I was recently asked about my writing process. “Are you a plotter or a pantser?”
I’ve always struggled with that question because the honest answer is: neither. Or maybe both.
For those of you who are not in the know, a plotter is a writer who plots out a story before they begin to write. The plotter will usually have a good sense of the who, the what, and probably even the why of it all before they start to write.
A pantser is someone who writes “by the seat of their pants.” That is, someone who jumps into a story without any planning or plotting. A pantser writes by starting with an intriguing idea and following the story, letting the characters lead the way. It’s about letting the characters come to life on their own terms, telling you where the story wants to go and making discoveries as you write instead of following a plan.
Maybe I am a plotter. Maybe I’m a pantser. I suspect I’m something in between: a writer who starts with a question and follows it until I find the answer. A Plantser.
Usually, I have an idea for a story. That idea comes with some things already attached to it: perhaps some plot points, a character or two, or maybe even a hint at a meaning. But what draws me in is the scenes.
Sometimes, I know exactly where the story’s going—or at least I think I do. I have a destination in mind, but the journey almost always leads somewhere unexpected. At some point, a story emerges. It’s a game of discovery.
Sometimes the story gels and things fall into place. Sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes, the finished story is the one I had in mind from the beginning. Other times, it’s miles from where I began. It can be a strange experience giving your characters the freedom to show themselves to you.
I’ve spent all morning in a desert with a small boy, Aziz, and his father, having them show me exactly how the jackals attacked, only to return the next day and learn they have a dog with them, which adds another whole layer to the ending.1
I don’t want to get metaphysical or pretend my characters have some existence beyond the page. They don’t. But when they come alive—and they do—the experience is remarkable.
Other times, that game isn’t fun at all. Characters aren’t talking to me. Locations are wrong. Where the story is going makes no sense. Those are frustrating days, but that’s a topic for another day.
Right now, the characters are talking to me and the stories are flowing.
What more could a boy ask for?
- The scene with Aziz is from my work in progress, A Matter of Magnitude, Book 2 of The Ahbta Legacy. ↩︎
Hey Jon,
I probably am a plantser too. I’m a pantser-leaning plantser. Sometimes, I’ll have an idea and mentally plan it out. But, I won’t write out an outline and I’ll just pants the details.
I’ve heard of characters coming alive in writers’ minds and guiding writers as to how the story should be. That reminds me of what you said. I can see how that would generate ideas as well as be frustrating at times.
For me, it’s more vibes based (just going with what feels right). It’s neat how it works differently for everyone :).
You shared the scene with Aziz once, right? I vaguely remembering a jackal scene.
Take care.
Thanks, Alex!
I agree, it is neat how writing works differently for everyone.
And, yes. I did read the “Jackal Chapter” to the group a while ago. It’s a good one.
Hi Jon, I like your description and how you see your writing. I guess I’m a pantser. I don’t write now, but when I did, it started with an idea that brought me to the computer, and as I sat there the story began itself. I knew where I wanted to go and what characters I needed to tell my story, but they pretty much popped in and took over with minimal plotting from me. Once a story started telling itself, I sat and typed it out till wee hours of the morning. It was always exhilarating and exciting. The big problem for me was that this created a number of great scenes and story portions, but I had trouble connecting them, finding the segue that brought them smoothly together. That was a lot of work. Maybe a good writer needs to be a little of each.
So interesting, I like your description and how you see your writing. I guess I’m a pantser. I don’t write now, but when I did, it started with an idea that brought me to the computer, and as I sat there the story began itself. I knew where I wanted to go and what characters I needed to tell my story, but they pretty much popped in and took over with minimal plotting from me. Once a story started telling itself, I sat and typed it out till wee hours of the morning. It was always exhilarating and exciting. The big problem for me was that this created a number of great scenes and story portions, but I had trouble connecting them, finding the segue that brought them smoothly together. That was a lot of work. Maybe a good writer needs to be a little of each.