P is for Pantster
I was at the SCBWI Carolina's conference in 2011 when I first heard the term "pantser". The delightful Beth Revis was giving a talk on her writing process, including the years of not-so-great novels that preceded her rocking debut "Across the Universe", and she called herself a pantser.
I perked up and listened. Finally, I had found a term for the chaotic, fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants style that has always been a part of my creative process.
I felt validated: here was another author who was admitting that she worked in as much of a messy way as I do. Since then, I have met many authors who consider themselves pantsers, and each encounter is liberating.
I had felt for so long that because I don't follow an outline in lock stop, because I don't know ahead of time EXACTLY what my characters will say and do, that I was somehow less than as a writer. This is not to say that I don't have structure when I work: I do, but it's loose and less linear than some people.
And that's okay. My writing process works for me. That's the whole point, right?
I am a pantser, and proud of it.
How do you write? Are you a pantser or a planner?
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This one is really fun! I'd say I'm a 'pantser' too. There are times when I start writing loosely and with progression it loosen up more and more, and it goes nowhere. And other times I'm floating, clear and escaped, and I end up with more than one piece of writing. Crazy, I love it!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your honestly!
Nothing wrong with two for one! :) I get focused when I revise, but when I draft, I just sort of go with it. Glad you stopped by today: I am loving your poems!
DeleteI tend to fall somewhere between the two. I like to have a general plan for where I need to go and the main things that need to happen in order to get there, but if I put too much detail into an outline, I have a tendency to become bored with the project and abandon it even before I start writing.
ReplyDeleteDana, I know what you mean! The one time I really tried outlining in a detailed fashion, the story fizzled out and died. We just have to do what works for us!
Deletestart as a plotter, but most of the time my characters run away with their own ideas...
ReplyDeleteThose darn characters...it's almost as if they have minds of their own ;)
DeleteFor novels, I start with a bare bones outline, maybe flesh it out a bit and then watch it take off in surprising directions. For flash fiction & short stories, I'm a definite pantser.
ReplyDeleteDonna, I think it's interesting that your style is different for the different genres. I'm pretty much a pantser from start to finish. Thanks for posting!
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