Writing with a plan or flying by the seat of your pants. Plotters vs. Pansters by @MelissaSnark
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Lately, I've seen a lot of two particular terms brandied about on various author and writing blogs. Plotters and Pansters. The debate rages across forums and conferences. It's an issue that transcends genre, common to all authors. What are they? Who are they? Why does it even matter?
Doesn't sound very romantic, does it? In fact, it brings to mind the image of an author kneeling in a patch of garden soil. Through tedious and attentive toil, the plotter carefully attends to their story seedlings, waiting for the moment when the plant blooms and produces full blown characters, chapters and complete story outlines. Plotters strive to have their story grow organically from their labor, minimizing wasted effort.
Plotters vs. Pansters
By Melissa Snark
Lately, I've seen a lot of two particular terms brandied about on various author and writing blogs. Plotters and Pansters. The debate rages across forums and conferences. It's an issue that transcends genre, common to all authors. What are they? Who are they? Why does it even matter?
Plotters
Doesn't sound very romantic, does it? In fact, it brings to mind the image of an author kneeling in a patch of garden soil. Through tedious and attentive toil, the plotter carefully attends to their story seedlings, waiting for the moment when the plant blooms and produces full blown characters, chapters and complete story outlines. Plotters strive to have their story grow organically from their labor, minimizing wasted effort.
Plotters
are writers who work within a structural framework. There are a
number of tools employed to create the scaffolding that can include:
outlines, charts, diagrams, index cards, and software programs such
as Scrivener. A plotter often knows the beginning, middle and
conclusion of the story before the writing process even begins and
uncertainty imparts a sense of anxiety. Research is fundamental to a
plotter's understanding of a topic before she feels comfortable
writing about it.
Pansters
This term, on the other hand, seems inherently romantic. Envision the enterprising author hopping into a bi-plane and literally "flying by the seat of her pants", defying the probability of crash and burn to soar amongst the clouds. The ride is exciting and the panster's enthusiasm carries the story forward. Unexpected plot twists and unplanned developments are common.
This term, on the other hand, seems inherently romantic. Envision the enterprising author hopping into a bi-plane and literally "flying by the seat of her pants", defying the probability of crash and burn to soar amongst the clouds. The ride is exciting and the panster's enthusiasm carries the story forward. Unexpected plot twists and unplanned developments are common.
Pansters
crave freedom and may dislike or actively shun the constraints
imposed by structural framework. A single idea or character grabs the
panster, sending her on a frenzied writing spree to get the words
down onto paper. The author writes without any idea of what will
happen or how the story ends. Taking the time to outline or create
writing aids may dampen the panster's creativity and ability to
finish the story.
Many
new writers begin as pansters and gradually acquire the tools of
world-building as their writing skills evolve. Other authors may over
plan and actually need to acquire a degree of freedom in order to
reach true creative productivity. It's been my experience that the
plotter versus panster issue is not truly black and white. Rather, it
is a matter of spectrum with different authors falling at different
points along the continuum.
Personally,
I began writing as a panster and gradually evolved into a plotter. In
2000, I made my first attempt at an original contemporary romance.
The first incarnation of Learning to Fly (published by The
Wild Rose Press in 2012) came into the world as a rollercoaster ride
for both me and my heroine, Cassandra. From chapter to chapter, I had
no idea what would happen next. It was mysterious and exciting but
also frustrating. I got off onto wild tangents and eventually entire
parts of the story were removed or rewritten. In contrast, when I
started Hunger Moon, my paranormal novel, in 2009, I applied a far
more structured process to the story creation. I employed outlines
throughout and I wrote the last chapter long before I finished the
novel.
I
learned to write without ever having heard the terms "plotter"
or "panster". To me, the important thing is to find where
you are at on the spectrum and to honor that as part of your process.
Good writers never reach the point where they say: "There's
nothing else I can learn." Continue to acquire new knowledge and
strive to better your skills as a storyteller. Remain true to
yourself and truth will manifest within the pages of your story.
Meet Melissa Snark
A friend asked me once how I chose my pen name. I told her the following: "Melissa, because when people mix up my first name, it's the most common goof up. Snark, because it amuses me. A) I love the word 'snarky' and B) I love Lewis Carroll."
As an individual, I'm sarcastic, stubborn and blunt to a fault. I have a strange sense of humor and I like to laugh (usually at my husband or children), but also at myself. I'm not particularly extroverted, although I do enjoy time with my family and close friends a great deal.
As an individual, I'm sarcastic, stubborn and blunt to a fault. I have a strange sense of humor and I like to laugh (usually at my husband or children), but also at myself. I'm not particularly extroverted, although I do enjoy time with my family and close friends a great deal.
At the moment, I'm a stay at home mom who writes in my spare time. I've got a B.S. from Arizona State University in Business, and I've worked a variety of different jobs, including as a medical device documentation specialist, a technical writer, and an auto liability adjuster.
I live in the San Francisco East Bay of Northern California with my husband, three kids, and three cats. My hobbies include roleplaying, cooking and reading.
I enjoy hearing from my readers, so please drop me a line at MelissaSnark (at) gmail (dot) com.
