Plotters vs. Pantsers. Writers love to identify themselves as one of these two camps. For those who have managed to avoid hearing these terms as of yet, I’ll define them for you. Plotters are those writers who like to plan their novel before they write it. They will create an outline and they may take detailed notes. They might have character sketches, hand drawn maps, and every fight scene perfectly choreographed before they even write the first word.
Pantsers, however, jump right in with nothing but vague ideas. Some loose plot points and characters may be floating around in their Notes app. They may have some pins on Pinterest. Besides that, they dive into writing from the start with no plan.
I know it sounds crazy, but there’s a huge portion of us that identify this way.
I, for one, consider myself a pantser. My natural inclination is to get started. To let the story unfold on the page. The ideas and the characters simply come.
After writing this way for a few years, I realized it could get really messy. Like plot-bunny-riddled, scrap-the-whole-thing messy. I started and restarted my draft maybe twelve times before I stuck to one and saw it through to completion. Even that draft ended up scrapped in the end.
I am still a pantser, but I’ve learned to outline. I have my own methods of plotting, tailored specifically for me and my needs as someone who likes to jump right in. Pantsers, this post is for you. Here’s some tips for outlining if you identify as a pantser, but, like me, need to get your story more organized before you write yourself into a corner.
1. Accept that you’re not a plotter.
Don’t try to force it. I keep trying to outline before I start, and it is so boring. I don’t feel inspired or creative when I boil a story down to bullet points. Recognizing that you’re someone who needs to jump right in will only help you, because you won’t waste time procrastinating your novel.
2. Start Writing.
Yeah, this might seem counter-intuitive in a post about outlining, but just do it. When the story starts to emerge on the page, it will come alive for you. You’ll see how your characters look and act more clearly. You’ll see what their world looks like more clearly. You may also see what sort of conflicts will be interesting for your story.
3. Stop and see where you’re headed. Get your ideas out.
Don’t just charge ahead. This is the pickle you’ve already gotten yourself in, remember? You want to outline, that’s why you’re here. So stop what you're doing and take a look at the first few chapters of your story. I always stop within the first five chapters. This is when the excitement of introducing a new world starts to die down and you need to actually get to the real plot.
Now that you know your characters and world a bit better, figure out where your story is headed. What will some of the conflicts be? What arcs are your characters beginning? Who is the villain and what is their motive? Get all of your ideas for your book’s direction out now while you have everything out there already.
4. Create a bare bones outline.
What I mean by a bare bones outline is just a few major plot points. You don’t need a whole thirty some page outline (I don’t know how long these things are supposed to be. A clear sign of a true pantser). You can fit your outline onto a page or two.
When I create my outline I like to build it from large to small. I write the beginning plot point (the part of the story I already have down) then some major turning points in the middle, then the ending. Between each, I’ll fill in some plot points that get me from A to Z. Flesh it out a little bit so that you have some direction while you’re writing. Like I said, it doesn’t have to be detailed at all.
5. Continue your writing, but add to your outline.
As you write, you might come up with new ideas or take things in a new direction. That’s okay, as long as you don’t go chasing plot bunnies. Try to keep to your outline, but ‘pants’ your way to each plot point. It will feel like you’re making it up as you go along, but you will also have direction so you don’t get lost. Feel free to adjust your outline as you go along. Add to it when you have a brilliant idea so you don’t forget. Take out plot points that will no longer work. Pants with plan!
7. Once you finish it’ll still be messy, but at least you can clearly see what you have to fix.
I’m not saying you’ll have a perfect draft using this method. You will still have messy bits and plot holes or bunnies. But at least you finished! You pantsed a book. Pat yourself on the back. You’ll have a lot of revising, but that’s just part of the joy of writing, right? RIGHT?
Happy editing!
Peace out from your fellow pantser,
Grace K.