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How To Know If You’re A Plotter Or A Pantser
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Plotters and pantsers are two very different types of writers, and they approach the writing process in very different ways. Plotters like to have every detail planned out before they start writing, while pantsers prefer to dive right into their stories without any sort of outline or planning.
Plotters vs pantsers is a debate that’s been around almost as long as writing has existed. Is your style more pantser than plotter? Or vice versa? Or is it somewhere in between? Wherever you fall on that spectrum, there’s no denying: A little planning goes a long way towards helping you craft a work you can be proud of—and one that readers will love to read. But which approach works best? The answer depends on your personality and your creative process, but we’ll give you some insight into each approach to help you decide which one is right for you.
Plotters
Plotters outline every detail of their story before they begin writing. They are never surprised by where their story takes them and can usually describe exactly how a book will end from day one. Plotters may use elaborate spreadsheets, detailed character information, and chapter outlines for each book in a series. When plotting out a project, plotters think about questions like: What is my overall goal for each book? What needs to happen first? What details need to be worked out right now? How can I anticipate possible story concerns down the road? How can I plan ahead to address these issues effectively? Where do things get really hairy later on?
Plotters may not have all of these answers at once, but as they write their books and get feedback from editors, beta readers, and critique partners (to name a few), plot holes or inconsistencies become obvious. Plotting doesn’t work for everyone—some people love it while others hate it—but those who don’t mind it enjoy more success getting published and earning higher advances than those who try to figure everything out as they go along.
The Plot Thickens
Plotters tend to write stories that feel more complete because there’s little unexpected left-turns in any given chapter or scene. This is important when pitching ideas and if you’re trying to win over an editor. If you know your characters inside and out, you’ll also be able to play with possibilities within your world much more easily. Plotters typically take longer to publish because they’re doing a lot of extra thinking before getting started on actual writing time. Their process feels slower, but what matters most is consistency and deadlines met. These writers also worry less during edits because they’ve already done so much prep-work. There’s less guesswork involved.
The downside of plotting is that many writers find outlining too restrictive, dull, and unimaginative; some authors even dislike being hemmed in by rigid plans for their characters’ actions instead of letting those choices evolve organically based on what makes sense under certain circumstances and how their characters would actually behave. The best way to know if plotting works for you is to try it! Create an outline—either mental or physical—and see if you find yourself looking forward to turning your big idea into pages upon pages of unforgettable prose.
If you don’t see much joy in planning your novel before you write it, then perhaps you’re better off following another path when it comes time to actually draft your story . . . so let’s talk pantsers!
Pantsers
The Pantsers are people who write without any preconceived idea about how their book will turn out. They start writing and let the story unfold as they go along. In some ways, writing a book is like solving a mystery, you don’t know what’s going to happen until you do it. The first thing they do is sit down and start writing!
Sometimes an outline can help, but more often than not that can be restricting for these writers. Whatever comes next has to flow from what has been written so far. Letting something happen naturally is sometimes difficult for an editor who likes things planned out beforehand! Many pantsers feel that pantsing gives them a ‘naturally flowing’ piece that feels much more authentic than something done by someone who plans everything beforehand.
By The Seat of Your Pants
Writers need to have faith in themselves and trust in their own abilities, allowing those inner voices (inner muse?) lead the way. Otherwise, where would we all be with reading such interesting books? We wouldn’t have come across such great tales if writers hadn’t taken risks on their stories and letting them grow organically into compelling plots!
Pantsers can run on instinct and come up with characters, motivations, and events as they go along. These writers follow wherever inspiration takes them through each word, yet con’s include rushing through storylines and coming up with issues later in progression due to lack of planning properly at first. The pantsing method allows for great flexibility; however, that comes at a cost. Consistency within your plot may be difficult to achieve if you write by seat of your pants.
It also takes quite a bit longer for first drafts since you’re constantly revising your material until it feels right. When readers find flaws in your story (i.e., major plot holes), it might be more difficult than usual to fix said problems because you won’t have a detailed outline upon which you can rely.
No Wrong Way to Write
There’s no wrong answer. Many writers even prefer moving between the two in their process. My method, for instance, starts with pantsing in a simplified program – one that eliminates distractions. I work through about thirty percent of the story, letting it form organically.
In that stage, the story is a ball of wet clay, and I am rolling it around in my hands, feeling it, letting it take strange shapes. Eventually the clay begins to resemble something recognizable and that’s when I move it into a structure-based program.
Here is where the plotting starts in earnest. Where previously, I had been noting potential patterns, now I am pairing them as two ends of a curve. Using narrative tools like character arcs, crisis points, turning points, core questions and themes to pair with those curves.
I try to come up with 3-5 pairs at any given time. It might be: someone’s secret comes out; they reach an all-time low; but then has a breakthrough moment as someone important opens up their heart to them again; everyone (including themselves) sees real growth from that point on… Another pair might be: Someone wants something (rescue); They do everything possible to obtain it (chase); But it never appears no matter how much they chase after it.
Do What Feels Right
By using both methods I allow the story to develop organically. If, at some point later in the plotting, I decide to deviate I am comfortable doing so knowing that I will return to form once the idea has been given room to grow, to breathe. Instead of working with a single outline, trying to force every idea into place before writing a word—an approach I find leads inevitably to writer’s block—I prefer a tool that allows me to take on board new ideas and let them evolve as my book does.
That’s what works for me and my own process for creating stories; it may not work for everyone else but why not give it a try? Figure out what works best for you! It doesn’t matter if you are just starting out as an author or an experienced writer: we all have different ways of approaching our craft and these are two proven approaches. Try them out and see how they suit your style. Take a look at our list of 10 Great Books We Love About Writing for more inspiration on finding your writing style.
We’ve all heard it said that every writer is a little bit of both. That adage couldn’t be truer. Each and every one of us has our own unique style and process for creating stories. There is no right way to write a book. So, if you haven’t already, I encourage you to try both plotting and pantsing out loud with friends, family members, colleagues – whoever will listen! Find out what works best for you then run with it. Your favorite author may swear by pantsing, but that doesn’t mean you have to follow in their footsteps.
Don’t Be Afraid to Change
Most writers start out as one type and become another, often within a matter of months. Be open-minded and willing to experiment, regardless of which writing style you choose. Whether you’re a planner or a seer, remember that once you have written your first draft, there’s no such thing as too much planning. (But don’t plan so much that you stop writing!) It takes time to figure out what works best for you, but in order to do that, you need practice.
Regardless of what type of writer you are now or hope to be later on, write! The more you write and learn about yourself as a writer and reader—and how they go together—the better off everyone will be. And if neither method is working for you right now, try practicing both! (See what I did there?) As we all know: Practice makes perfect. So get busy…writing!
-R.E.