Monday, April 25, 2011

Plotters Vs. Pantsers The Ultimate Showdown


This is a topic that's been on the forefront of my mind lately. It seems everywhere I look I see people weighing in on whether they are Pansters (seat of your pants, write as you go) or Plotters (outlining, character worksheets, the whole kit and caboodle).

Sometimes it feels like a showdown.

What side am I on? I've always been a Pantser. Here are some pros and cons as I see them:

Pros:
  • The sense of discovery keeps it interesting and fresh, which in turn keeps it feeling that way for the reader
  • It encourages a creative flow, almost like stream of consciousness writing
  • It's character driven. The characters are more free to make their own decisions, and less likely to be forced into certain actions by the author because of a perceived notion of where the plot is supposed to go
Cons:
  • It can be messy when you go to revise
  • You could find yourself 70,000 words in and written into a corner you can't escape from (I have around 5 started manuscripts on my hard drive, which I may or may not ever go back to)
  • If you have a complex plot (like I often do) it's hard to keep track of all the threads
Now here's the earth-shattering part of the post. Ready? I don't see why you have to be one or the other, or why you can't change depending on the project.

Recently I started a brand new WIP. I decided to give outlining a try. Nothing major. Just a simple Beatsheet(worksheet) from SAVE THE CAT as recommended in a Twitter conversation with my Tweeps/blogging buddies, Stina and Laura. This particular story also requires quite a bit of research to begin with. I haven't gotten terribly far yet, but I am excited about the possibilities. It's kind of nice having a safety net of sorts, especially knowing where it ultimately should end up.

Will I force it to fit my outline if my characters suddenly take an unexpected turn? Nope. I'll let them explore and see where it leads. It's just who I am. But if I'm lost, I now have a road map of sorts.

A compromise.

I doubt I'll be declaring myself a Plotter anytime soon. But at least I know I'm not allergic to outlines. Just werewolves.

How about you? What's your preference? Did I miss anything on my pros/cons list?
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40 comments:

  1. Laura PaulingApril 25, 2011 at 4:04 AM

    You've got them all. I did try and pants one with just a vague idea of where I was going. But it was seriously terrible in that the story barely went anywhere. I ended up stopping after 6 chapters. My creativity didn't work at all. But I do like to free write like that as part of the prewriting process. And I agree it doesn't have to be a show down, esp. when there are writers that do a combination!

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  2. SarahApril 25, 2011 at 4:13 AM

    I consider myself a plotter (just wrote a 6-page synopsis for a book I haven't started writing yet) because I like to know where I'm going. BUT--I think you have to be open to letting the story lead you somewhere else. And even though I've plotted, in the past I've totally plotted myself to the wrong place, and STILL ended up having to delete the final third of a novel and rewrite it from scratch. I think compromise is ideal!

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  3. Kristine AsselinApril 25, 2011 at 4:42 AM

    I can never figure out which side of the line I like best. I usually pants a chapter at a time, but plot a bit for the big picture. I agree you don't have to be one or the other. And I've heard so much about SAVE THE CAT I just plopped it into my Amazon shopping cart. :)

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  4. StinaApril 25, 2011 at 5:10 AM

    I'm a plotter but I still allow for panstering in my scenes. It's impossible to plan for everything. New ideas have been known to take shape after the outline has been given distance (or I read something in a novel that sparks an idea for mine). :D

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  5. Jemi FraserApril 25, 2011 at 5:12 AM

    Great list. I'm trying out the basic outline idea with my new wip too. I've found it really hard to fix those plot holes, so I'm trying to avoid them this time around. We'll see how it goes :) Good luck with yours!

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  6. AnonymousApril 25, 2011 at 7:04 AM

    I'm proud to declare myself an outliner. But that's part of my personality. I need an idea of where I'm going when I start out. That doesn't mean that things don't change along the way - they absolutely do and I roll with that. But I agree with you that it depends on the project.

    I will probably always outline in some form or another. It's just who I am.

    -Vicki

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  7. Susan Kaye QuinnApril 25, 2011 at 7:53 AM

    I've been a pantser up to now, and gave the outlining a serious go (happily so, I must say) in this latest WiP. I like the term "safety net" - and having done a lot of the thinking up front, doesn't mean that every chapter doesn't bring a whole lot of new ideas as well.

    So, I guess I believe in compromise too! :)

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  8. Lisa Gail GreenApril 25, 2011 at 7:54 AM

    Wow, I LOVE hearing about everyone's process!! It's like having a little window into each of your lives. Yes, I'm a voyeur. :P But it IS really interesting how it works differently for everyone.

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  9. Lisa Gail GreenApril 25, 2011 at 7:59 AM

    Susan - I have to apologize as I believe you were in on that Twitter conversation too!! My brain is not functioning properly when I'm working on a new WIP. I am sorry. :(

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  10. AnonymousApril 25, 2011 at 8:46 AM

    I'm a bit of both, honestly. New ideas crop up and I add them in, but I have filed notebooks of character worksheets and plot outlines. I have to keep the characters in line and plots moving! But I certainly do discover along the way : )

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  11. ShalleeApril 25, 2011 at 9:50 AM

    I am a plantser. :) I HAVE to plan a certain amount of things out ahead of time, but even when I outline, it's a little vague. And half the time, once I start writing, the book takes a different turn as I discover fascinating things through pantsing. Then I usually have to re-outline (vaguely, again) and then I veer off course again...but in the end, I stay fairly organized, and still have the joy of discovering the story.

    I love hearing how other writers write-- thanks for this post!

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  12. DebApril 25, 2011 at 10:14 AM

    I've been a pantser in the past, but I'm trying to take a slightly more methodical approach this time around. I wrote a one-page summary with some notes about characters and places, then set to.

    I've done very little to stick to my outline. It's been nice having it, though. If I get stuck, it's helpful to look at where I intended the story to go. It reminds me that staring blankly at my screen and thinking, "Oh noes! THERE'S NOWHERE LEFT TO GO!" in panic mode is silly. There are so many possibilities, and the ones I wrote in my initial outline have helped shake off the ridiculous notion I've left myself nowhere else to go. Seeing the options on paper helps me talk myself out of that corner. :p

    It's neat looking at this as something articulated instead of felt. Thanks for making me pause to really think about this!

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  13. HeatherApril 25, 2011 at 10:26 AM

    First, I LOVE that picture! Awesome. I call myself a plotter but I'm actually in between the two. Like Bekay, yay! I do a rough outline then allow the story to grow organically as I go. Maybe we should make another catagory, organic plotter or something. LOL!

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  14. Lisa Gail GreenApril 25, 2011 at 10:32 AM

    You know what's most interesting about these comments? That our original definitions of "pantser" and "plotter" may vary greatly. (This is the psychology major in me coming out). Thank you ALL for sharing, I am really enjoying this!!! Keep 'em coming!

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  15. Margo BerendsenApril 25, 2011 at 12:01 PM

    I used to be a panster but i but I always had to do MASSIVE re-writes, which got discouraging! However even with the outline, you still don't catch everything, I outlined my WIP so carefully and stillsomething drastic changed half way through and I have another massive re-write on my hands. So, I agree with you. I think you can and should do both. One con to outlining I would add is unless you can write the core conflicts of your story in a query letter's two to three paragraphs, your outline may end up misleading you! That's what I discovered!

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  16. Lisa Gail GreenApril 25, 2011 at 1:28 PM

    Margo - Good point!

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  17. JessApril 25, 2011 at 2:09 PM

    I'm a combination, equal-opportunity manuscript approacher...dammit, no I'm not. I keep wanting to be a Pantser--I feel like they're the cool crowd, but I can't help plotting. I actually enjoy creating outlines and character sketches. Some of the stuff has to be left blank until I get to know the characters more, but I need a solid plot point or five before I start.

    Great post!

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  18. Julie MusilApril 25, 2011 at 2:24 PM

    I can't wait to read what you come up with! I'm a loose plotter. I do character worksheets, and I have a definite plan of where I'm going. But I also leave room to explore and play.

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  19. Lisa Gail GreenApril 25, 2011 at 2:33 PM

    Yup more inbetweeners. That's what I'm hereby dubbing it. :D

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  20. TJApril 25, 2011 at 2:51 PM

    I'm also an inbetweener! I have to have a crazy strict big-picture outline so I know where I'm going, but when it comes to the scenes I must let go of the outline and just listen to the characters.
    When I'm done I can take the best of what I've written and fit it where it needs to go.
    This works for me and my current WIP is flowing along nicely because of it.

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  21. Lisa Gail GreenApril 25, 2011 at 2:52 PM

    TJ- that's awesome! The important thing is finding what works for you.

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  22. Bethany ElizabethApril 25, 2011 at 3:02 PM

    I'm still deciding. Technically, I suppose, I'm a pantser, but I can plot a lot as well. :)

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  23. AnonymousApril 25, 2011 at 3:43 PM

    Love the pic too, Lisa :) I'm a panster but sometimes when I'm struggling with how a character would respond I do some character development worksheets and some back-story to help understand them better. I've tried outlining ever since I was in school and it just doesn't work for me. I keep a loose outline in my head but nothing too solid. I know where I want it to go and some key points along the way, but a lot of it is organically growing as I go. Thanks for your post!

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  24. out of the wordworkApril 25, 2011 at 4:05 PM

    I love blog posts about plotting and pantsing! Count me in to the combination club - I call us PLANTSERS. I need to know my beginning and ending and I usually pants through the middle (which always gets me in trouble). I did a bit of plotting for the middle in this wip when I got stuck and it helped me to forge ahead. Not sure it's made the book easier for me but it did help me through that murky middle.
    Nelsa

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  25. Lisa Gail GreenApril 25, 2011 at 4:36 PM

    Bethany - exactly! :D

    Morgan - I think my biggest problems come when I DON'T know where it's ultimately going. At least that was an issue with my last try. Thus my new attempt at rough outlining. But it really does depend on the book for me.

    Nelsa - He he. Plantsers is a good one too! Murky middles are tough.

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  26. Lynda R Young as Elle CardyApril 25, 2011 at 5:21 PM

    My preferences is now outlining. It saves so much time down the track. (but that's just me)

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  27. Ebony McKenna.April 25, 2011 at 5:33 PM

    It's true the plotter/pantser debate can create an 'us and them' mentality.

    I'm going to throw a spanner in the works and declare I'm a 'scener'. As in, I have a specific scene in mind and I'll write that. I also have another scene that I know happens at some later point, and I'll write that scene. And so on. Sometimes I'll do a bit of plotting out, but if I don't know how I'm going to connect two scenes together, I don't worry about it. I figure I'll work it out later on.

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  28. Ebony McKenna.April 25, 2011 at 5:36 PM

    And thanks for those great links, they're brilliant.

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  29. Lisa Gail GreenApril 25, 2011 at 6:17 PM

    Lynda - I'm glad you found what works for you.

    Ebony - glad you liked them! They helped me.

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  30. Leslie S. RoseApril 25, 2011 at 7:15 PM

    I'm a pantsio-plotter. I dump ideas from my head onto an Excel sheet and then arrange them in a rough order. Usually after that I don't look at them again. I do keep mental track of Joseph Campbell's hero journey when I'm sending my MC out into their story. Other than that - I let it fly. Duck!

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  31. Ghenet MyrthilApril 25, 2011 at 7:52 PM

    I'm a plotter but I can see the benefits of pantsing and doing a mixture of both! Right now plotting is helping me because I'm writing my first book and I feel less overwhelmed with an outline. But it's constantly changing because I allow myself to stray from the outline when I feel inspired.

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  32. Lisa Gail GreenApril 25, 2011 at 8:45 PM

    Leslie - *ducks* That was close.

    Ghenet - I think that's a good thing. If it helps you get through that first book, it's great. Oooh I didn't realize you were on your first!! You're a book virgin! LOL GO GHENET!!! *shakes pom poms* YOU CAN DO IT!!

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  33. Karen StrongApril 26, 2011 at 12:59 PM

    Plot chick checking in...

    I'm actually sort of jealous of pantsers myself. I think a pro could be that you can really get that first draft DONE whereas I think plotters, it takes us a little longer.

    But I'm all down for doing whatever works. Hate outlines? Trash 'em. Can't even think to write without a plan, don't do it.

    Do you I say! :)

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  34. Lisa Gail GreenApril 26, 2011 at 1:04 PM

    Karen - It's all relative. I get a little jealous of plotter's organizational skills. Plus YES the first draft is fast, but the revisions can make you faint. :D It all depends.

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  35. cleemckenzieApril 27, 2011 at 8:04 AM

    You covered all the bases on the pros and cons, Lisa. I think one thing about being a pantser is that we often write to discover, not necessarily to publish. You've probably discovered all kinds of wonderful things that you'll include in one of your "by the seat of your pants" books. If you look at some of those unfinished mss, my bet is you'll find you've used bits in later writing.

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  36. Lisa Gail GreenApril 27, 2011 at 8:07 AM

    Lee - It's like you're in my HEAD. LOL Yes. I've "borrowed" from those manuscripts on occasion. Some I hope to finish if just for the few gems that remain buried in them. :D

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  37. nutschellApril 27, 2011 at 10:47 AM

    I'm mostly a plotter, but as i begin to write the first draft, i become a pantser when necessary. :) I do think outlines are extremely helpful.
    nutschell
    www.thewritingnut.com

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  38. Lisa Gail GreenApril 27, 2011 at 10:59 AM

    Nutschell - You gotta do what works for you! :D

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  39. Lacey J EdwardsApril 27, 2011 at 6:50 PM

    Allergic to werewolves! That's like being allergic to candy. Or coffee.

    I'm generally a pantster. My first drafts are usually 100% organic, seat-of-my-pants writing. After I get that out, I might make notes on my characters and plot threads to help keep track. I like compromise. :)

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  40. Lisa Gail GreenApril 27, 2011 at 6:56 PM

    Lacey - I know! It's terrible and they don't have shots for that. Oh and compromise is key!

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