Plotting vs. Pantsing
It’s November, also known in the writer world as National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). This is a frenzied time when thousands of writers attempt to complete an entire 50,000+ wordcount book in just 30 days. It’s both exhilarating and terrifying. For me personally, I’ve done NaNo three times, “winning” twice.
So thinking of NaNo, we here at Lily Cahill started talking: Plot vs. Pants? Do you prefer a fully-detailed plot outline before you dig into a new story, or do you fly by the seat of your pants and just let the writing take you where it will? Here are thoughts from two Lilies on either side of the debate … -Renee Coen
TO PLOT OR TO PANTS, THAT IS THE QUESTION
Plotter for life, y’all
I’m all about the plotting, and always have been. I don’t step inside the grocery store without a plan, so you can imagine what kind of roadmap I typically build when I’m about to write a book. Let’s just say it’s involved. As an unofficial NANOWRIMO-er this year (GOAL: 80k words from 11/4-12/4), I’ve got those outlines locked and loaded.
My background is in screenwriting, which is very much about having a tight, solid structure. I’ve definitely brought that perspective to my novels as well. When we started this adventure together, I sort of maybe strong-armed the rest of the Lilies into plotting too. (They call me President Lily for a reason, folks. I’m one bossy lady.) To me, it’s the most important part of the process. It’s my chance to make all the mistakes I would typically make in the first draft, without wasting a lot of time or words to make them. There’s a lot of experimenting going on there, and it typically goes through a few drafts before I feel solid about the direction. Then it’s my best friend during the true first-draft process.
One of the most common worries I hear about plotting is that it removes your ability to have those happy discoveries along the way that are just as surprising to you as they are to the reader. But I don’t find that to be true at all! Having a roadmap doesn’t mean you can’t take a detour if it feels right. It just gives you directions on how to get to your final destination efficiently without missing anything important along the way.
I always leave myself some room to experiment inside the draft, especially where characters are concerned. I feel like I learn the most about my characters as I write them. No matter how I plan, the people that emerge on the page are always different than I expect. A good outline is character-driven and allows you the flexibility to make adjustments and discoveries.
So could I ever imagine myself just diving in and pantsing away? Hell no. That sounds like skydiving in a hurricane without a parachute. You might survive (anything’s possible, I guess), but probably not. I’m a plotter for life, y’all. -Livia Harper
Fly by the seat of my pants
First of all, pantsing sounds like so much more fun than plotting. But besides the way it sounds, I find pantsing to be a more creatively fulfilling process.
I know that plotting is more efficient, but I frequently feel that my writing suffers from knowing what is supposed to happen in a scene. Instead of immersing myself in the sights, sounds, and smells around my characters, I end up writing blocky sentences that lead to the logical conclusion. It’s a one way ticket to Terrible Writer Prison. When I do use an outline what I gain in first draft efficiency, I lose in rewriting all of my stiff prose.
Even when I outline well, I find my best writing to come from the scenes that get added in on the spot. I love when my characters lead me somewhere or do something unplanned. Exploring their actions and feelings when they are taking you to unexpected places is so much more fun and revealing than trying to force structure.
I like to cook without measuring cups and spoons. I’m not a big fan of rules (or at least of not following them). And I’d prefer to fly by the seat of my pants rather than be confined to an outline. -Alex Casola
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