Friday, September 16, 2011

Are You a Plotter or a Pantser?

I know a lot of editors and agents are going to cringe when I say this but I don’t believe in writing outlines before you write your novel. I know the beginning and how it will end, but everything in between is where I allow my characters to surprise me. Nonetheless, conflict is magnified throughout the novel. I create character sketches, visualize my setting and emphasize on my theme and hook before I write my novel. I keep a notebook and index cards beside me to add ideas along the way. Only when I’ve completed my first draft do I write an outline. I evaluate my character sketches to see if my characters are consistent and if the story has a payoff in every chapter. Before I begin editing, I write down notes for every chapter. I would love to hear if you’re a pantser or a plotter.

7 comments:

  1. Same with me. I tried to outline a novel once. It only made me too obsessive in sticking to said outline, which effectively strangled the potential creativity that could have come while writing the novel. Today, I write chapter by chapter and see where the story takes me. It's more fun when you're surprised at where the story is going.

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  2. Geraldine? Could you write a post on e-publishing? I would love to read about how it all started for you and what you actually did. You know, like a step by step guide?

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  3. @Kate, you're a fellow pantser like me. LOL! With regards to e-publishing, I didn't do it myself--I'm published through Solstice Publishing. I wouldn't have that first hand experience, but I know a lot of writers who did it themselves and became successful. Have you published your YA novels?

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  4. Goodness, I must be the messiest writer out there. I have a vague idea of a storyline when I start. My characters just appear through a doorway or walk onto a scene without me thinking of them before hand. It isn't until I have the first draft done that I even check to make sure the story line is consistant. Somehow, it all comes together, though!

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  5. @Dianne, that means you are creative. Most writers that I know hate outlines because it ruins their creativity. If you're familiar with how a novel should be structured,then I don't feel you need an outline on the early stages. Have you seen The Hero's Two Journeys by Christopher Vogler? If not, I highly recommend you watch it. It gives you a step-by-step guide on how to structure a novel or screenplay. Thanks for sharing!

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  6. Being an imaginative sort, I "sorta" imagine my way through it. No outlines; no notes. Just me and the computer and the devil on my shoulder.

    My debut novel evolved as it was written. Honest, it was a murder mystery and while I knew who did the killing, I actually didn't know who was going to be the real villain until it worked itself out during the writing.

    Writing is like cooking for me. I have to taste everything once in a while, and add a little something here and there and try it. I may scrap a chapter, but I never throw out something I may be able to salvage.

    At the end of my novel, I actually used a minor character previously introduced to tie it all up and I didn't even know I was going to do it until the end. I've had numerous comments from people who appreciated the twist.

    Dan Chamberlain

    www.daniel-chamberlain.com

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  7. @Dan, it's good to know that I'm not the only pantser out there. I like your analogy about writing being like cooking. It makes sense. I've had the same experience like you. After writing more than a hundred pages of my WIP, I felt that the character would be more compelling if she were a woman, so I had to change the description, behavior and everything of that male character to make him female. It was such a long process but it had to be done. It worked out well.

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