Plotter- A writer who plots every detail before they write
Panters- A writer who writes by the seat of their pants
Which one are you?
Also, I kinda need help on my story planning and I wants this to be a place where writers can go if they need with story writing.
P.S: I hope I got the definitions right 
Apr '21
Apr '21
There are 49 replies with an estimated read time of 7 minutes.
Plotter. I love getting the details just right and I too often will write a scene and later realize that I should add or change something to make it better. I always come up with everything in my head before I write it down.
Pantsers have my utmost respect because I could never do it well.
i am a loud and proud pantser. Once I havev my thoughts organized, I let my stories develop organically. I have tried to do an outline but end up straying to far from my original thoughts so I stopped doing that.
I do recommend studying literary concepts like the three act structure and common plot devices used in your genre. You always hear things like "don't start your series with your character's morning routine". Instead of focusing on the things you can't or shouldn't do, learn the rules and how to adapt them to your learning/writing style.
Is there something specific about how to plan your story that you are needing help with? I'm happy to help if I can.
Pantser! I only recently learned the term on tapas 
I plan only enough so that everything makes sense in relation to each other.
What's going on in your story?
I am a pantser and I organize all my thoughts in my head before I start writing too. The biggest part of pantsing that I've learned is to find what feels natural. It can be completely overwhelming to have a full novel bouncing around in your head and nothing to write them down with. Out of the fifty or so "possibilities" bouncing inside of your head, as long as one or two of them make it until you hit the keyboard, you're on your way to pantsing. I also write out as much as I can before going back and finetuning it, even if I only managed a few paragraphs.
total pantser. Have been for years. I have tried plotting, it doesn't work for me. Everyone should do what works the best for them. I don't think there is a right or a wrong way to write and I don't think one way is better than the other.
I'd love to help but I don't plan anything. I might get an idea where I want it to go or I might have a scene I want to include somewhere so I guess you could say that's a plan but... not really.
I used to be a total pantser, even to the point where I would start drawing a gag without figuring out the punchline yet.
Lately, I've been plotting a lot more, but I still go in half-baked every now and then.
Alright heres how I plotting my story and tell me what you think about it:
Hook: The readers meet Joseph and his life before the murders.
Plot Point 1: Marcello is found murdered in his home by an unknown assailant.
Pinch Point 1: Joseph begins to receive text messages from a person named Al.
Midpoint: After another loved one is murdered in the same fashion and receiving another text message from Al, Joseph begins to notice a pattern and he and Sampson are both determined to find and stop the killer.
Pinch Point 2: Sampson is murdered, which sparks more motivation for Joseph to find the killer himself.
Plot Point 2: When he uncovers a secret relationship between Marcello and Alexander Reyes, Joseph suspects that Alex is Al and the killer.
Climax/Resolution: Alex and Joseph confront each other and they fight. In the midst, Joseph accidentally stabs and kills Alex. Joseph goes to the hospital for his injuries and he pays a tribute to his murdered friends.
Chapters
Hook (Ch. 1)
Plot Point 1 (Ch. 2)
Pinch Point 1 (Ch. 3-4)
Midpoint (Ch. 5-6)
Pinch Point 2 (Ch. 7)
Plot Point 2 (Ch. 8-9)
Climax/Resolution (Ch. 10-11)
I'm... kind of a mix between plotter and pantser, although I have been mostly pantsing my current comic, and for my planned comic (planned already says it) I'm plotting out the story line. I want to see what the difference is for my way of working
I'm mostly a pantser, but I try to at least have a sense for where the chapter will end. I'm stuck right now.
Somewhere in between?
I have major plot points planned out, but I make up a lot of stuff in between as I go.
Okay! These are just a few of my gut reactions reading what you posted. As a way to keep your tension up and hit all the important beats, I think you should lay it out like a crime show or a mystery/thriller TV show. Three Act Structure is helpful for thrillers.
Your hook and first plot and pinch points can be woven into together as they are introduced. For example, you could open with Joseph going to work and he jokingly teases Marcello about an activity Marcello misses. This would help establish the world of the story and give readers a connection to both Joseph and Marcello at the same time. It's also important to hint early on that Marcello is hiding something (think behavior, like a teenager hiding the fact they have their first bf/gf)
For the middle game - I think you could still interweave your midpoint and pinch/plot points. I would also introduce all of the key players so readers will know who the suspects are. I've seen this done two ways: a party, or introducing them with a direct connection to the victim. (like in a crime show where the victims friends/coworkers are brought in for questioning) This is also a really good time to introduce Alexander to the equation, but in an unsuspecting way. This section is also a great place to start establishing a pattern: like the next victime could be Marcello's ex or Marcello's coworker who liked to flirt with him. (RAISE THE STAKES)
At this point, the tension needs to be fairly high and (in my opinion) there should be enough reason to doubt Alex as the killer before revealing that he is the killer. The bit of misdirection can be exciting to readers. Are they fighting in a familiar place? Will Alex reveal why he did what he did? Who comes to rescue Joseph after the fight?
*Those were just my initial thoughts on your idea, so take my ideas and suggestions with a grain of salt. It sounds like it can be really exciting once you get all the pieces worked together. Best of luck!
Absolutely both.
I plot all the important moments first but I also like to let spontaneous magic happen when the characters get together.
For instance, I knew I wanted my hero to save her future team in chapter 4, but I quickly realized while writing it that I left the villain completely defenseless against her (and he would get absolutely slaughtered by the hero given the circumstances). Also, given their history, there's no reason for her to hold back- so poof- villain is gone.
I first thought "Oh man, I gotta go back and give him an edge" but then I asked myself, what fun outcomes will happen now if I took the villain off the board in the fourth chapter? Who fills the void? What character development can happen because of that?" And you know what? Taking the villain off the table was the most fun option.
As a whole, I do have to write down the plot points first (especially when a scene plays out in my head and I have to capture it quickly and see where it lies in the story), but I also leave room for change when the characters start to interact (and sometimes plot points diverge slightly or dramatically). If they change in a big way, I go back to the original plot points and see if I can still include my original list of favored moments- but sometimes those moments have to get altered, given to a new character, pushed off to a later story, or scrapped altogether. For me, character development is more important than plot (but they can often feed each other).
i'd say same here, but i actually have no idea of what will happen in that 3 month period, then you die
Pantser, hands down. Yes of course I also plot, but I let the story come to me naturally. And then I plot again and the cycle repeats. XD
A little of both, I guess. I have my main plots but sometimes I think of something cool while writing and work it into the plot
