Are you a panster or a planner? What's the difference?
A planner is exactly what it sounds like. It's an author who plans their stories. They create outlines and figure out what happens when, before writing the story.
The panster is the author who writes at the seat of their pants, not planning anything, just letting the story unfold naturally. That's me.
Okay. Don't knock it until you try it. Yes, I've heard that many times. But I have tried being a planner. I have. Truly. It was a long time ago. I planned the original Cursed Blood--this was before I published anything. I had the entire book outlined. I knew what was going to happen, when, and where. I knew who the characters were and how they would impact the story. The process took me a whole year. Then I put my fingers to work and started typing on a very old computer that I bought at Salvation Army. I was using dial-up for internet. Those were the good 'ol days lol. As I wrote the story, the entire outline went out the window. Not literally. Nothing in the outline was used. None of it. Well, maybe the names.
I learned a good lesson. First, planning isn't for me. Second, what works for one author doesn't always have to work for another. We're all different! You're a planner? Great! You do you, and I'll stick to being me. We both win! You're a panster? Awesome.
Don't know which you prefer? That's okay. The best thing about being a writer is that no one has to know how you struggle (unless you want it known). You can go through tons of paper, writing one sentence until it's perfect before moving to the next sentence. That's okay. You can take a year to write your story, take a break for three months, and then begin editing. That's okay. There are NO rules about this stuff. That means you get to choose how, when, where, and why you write!
Not knowing which way to go is the fun part because that means you get to test the waters. You get to learn something about yourself as a writer. It's an adventure! Try planning your story before you write it. You won't know if you like it if you don't try. You know "don't knock it until you try it" kind of thing. Now, allow yourself to wing it. Plan nothing. Sit down and just write as you see it. Either way, things can be left out. That's the beauty of editing--you get to add in those things you left out (by accident or on purpose).
Do you know why I choose to be a pantser? First, knowing the ending doesn't ruin it for me. I'm still going to watch that movie, write that book, or listen to the music, whatever it is. For me, the fun is getting there. The adventure I have from the beginning to the end. Not knowing what's around the corner gets me excited. That's how those little or big twists happen. I throw my characters into a situation and watch how they react. I may not know why they choose to do something over another, but in life that information may be held against my knowledge anyway, so it makes better sense. How I perceive someone may be different than what someone else sees. And that's okay. That's how I write. I leave a little out so my readers can do that. It allows them to see something else, give them a different adventure.
Another reason why I'm a pantser? Though my characters are a part of me, they are not me. My ideals are different than theirs. If I planned out their lives, they will hate me and will refuse to work for me. They are in my head--I cannot escape them. If I give them free will to do as they please, they do more than I could hope. I give them free range (mostly). Sometimes, I do change a scene because they are way off lol. But I do that in editing. They have gone to "sleep" at that point. Sometimes I will nudge them in the direction I want them to go, but usually I just write what I see them doing. It is their story, not mine, after all.
So, how do you choose? Planner? Pantser? Both? Yes, you can have both. Like I said, no rules!
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