Guest Post: Martin Reaves - Plotter or Pantser? (30/7)
This week on my blog I'm joined by Martin Reaves! And the question that was put to all of us guest posters on the TTC Virtual Blog tour was... are you a plotter or a pantser?
HOW DO YOU THAT VOODOO THAT YOU DO?
The question: “What is your writing process?”
The answer: “I don’t know.”
End of blog post.
Well now, that was exciting. In some ways I find the question of process (plotter or pantser?) akin to the question every writer loathes: “Where do you get your ideas?” And of course the answer is the same: We don’t know. I honestly think we don’t really want to know, because that would somehow spoil the magic, or cause the Muse to panic and flee. As Ray Bradbury says of the Muse in Zen in the Art of Writing: “…you have relaxed yourself enough not to stare discourteously when inspiration comes into the room…” To identify (to name, if you will) the source of inspiration and/or our processes is to disrobe them in front of all and sundry. Or so it seems to me.
Sigh…Hello. My name is Martin Reaves. I am a pantser.
I could no more plot out a story than I could list exactly what’s going to happen tomorrow. I know tomorrow will start, more or less: The alarm will go off and I will glare at it and attempt to wish it into the cornfield. As so the day will progress. Same with writing a new project: I will have a hint of its direction based on a situation, a character, a feeling. Sometimes I will have a combination of those things from which to spring, sometimes more, sometimes less. But it’s pointless for me to make an attempt to structure the tale beforehand. Why? Because it’s not my story, it’s the character’s/situation’s/feeling’s story. I need to put those things on the page and let them have their way. They tell me what’s next; they tell me why, when or where.
A typical writing day involves (if the work is already in progress) reading the previous day’s entry and attempting to become reabsorbed into the setting, the mood and color and flavor of that particular world. This always results in progressive editing, a fault I cannot seem to cure myself of (just as I cannot completely cure myself of ending some sentences with a preposition). Once I move past the previous day’s work and into virgin, blank-page territory, I take my hands off the wheel and see where it takes me. For me, this is the fun in writing. I am my own first reader, and if it’s not fun for me it will likely not be fun for anyone else. I must be surprised first. I must be moved to laughter or tears first. Damn it, it’s my story before it’s yours, and it’s the character’s/situation’s/feeling’s story before it is mine.
It’s not the only way, and it’s not the right way…it’s just my way. And I like it. A pure example of this style of putting words in some semblance of order? This post you’re reading. Was it plotted? How did it come to life? With one simple question: “What is your writing process?” The rest spun out accordingly, not ahead of time, but one word at a time, on the page; as I was discovering what came next, I wrote it down. Fun, fun, fun!
Discussion is good for the soul. How do you do it? Do you know how you do it? If you are not sure, are you able to be comfortable with the idea that it doesn’t matter if you know?
Martin Reaves
Martin Reaves is a writer primarily of suspense/thrillers with a psychological edge. And sometimes horror...or humor...heck, even romance. (Aren't all these things connected on some level?). Upon turning 48 he realized he was no longer 47...he wasn't sure what to do with this information so he moved on. Martin is very happily married to his childhood sweet-patootie, and has two incredible adult daughters who he considers among his best friends. Reading and Writing are twin first-loves, followed by music (he is a musician and singer and has been performing semi-professionally for longer than he'd care to think about). When not selling plastic to pay the bills, he (and his books) can be found here:
Facebook Author: https://www.facebook.com/MartinReavesAuthor?ref=hl#
Facebook Personal: https://www.facebook.com/Mottlee
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Martin-Reaves/e/B005DI98LG/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/mott342
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MartinReaves
Wordpress: http://mott342.wordpress.com/
Blogspot: http://humoringthemuse.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5042356.Martin_Reaves
So are you a plotter or a pantser?
-Joseph
Comment. Follow. Share.
HOW DO YOU THAT VOODOO THAT YOU DO?
The question: “What is your writing process?”
The answer: “I don’t know.”
End of blog post.
Well now, that was exciting. In some ways I find the question of process (plotter or pantser?) akin to the question every writer loathes: “Where do you get your ideas?” And of course the answer is the same: We don’t know. I honestly think we don’t really want to know, because that would somehow spoil the magic, or cause the Muse to panic and flee. As Ray Bradbury says of the Muse in Zen in the Art of Writing: “…you have relaxed yourself enough not to stare discourteously when inspiration comes into the room…” To identify (to name, if you will) the source of inspiration and/or our processes is to disrobe them in front of all and sundry. Or so it seems to me.
Sigh…Hello. My name is Martin Reaves. I am a pantser.
I could no more plot out a story than I could list exactly what’s going to happen tomorrow. I know tomorrow will start, more or less: The alarm will go off and I will glare at it and attempt to wish it into the cornfield. As so the day will progress. Same with writing a new project: I will have a hint of its direction based on a situation, a character, a feeling. Sometimes I will have a combination of those things from which to spring, sometimes more, sometimes less. But it’s pointless for me to make an attempt to structure the tale beforehand. Why? Because it’s not my story, it’s the character’s/situation’s/feeling’s story. I need to put those things on the page and let them have their way. They tell me what’s next; they tell me why, when or where.
A typical writing day involves (if the work is already in progress) reading the previous day’s entry and attempting to become reabsorbed into the setting, the mood and color and flavor of that particular world. This always results in progressive editing, a fault I cannot seem to cure myself of (just as I cannot completely cure myself of ending some sentences with a preposition). Once I move past the previous day’s work and into virgin, blank-page territory, I take my hands off the wheel and see where it takes me. For me, this is the fun in writing. I am my own first reader, and if it’s not fun for me it will likely not be fun for anyone else. I must be surprised first. I must be moved to laughter or tears first. Damn it, it’s my story before it’s yours, and it’s the character’s/situation’s/feeling’s story before it is mine.
It’s not the only way, and it’s not the right way…it’s just my way. And I like it. A pure example of this style of putting words in some semblance of order? This post you’re reading. Was it plotted? How did it come to life? With one simple question: “What is your writing process?” The rest spun out accordingly, not ahead of time, but one word at a time, on the page; as I was discovering what came next, I wrote it down. Fun, fun, fun!
Discussion is good for the soul. How do you do it? Do you know how you do it? If you are not sure, are you able to be comfortable with the idea that it doesn’t matter if you know?
Martin Reaves
Martin Reaves is a writer primarily of suspense/thrillers with a psychological edge. And sometimes horror...or humor...heck, even romance. (Aren't all these things connected on some level?). Upon turning 48 he realized he was no longer 47...he wasn't sure what to do with this information so he moved on. Martin is very happily married to his childhood sweet-patootie, and has two incredible adult daughters who he considers among his best friends. Reading and Writing are twin first-loves, followed by music (he is a musician and singer and has been performing semi-professionally for longer than he'd care to think about). When not selling plastic to pay the bills, he (and his books) can be found here:
Facebook Author: https://www.facebook.com/MartinReavesAuthor?ref=hl#
Facebook Personal: https://www.facebook.com/Mottlee
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Martin-Reaves/e/B005DI98LG/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/mott342
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MartinReaves
Wordpress: http://mott342.wordpress.com/
Blogspot: http://humoringthemuse.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5042356.Martin_Reaves
So are you a plotter or a pantser?
-Joseph
Comment. Follow. Share.
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