I first learned what the term “pantster” (writing by the seat of your
pants) meant when I read an article about writing. Up until that time, I
thought everyone wrote the way I did. I came up with an idea, I mulled it
around in my mind, and I sat down and typed the story. The only notes I took
were a character sketch and a rough plot. I didn’t have the ending set and
changed it as the manuscript developed. I still write that way, but I’ve seen
articles that fellow reformed Pantsters have written about how they now plot
their books and consider themselves plotters. I have no plans to change, and I
know there are many other Pantsters who feel the same.
For those plotters and others who would like to try their hands at
pantster writing, here are a few guidelines:
1.
Seek ways to
feed your curiosity. The Pantster is
on the lookout for great ideas 24/7. While they watch TV; read other books;
shop; work; travel, attend movies, plays, and other events, etc. they’re filing
away these experiences for future use and mingling them with their memories and
imagination. This creative dough mix is later baked into the plot of a new
book.
2.
Explore the
Concept. Once the Pantster has an
idea and is motivated to develop it, she composes a brief note about it, either
on paper or typed on her computer. Unlike the Plotter, this note is short and
doesn’t consist of an outline; and, while it may change once the Pantster
begins writing, it isn’t expanded upon beyond the author’s mind.
3.
Start at the
beginning. I know that seems simple,
but it’s more complicated than you think. Plotters agonize over the true
starting point of their novels because they know openings are important.
Pantsters dive right into their stories and worry about editing everything once
the first draft is complete.
4.
Let your
characters lead. This is one of the main points of Pantster-writing.
Your characters direct your scenes and help create your book’s twists and
ending. In the second book of my Cobble Cove mystery series, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, a character ended up being killed whom I hadn’t
planned on murdering. This happened again in my current book of the series, Love on the Rocks. As a Pantster, if I’m surprised by the actions of my
characters, I assume readers will be, too.
5.
Feel, don’t
Think. When you write, don’t edit
your words. Just let them flow. At the same time, imagine yourself in your
characters’ bodies. Use your senses to see, feel, hear, and smell what is
happening in the story. This will make a more realistic experience for your
readers. Plotters use this technique, too.
6.
If you get
stuck, slow down but don’t stop.
Plotters feel that crafting outlines and taking copious notes will help prevent
writer’s block and/or guarantee that they finish their book. Pantsters,
however, have learned to avoid writing roadblocks by slowing down or taking a
break for a day or two and then starting again with fresh eyes. That’s enough
to start the wheels rolling again and usually results in a more creative path
than that taken by a Plotter.
In my current
work-in-progress, there was a point where I wasn’t sure what to write next. By
using the above method, I overcame this issue and am now continuing the story
to its conclusion. Think about the times you lost a report that you were
writing for school or when you accidentally deleted a document from your
computer. After the screaming and crying, if you went back and began again, you
found that you were able to remember most of your work and wrote it better the
second time.
7.
End the story
at the end. Plotters pride themselves
on knowing an ending ahead of time because they have their plots ironed out
from the beginning. Pantsters only have a vague idea of their endings. For
mystery authors, this may mean that they don’t know the killer until late in
the story. I’ve changed the murderer (and the motive if necessary) in many of
my books, and readers have told me they were surprised by the endings and
couldn’t guess who-dun-it. In my latest
mystery, Sea Scope,
I even changed the ending during the final edits.
These steps are only
guidelines. Not all Pantsters write the same way. Some combine techniques used
by Plotters but still consider themselves Pantsters. There’s no right or wrong
way to write. Authors can experiment with different methods, genres, and points-of-views.
That’s the fun of writing.
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good summary. I still "pants" the first draft of short stories, but have become more of a plotter for books. It saves time during the revision process.
ReplyDeleteThanks for featuring my guest post, Elaine.
ReplyDeleteMargaret, I know what you mean about pantsing making it harder to revise, but it all seems to work out in the end. I am starting to plot a bit more as I publish additional books, but I still consider myself mainly a pantster.
A really good post, Debbie. I'm more of a pantser these days.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you liked the post, Marilyn. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteIt's always fascinating to know how others do it.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Warren. Thanks for your interest in my post.
ReplyDeleteI think most people are somewhere on a scale between pantser and plotter. I usually write the beginning and the end (which sometimes end up changing) but find my characters pretty much guide what happens.
ReplyDelete