Plotter vs. Pantser in Life and Writing by Debra H. Goldstein
When it comes to my everyday existence, I am a plotter. I make prioritized to-do lists based upon the tasks needing to be done, where I am going to be, and how long each activity should take (so I can squeeze in things so as to not waste time). It gives me great satisfaction to strike through each item on my list and know that at the end of the day, I’m ready to make the next day’s list.
Plotting is the last thing I like to do when I write. Oh, I may have an idea where the story or book may go, but the reality is I’m a pantser from beginning to end. It is only when I’m in the “writing zone,” where the words glide forth effortlessly, that I feel a sense of satisfaction.
I have friends who set a specific word count each day. Not me. I write when the muse strikes. For the past few years that worked well. Maybe my production wasn’t as good as some of those word-counters, but seven published books, one book in review, and almost fifty published stories isn’t something I am ashamed of. I puttered or pantsed, but things got done because somewhere in my head, I knew being a published author required balancing time with my computer, family, civic obligations, and playing.
In the song “Beautiful Boy,” on the Double Fantasy album, John Lennon wrote, “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” Different versions of this line have been attributed to many other people over time. Who said it first doesn’t matter. What is important is the realization that sometimes the best plot or plan we have gets shaken by life events. That’s what happened to me with some personal family issues during the past couple of years. They were events that often directly impacted my ability to write more than a story here, a blog there, or a few pages of the new book that I’d thought the world would see two years ago.
Recently, things reached a point that I had to lean on friends, blog mates, and even a few strangers to accomplish things that normally would easily be checked off my to-do list. I thank everyone who stepped up and gave me the time and freedom to address life without worrying about the plans I’d made. Today, the issue is resolved. I’ve taken a deep breath and accepted the changes thrown at me as I live life; and, I’ve regained the feeling of joy that writing gives me. I doubt I’ll ever be a person who knocks out so many words a day, but I know that that’s okay for me. Understanding the balancing of being a plotter and a pantser in life and writing is what it’s all about.
Do you use plotting and pantsing in life - or writing? Have you ever had everything unravel and did you find your way back to a state of balance?
