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Apr 2021

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

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.

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.

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 :sweat_smile:

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.

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.

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.

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.

This is not an accurate definition of a plotter lol. People who plot don’t lay out every detail and I’m sure y’all who tell people you pants every time you blink think at least a little about where your story is going. GUESS WHAT? THAT’S PLOTTING!

If you make notes or have an iota of where you wanna go with your story, you’re plotting. And people who plot don’t have some huge notebook or files of notes on notes of every single detail of their story.

Personally, I have my acts laid out with the overall points of what I want to happen. Then I add bullets of how I want to bridge them. Then I outline and write. Most of the time I deviate from it and sometimes I move things around. I constantly think about where the story is going and as I think of me things, I adjust. I don’t like sticking to something so strict, so I like the freedom of writing at will but knowing what track in on.

Regarding your outline you gave, I’d say you need to add an inciting event between the hook and first plot point. And a climactic moment after the climax and before the resolution. Also, I think you need to spread out your chapters. As you write, you need to sprinkle in some subplots and more plot/character development, or else your story will come off as rushed and you’ll probably end up jamming so many things in they won’t have time to flesh out.

There are a lot of resources on act structures and character arcs that are helpful. They benefitted me when I planned out my story.

I prefer :sparkles: organic writer :sparkles: because the idea of being associated with people who pull other people's pants down is a little bit cringey to me.

Also, I'm a strong advocate for doing what works for you, when it works best for you, however that works for you.

Personally, I tend to sit down and write until I have enough material that I can organize in a better way. I use that rough material to "plot." It would be most accurate to call myself a character driven writer, because my character's conflicts, motives, and personality often dictate what happens at any given moment. Essentially, I am at the behest of the numerous imaginary bullies who reside in my head rent free.