Pantsing vs Outlining

[king-goldfish]

I like some long narratives, like Dickens' novels. it always depends on the reader ofc, but I think you should write whatever length you like best. It is YOUR story. You'll find your audience.

Dickens is one of my favorites haha. I do like writing long, but I'm trying to write some shorter novels now because those are easier to sell to publishers (or so I'm told). Failing that, I do wonder if shorter novels would encourage readers on Tapas to stick around through the end; I have noticed a lot of people will follow the story for several weeks and then drop off, and I never hear from them again. I can't help but wonder if that's because they find the story too meandering and would prefer something with an end in sight. Of course, people could be giving up on the story for any number of reasons. It's so hard to tell, which is the frustrating thing. But in the meantime, I'm having some fun trying to write shorter, self-contained stories that don't sprawl so much. I'm sure I'll return to the "baggy monsters" one day.

[Leyelle]

Yeah, there could be any number of reasons for people to drop off. But especially in the webseries age, I think people often like reading long writing stories, so it always depends on what makes your story it's best self in the end imo

[Leyelle]

Does anybody else sometimes make an outline, then get to writing, and get a new idea that makes them have to go back and change their outline? I've done this twice now with "Sun with a Paper Crown" and with "A Dozen Morning Glories." Don't get me wrong, I love getting new ideas, but I suppose that's a bit of the way that pantsing and outlining mix for me, except that I generally still go and edit my outlines so that everything will match the new idea I got when my mind went off track from the way I had previously planned to start writing the story.

I guess everybody is a combination, I plan most things but then start adding little details and those details often spiral into something much bigger. Currently I've only added a few things to "A Dozen Morning Glories" and a subtle shift in the FL's mothers personality didn't require me rewriting the outline. But I also came up with a new ending after i'd already started writing the first chapter, so, yeah. Then I had to go back and add the foreshadowing to my outline lol.

[Lensing]

Yes that happens

And I think people should not worry about it too much. The main goal is to finish the story and get
it out there. I think we all would be very surprised how unstructured, unconventional or chaotic some famous writers
do their work. The main goal for every creative project is to finish it and there are million ways to do it and to combine
it. I have been part of unlimited small and big creative projects and it was always important to stay flexible and change
things to get it finished. It was always a mix of planning and pantsing

[Kittykir1129]

Most people fall in a spectrum between pantsing and outlining with very few who are purely one or the other.

And I think it's FASCINATING how everyone's process is!

Especially the ones that don't work for me.

My 'outline' tends to be a well formed idea of the beginning (usually about 50-100 pages worth), a vague idea of the middle, and a 'thank god this is a romance so I know it'll be a happy ending for the couple but I don't know anything else!' ending.

Then I'll have a handful of key scenes throughout the whole story (mostly bunched at the front). Things I know will happen... I just don't know how, why, or often even WHERE.

I'll usually (not always) write down a page long summary if I need it.

(But usually I'm already writing chapter one before I do that! Often, I wait until my planned beginning is done, too.)

And if I'm using a summary, I'll usually update it every 200 pages (roughly 50,000 words) or so. Not including what I'd already written, focusing only on what's ahead.

By then, I might have more key scenes and a better idea of where I'm going in the future.

I RARELY have to edit out a key scene because of what I've already written.

The rest of the time, I just need to know what the next key scene is. Then if I put my mind to it, I can usually think of up to 5 scenes from where I'm at... But no more. 5 tends to be my limit. (Though unless I'm super stuck, I usually only think of the next 2 or 3. Sometimes I'll go in spans where I can only do 1 at a time).

Somehow I end up on the next key scene. Ta-da! Magic! ... Then I begin aiming for the next one.

[Leyelle]

The main goal for every creative project is to finish it

well, I think it's a combination of finishing it, and making it it's best self that's always the goal for me, but I get your point. I always have to adapt to whatever will make the story better

[Leyelle]

sounds like your method has a lot in common with mine. but not all romances have happy endings though XD