I was a pantser when I wrote Stupid Machine (and My Favorite Mother In Law, and Hot Meal, and Do-Ye0n Performs a Cost-Benefit Analysis on a Career Based on Questionable Activities ). I started off with a rough, unwritten outline, then hammered out words. I let the characters lead the story, amping up the action whenever things became dull.
Pantsing
“Pantsing” is writing without planning. Writing by the seat of your pants. It sounds like an excuse for sloppy writing, but it’s actually trusting your skills as a storyteller to improvise. It’s like performing jazz. Unlike a live jazz performance, you can edit previous words if you don’t like where they are heading. With Jazz, the notes you played are out there, like it or not. All that’s left to do is try to resolve to the next chord with a bit of grace.
Plotting
Vicious Machine is happening differently. I’ve joined the “plotter” camp. This involves a structured writing process with an outline and plan before writing actually starts. All the writer has to do is build the words around the framework. That’s all, just fill in the words.
Vicious Machine is complex. There are multiple villains, complex events and consequences, and things the reader may or may not know. I can’t keep all of that in my head for long enough to write out the chapters. So I’m plotting out a roadmap.
I’ve created a section for each chapter, detailing four main parts:
- Chapter name: A descriptive reference. This might be the final chapter name, or I might think of something snappier.
- Summary: A brief version of the action happening in this chapter. A reminder to make this worth the reader’s time. Track when I reveal unknown facts.
- “What the reader doesn’t know:” Things I need to know to keep continuity with upcoming chapters and things I shouldn’t reveal just yet. The action in a chapter might rely on obscure events or facts. There may be foreshadowing or Checkov’s Gun. But it’s not obvious in this chapter – yet.
- Introductions: Who appears for the first time? I’ll need to provide the reader with context for this character. It’s also a reference, so I don’t accidentally re-introduce this character in a later chapter.
Either/Or/Vs
Asking Pantser vs Plotter tries to place a writer into one camp or another. I think that’s a false choice. The two styles are options in a writer’s skill set. Sometimes, creative writing is improvisational. Sometimes, it’s best when planned out.
I’ll carefully plan Vicious Machine. My next story might be free form. Stay tuned…