :)

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  8. You deserve some serious props for cutting a book that much! Most people in that situation would either a) shelf the book until they could handle dealing with revisions on that level (and then never really get to it), or b) only do it part way. I bet that was some seriously painful editing! Seriously. You should get an award or something. That's amazing!

    And for me-- I can't pants a trip to the grocery store. I'm a huge planner.

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  9. My writerly life and everyday life are similar. Chaotic at worst and scrambled tries at organization at best. I'm trying to transition from panster to plotter.

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  10. I'm a panster, but I also plan ahead. Although, I let my characters have free movement, I have in mind what I want a scene or chapter to accomplish. If there is a derailment of that goal, it's usually minor and recoverable. Sometimes I find "panster-style" lends me to even more creative events than if I outlined.

    Of course, I have done it both ways, but normally I know where I'm headed and I realign throughout (by way of jotted notes at the end of the document). This seems to work fine for me :)

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  11. I like to think I'm a little bit of both with an emphasis on the panster side. I generally have an idea of where the story's supposed to go and some times, I even get there. Or some place like there.

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  12. I am an absolute pantser.
    I even did an outline for the rest of my book while halfway through writing, and you know what? I was off track after just a few chapters...
    I have a general idea of where the story's going, but can't plan it out.

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  13. I used to be a mega pantser, but I've discovered the amazing freedom of plotting recently. I LOVE IT. I read Story Engineering by Larry Brooks, which really helped me see HOW to plot, and it's amazing. I got through my recent first draft much faster, and it'll need a lot less revision. And I didn't find my creativity cramped in the least. I think it actually prompted me to be more creative within the realms of my story. Yay for plotting!

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  14. Depends on the book. I am never a 100% pantser but some books are improvised more than others.

    I believe there is value to both. I asked a question about formulas (plotting-engineering) and got some interesting answers if you wanna see them. http://writingwithshelly.blogspot.com/2011/07/magic-formula.html

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  15. I too must admit I am a pantser too! I felt such a instant bond with what you said about wandering in everything, including writing. I love how you talk about great development tha ends up on the discard table at the end of the day. I love how you talk about needing to steer and not letting our characters do it for us. I totally understood how you felt, and I am soo glad you posted it here. I ended up sending 268 pages to the bench, so I could start over with me in control, since my characters like to think they are in charge. I showed them. =0) I love your blog and look forward to seeing more! I am following you now! yay!!

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  16. This sounds like me, except I'm still a pantser. I'm just trying to incorporate more plotting. Hopefully, I'll successfully manage to become a hybrid. :) (And no, I'm not that organized in my every day life.)

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  17. Thanks for your comments, all. It's really interesting for me to hear where you're at in your own journeys.
    Jessie, I'm not sure if Larry's the one who coined the phrase (in the writer world), but I have become quite familiar with the term since going to conferences and speaking with fellow writers. Loved your blog today, btw.

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  18. Hi,

    Thanks for stopping by my blog!

    I think most wannabe authors start out as pantsers then switch to plotting and storyboarding. Me, neither. My characters come by way of dream movie sequences, I'm then compelled to paint pictures with words, my way of revealing their stories. ;)

    best
    F

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  19. I'm always trying to become a plotter! I've written a lot of outlines, but I can never stick with them. It drives me crazy! As a result, I do a ton of rewriting.

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  20. I have the opposite problem than you- I always need to add more! But I was a pantser with my first book and loosely outlined my second, which was suprisingly helpful! I could never do a huge detailed outline, my mind does not work that way- in writing or life! I'm on the disorganized train with you! Can't wait to hang out, BTW! :)

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  21. You cut more than half of your book! Great work. It must have been painful, but you did the right thing.

    What you said about something being fun for you but not for your readers... that struck me as very true, and reinforced a concept I've been turning over in my head for a decade.

    I'll never forget one scene that I wrote in a novella in high school. It was a BLAST to write. It felt magical and visionary.

    I read the scene months later. It sucked!

    Anyway, thanks in part to this post, I'm finally writing an article I'd been postponing for my songwriting blog called The Halted Clock. I think I'll call it "Just Because it's Fun to Play Doesn't Mean it's Fun to Hear." Thanks for reminding me of the idea. :)

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  22. Good post, Kimberly, and nice to meet you. I'm a plotter. I wrote an extensive outline for my novel and adhered strictly to it. The outline and first draft only took me a few months each. I found plotting an easy way to stay on target and on a well-tended path. It's much easier to add layers after the first draft is done than to peel away layers and fill in the holes.

    BTW - I'm a new follower. Come on over to my place if you have a moment.

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  23. I'm kind of both, actually. When I start writing, I'm totally pantsing it. When I'm a quarter in and I've gotten to know my characters, I do a basic outline to get a sense of where I want the story to go.

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  24. Thanks guys; I love hearing your thoughts!
    Nancy: glad to have found you and your site. :)
    Nicholas: thanks for sharing with us. The possible name of your next blog idea is hilarious!

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  25. I am a plotter, but a loose one (not in THAT way). I know where things are going and key things that need to happen along the way to get to an ending I initially plot but could change according to my characters desires. Wow! That was a run-on sentence. In effect, I have a basic outline, but remain flexible with it.
    Lovely post! I enjoy reading about the process of other writers.

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  26. There's nothing worse than looking at that wonderful chapter you just wrote, deciding it doesn't advance the plot, and removing it from the story. Then again, these have made for some of my strongest short stories.

    Joyce
    http://joycelansky.blogspot.com

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  27. I have to admit I'm both. Plot the frame and flesh it out using the pants method.
    My first book 'Carving Angels' went to print on last Monday or Tuesday, according to my editors at Cedar Fort. It worked for that book . . . I think I'll stick with it!

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  28. I kind of pantsed my way through plotting with my first novel. I would plot a few scenes ahead. Then I'd stop. Realize it wasn't working. Spend a month revising. Not revising word choice, revising where in the world did I go wrong that led me to a dead end. Start again.

    It worked. I love that story, though I don't know if it's for the work I put in, the characters, or what.

    But, like you, I'm outlining now. I've had too many false starts since then, and I don't have the patience or the attachment to those characters to unravel the plot and pick it back up.

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  29. Whoosh! You blow me away with your inspiring, wonderfully written, vital posts! I gained so much by reading your words and I have to tell you that you have a knack, a talent, for writing meaningful posts in which we can identify and grow from. And you're always so friendly and encouraging. Thanks for a fantastic blog!

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  30. Oh, I forgot to say, you made me laugh when you said, "I know that sentence was exhausting, but I don't see why I should be the only one tired around here." Love it! Thanks!

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  31. It's so interesting to hear about your writing experiences. Thank you all for sharing them!
    And Brenda, wow - thank you! All those kind words went straight to my head. ;) No, but I loved reading them. And BTW, your blog posts are absolutely brilliant!

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  32. Ha, good on you! Funnily enough, Misha Gericke and I did a Blog Swap today on Plot twists and outlining etc. Pop over and have a look at it if you get a chance.

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  33. I'm a little of both, although that can change depending on where I am in the process--e.g. I'm more of a plotter at the beginning of a manuscript; less, the closer I reach the end.

    P.S. Nice to meet you today, Kimberly!

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  34. D.U. Okonkwo: I'll stop by your site for sure. :)
    Liz: Thank you! Nice to meet you as well. :)

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  35. What a great post! Huge congrats for whittling that sucker down so much. That's amazing! The biggest book I've ever written is 175K. YEAH. And it's still sitting there because I haven't gone back and worked on it.

    I'm a little of both now, pantster and plotter. That seems to work better for me. :)

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  36. I started out as a MAJOR pantser. I had no outline. And I never changed a chapter once it was written---because I couldn't. I was posting each chapter on my website as I wrote it. I wrote my first four books that way.

    Of course, sometimes I kinda wrote myself into a corner. But I always found a good way out of it---although some readers might disagree. ;)

    But it was exciting each time I sat down to write the next chapter---not knowing where the heck my characters were going to take me.

    In book two, a minor character started taking over. I could have stopped her, but I really liked her and I wanted to see what she was going to do. What she did was turn my suspense novel into a romantic suspense. She really steamed it up. She's still one of my favorite characters.

    For my fifth book I decided to outline it before I started writing. I'm happy with how it turned out, but it wasn't nearly as fun to write, and I think I write better when I'm having fun.

    So for my sixth book I created a less rigid outline and then kept changing it. That worked pretty well.

    I'm now on book seven, and I'm back to winging it, or pantsing it. So far so good.

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  37. I pants in the real world until the mess makes me berserk and I have an intense organizational manic phase.

    In writing, I've always been an outliner. I pants the scenes, but the whole story thing is outlined. Welcome to the world of the planners!

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  38. Hi! I found your blog through some mutual friends! I am just "coming out of the closet" so to speak, when it comes to writing. I love this post! I need to become less of a pantser for this exact same reason! This was great to read. Thank you!

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  39. I used to be a complete panster but I found with the last novel outlining was the best idea ever. It wasn't taking away my creative juices, it was just utilizing them in the correct way. I still wrote just as fast, at least this time when I was 'stumped' my outline carried me. Oh the geniuses and bonuses of being a plotter!

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  40. sounds like your writing style embodies the way of no way.

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  41. I really found that writing my first novel in a weekly workshop helped keep things focused. My critique partners weren't going to let me stray too far and helped me keep each scene driving the plot forward. I'm not a plotter, though. I'm a "character drives plot" kind of writer, and those people are full of surprises! In my life? I like things organized! Drama belongs in my books.

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  42. You certainly put that book on the chopping block. Unlike you, I'm working my word count up rather than down. A good post.

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  43. I think your words would serve any working writer well.

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