Writing Lessons & Advice: Pantsers vs. Plotters
Writers go by many identities: authors, bloggers, journalists, essayists, novelists, poets, critics, playwrights...but a couple less familiar names might be pantsers and plotters. These terms relate to their approaches to work:
A pantser is a writer who works without an outline or much planning on hand, essentially flying--or writing--by the seat of their pants.
In contrast, a plotter is a writer who makes extensive use of outlines, plotlines, prewriting, wordbuilding, or other preliminaries ahead of crafting the actual work.
Nothing is necessarily wrong with either strategy. In fact, each has unique qualities and drawbacks. Not to mention, successful names in either category.
A pantser jumps right into a general idea and discovers where the writing takes them. They lean into instinct and intuition. They feel more freedom to change and adapt the work while going along.
However, having little to no plan entails a few potential drawbacks for the pantser. They may get stuck partway through, or their work may have uneven pacing or lack of structure.
Well-known pantsers: Stephen King, Margaret Atwood, George R.R. Martin (Also, yours truly is a bit of a pantser ;)
A plotter, of course, prepares to various extents before actually writing. They may have some kind of outline or detailed structure for their story elements. They keep a big picture in mind and may complete projects more quickly or smoothly. They may deal with less writer's block as well.
The downside to plotting is that all the prep work may feel like an inhibition to creativity. A plotter may feel confined to the legwork they established and may have to rework significant areas if a change seems warranted.
Well-known plotters: J.K. Rowling, John Grisham, R.L. Stein
Identifying what kind of writer you are in this sense can give you some direction on where or how to improve. If you’re a pantser, you might try to first slow down and develop some kind of idea roadmap or foundation to guide a future project. If you’re a plotter, you might try going “off-road” a bit. Or try to find your own happy medium between the approaches. Both have assets crucial to great work!
Hopefully this helps you better understand your writing style and inspires you to embrace and improve it!
Comment below which one you are: pantser or plotter? What strategies work for you? Or is there a topic you want me to cover in the future? Let me know by reaching out to me in the chat feature or socials!
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