tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post4638066708025679025..comments2023-09-05T08:36:25.033-07:00Comments on Author Lisa Gail Green: Plotters Vs. Pantsers The Ultimate ShowdownLisa Gail Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03648323153868702165noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-87506288731114036832011-04-27T18:56:06.442-07:002011-04-27T18:56:06.442-07:00Lacey - I know! It's terrible and they don'...Lacey - I know! It's terrible and they don't have shots for that. Oh and compromise is key!Lisa Gail Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03648323153868702165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-42168640307388596702011-04-27T18:50:41.427-07:002011-04-27T18:50:41.427-07:00Allergic to werewolves! That's like being alle...Allergic to werewolves! That's like being allergic to candy. Or coffee. <br /><br />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. :)Lacey J Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17930985573303127061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-91208022358806790562011-04-27T10:59:10.423-07:002011-04-27T10:59:10.423-07:00Nutschell - You gotta do what works for you! :DNutschell - You gotta do what works for you! :DLisa Gail Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03648323153868702165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-35942609459158716872011-04-27T10:47:13.560-07:002011-04-27T10:47:13.560-07:00I'm mostly a plotter, but as i begin to write ...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.<br />nutschell<br />www.thewritingnut.comnutschellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10967710710805174781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-47353188291716257062011-04-27T08:07:20.545-07:002011-04-27T08:07:20.545-07:00Lee - It's like you're in my HEAD. LOL Yes...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. :DLisa Gail Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03648323153868702165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-73354891607970629622011-04-27T08:04:45.601-07:002011-04-27T08:04:45.601-07:00You covered all the bases on the pros and cons, Li...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.cleemckenziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15456109243453726483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-2062981741223811882011-04-26T13:04:06.427-07:002011-04-26T13:04:06.427-07:00Karen - It's all relative. I get a little jeal...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.Lisa Gail Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03648323153868702165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-41172982929986633352011-04-26T12:59:54.967-07:002011-04-26T12:59:54.967-07:00Plot chick checking in...
I'm actually sort o...Plot chick checking in...<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Do you I say! :)Karen Stronghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08697785820907711723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-59397533341750657602011-04-25T20:45:39.347-07:002011-04-25T20:45:39.347-07:00Leslie - *ducks* That was close.
Ghenet - I think...Leslie - *ducks* That was close.<br /><br />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!!Lisa Gail Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03648323153868702165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-36531699305288420212011-04-25T19:52:54.154-07:002011-04-25T19:52:54.154-07:00I'm a plotter but I can see the benefits of pa...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.Ghenet Myrthilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12621168379560585094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-77127244242044825932011-04-25T19:15:45.428-07:002011-04-25T19:15:45.428-07:00I'm a pantsio-plotter. I dump ideas from my he...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!Leslie S. Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17122865337924270039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-16342651380044276802011-04-25T18:17:15.075-07:002011-04-25T18:17:15.075-07:00Lynda - I'm glad you found what works for you....Lynda - I'm glad you found what works for you.<br /><br />Ebony - glad you liked them! They helped me.Lisa Gail Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03648323153868702165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-31082906250933652972011-04-25T17:36:48.036-07:002011-04-25T17:36:48.036-07:00And thanks for those great links, they're bril...And thanks for those great links, they're brilliant.Ebony McKenna.https://www.blogger.com/profile/02724727996270658767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-65480636700069956742011-04-25T17:33:34.004-07:002011-04-25T17:33:34.004-07:00It's true the plotter/pantser debate can creat...It's true the plotter/pantser debate can create an 'us and them' mentality.<br /><br />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.Ebony McKenna.https://www.blogger.com/profile/02724727996270658767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-37694000873015874772011-04-25T17:21:45.751-07:002011-04-25T17:21:45.751-07:00My preferences is now outlining. It saves so much ...My preferences is now outlining. It saves so much time down the track. (but that's just me)Lynda R Young as Elle Cardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09975442291393246148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-29528176069767645902011-04-25T16:36:20.874-07:002011-04-25T16:36:20.874-07:00Bethany - exactly! :D
Morgan - I think my biggest...Bethany - exactly! :D<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Nelsa - He he. Plantsers is a good one too! Murky middles are tough.Lisa Gail Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03648323153868702165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-39794261993343551462011-04-25T16:05:58.373-07:002011-04-25T16:05:58.373-07:00I love blog posts about plotting and pantsing! Cou...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.<br />Nelsaout of the wordworkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15919130781982475478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-53667257217930507562011-04-25T15:43:28.076-07:002011-04-25T15:43:28.076-07:00Love the pic too, Lisa :) I'm a panster but so...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!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-76706758214350648472011-04-25T15:02:59.179-07:002011-04-25T15:02:59.179-07:00I'm still deciding. Technically, I suppose, I&...I'm still deciding. Technically, I suppose, I'm a pantser, but I can plot a lot as well. :)Bethany Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12829932931010851406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-31496602762334018022011-04-25T14:52:35.175-07:002011-04-25T14:52:35.175-07:00TJ- that's awesome! The important thing is fin...TJ- that's awesome! The important thing is finding what works for you.Lisa Gail Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03648323153868702165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-60147631876483837802011-04-25T14:51:02.040-07:002011-04-25T14:51:02.040-07:00I'm also an inbetweener! I have to have a craz...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. <br />When I'm done I can take the best of what I've written and fit it where it needs to go.<br />This works for me and my current WIP is flowing along nicely because of it.TJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10168631733898544769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-3136473703040043832011-04-25T14:33:02.564-07:002011-04-25T14:33:02.564-07:00Yup more inbetweeners. That's what I'm her...Yup more inbetweeners. That's what I'm hereby dubbing it. :DLisa Gail Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03648323153868702165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-41884715037164471192011-04-25T14:24:17.507-07:002011-04-25T14:24:17.507-07:00I can't wait to read what you come up with! I...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.Julie Musilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02150454913885915017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-33273954227353262022011-04-25T14:09:43.876-07:002011-04-25T14:09:43.876-07:00I'm a combination, equal-opportunity manuscrip...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. <br /><br />Great post!Jesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14121018905141253640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-53269792549446058202011-04-25T13:28:14.833-07:002011-04-25T13:28:14.833-07:00Margo - Good point!Margo - Good point!Lisa Gail Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03648323153868702165noreply@blogger.com