Plotter or Panster? Which are you?

[carloswebcomic]

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.

[Just_Chyna]

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)

[DualDragons]

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

[Kirara312]

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.

[arxianfall]

I'm your dungeon master that knows how you're going to die 3 months from now.

[Kann]

Somewhere in between?

I have major plot points planned out, but I make up a lot of stuff in between as I go.

[cherrystark]

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!

[DanielRKM]

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).

[EncryptedWriting]

Both. I have a plot but, then, well, we just wing it from there.

[FafasMcMelt]

i'd say same here, but i actually have no idea of what will happen in that 3 month period, then you die

[surenlicious]

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

[cyborgmermaid]

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

[sarahmassey998]

Start out as a plotter but end as a panster. I always plan my beginnings but how the story ends its up to the whims of my fingers so like 25% plot 70% pants and 5% dumb luck.

[crisyah]

This is pretty much my process, as well. I have story beats planned, but how everything will pan out? It's up to whatever my brain comes up with.

[Just_Chyna]

Very helpful thanks

[rajillustration]

honestly, the more I hear of hyper analyzing between plotting and pantsing, the less of an idea I have of whatever the hell I am. I just write what feels good for whatever the particular project is, but I don't plot enough for a plotter or pants enough for a pantser...I honestly have never thought about it before this forum

[therosesword]

It's kind of like a friend of mine and the different ways we travel.

He looks up where he's going. He finds all the things he wants to see. He plans out what he'll see and when (leaving a little leaway for unplanned stuff.) but on tuesday he'll see this and on wednesday he'll see that.

I went to live in Sicily for a month a couple years back. Looked at the Isle of Ortigia, looked at some killer videos on youtube and bought my tickets and rented my apt and packed one, yes one, small overhead carryone bag and off I went.

Our convesation:

What are you going to see?

I don't know yet. There is a castle I'd like to see and one amphitheater, oh and I have to light a candle for my step-mom in the cathedral and there is the Caravaggio painting.

You're going to be living there for a month.

Oh, yeah, there's a market for food, but I'll be living above a restaurant.

You'll be there a month.

uh huh.

that's four things. what else are you going to see?

I don't know. I'll find out when I get there. the place was rebuilt in 1600, I'm sure there'll be stuff to see.

You're going to be there a month or longer.

Uh huh.

a month?

uh huh.

what are your plans?

to be there a month or longer.

It was a terrific trip. One of the best I've ever taken and I want to go back so bad it makes my teeth hurt. Better even than Wales and Scotland.

the only thing I did do in preparation was try to learn some Italian.

So that's how I write. Oh look, there's three or four things I want to do, guess I'll sit down and write now.

[rajillustration]

Oh man I can't imagine going to sicily without any planning...but like...I have done that with places that are closer to home.

I think the writing prep style for me changes project to project. So I'll have shorts that I like...can't dream of plotting because there's no point. And I'll have stories where I totally did make a plan, and then completely ignored it. (which is my current project, so I kinda considered it pantsed.) And then I have other projects where I planned because it's got too many woven parts. But, when I do plan, I don't like to write anything down. If I do, then it probably wasn't necessary to remember (especially in comics where basically everything gets edited out. You can waste years doing worldbuilding on stuff that never sees the light of day). I just kinda daydream and whatever remains in my head is what goes in the story.

[therosesword]

I think if I was doing a traveling trip from one end of Sicily to the other I might do more planning, but I was going to OrtigIa, an island off of Sicily and part of the city of Syracuse. You can walk the edged of the island all the way around in less than two hours. It's one of the reasons I prefer to travel by myself. To tell you truthfully, I watched so many youtube videos of the island by the time I got there I knew how to get everywhere and recognized market people. I texted a friend once asking if she remember this one market guy from a video and sent her a picture, I was standing in front of him.

every project dictates (to me) how it wants to be written. I can't do a hard outline or anything like that because I feel (internally) that it's done and I'm not interested in it anymore. sometimes I make notes, but then I lose them or I start writing and I forget they're there. it's like cooking, who cares how it was made if it tastes good.

[cherrystark]

I daydream a lot of my stuff too. I still remember going on a walk one day last summer and came back with a whole story planned. Whatever "world-building" I come up with is what sticks around in my brain long enough to become part of the story. I try to make written notes if I have too many loose ends in play or even one shots that need to fix back in, but even if a plan a good sequence for those ideas, I end of changing my mind.