Paper Hearts: Some Writing Advice

Pantsers vs. Plotters & Why Those Definitions Don't Work

Typically, people are called “pantsers” or “plotters.” A "pantser" is someone who writes "by the seat of her pants," or, without an outline. A "plotter" makes an outline and then writes.

This, by it’s simple definition, implies that pantsers basically skip a step. 

And that's not true.

Instead, let’s call people either “outliners” or “revisers.” People who outline think of the story structure before they write, in an outline, and then their revision is, typically a little easier. People who are “revisers” think of the story structure after they write, so while they don’t use a detailed outline to write, they tend to have more work at the revision stage.

The thing is, whether you are an outliner or a reviser, you’re going to do a little of both. If you’re an outliner, you’re still going to have to revise some things. If you’re a reviser, you’re probably going to outline some things, even if it’s so short it can fit on a single Post-It note or even if you never actually write it down at all. The question isn’t whether you outline or revise, because you do both. The question is, where is the heavy-lifting of the story structure going on? If it’s on the front-end, before you write, then you’re an outliner. If it’s on the back-end, after you finish a draft of the story, then you’re a reviser.

But…this is also the wrong way to look at it. Because while we’re arguing that both still have to use structure, we’re still saying there’s an “either/or” nature to this argument. But that’s not true either. 

It took me writing more than a dozen books to figure this out, but here’s what I’ve discovered:

1. Every writer is different—even within the same novel. Some people always use the same method to write every novel, but stick in the game long enough, and you’ll see that most writers switch up methods. So it’s not that you’re either an outliner or a reviser; at some point in time, chances are, you’ll be both—maybe even within the same novel. 

2. Just like Doctor Who says time is not a line but instead a great big ball of timey-whimey stuff, so too is writing not a simple, straightforward method, but a great big ball of writey-stuff. The turning point for me came when I realized that I do not do well making an outline (I get bored when I know the ending of the story), but I also was putting too much effort into revising—often re-writing the book two or more times to get it right. I started outlining while I wrote, and that method worked so much better for me…this time. I might do something different next time.

3. Just because you don’t write it down doesn’t mean you don’t have an outline. A lot of writers carry it around in their head. The thinking part of writing is hugely important. Trace through ideas, follow them through the rabbit-hole--either on paper or in your mind. If you're stuck, just try thinking it all through. 

4. Just because you don’t chart it out doesn’t mean you don’t have structure. We learn structure internally, and apply it to our writing. Some people think better when they make charts and maps; others don’t. That doesn’t mean the structure isn’t there.

5. There are a lot of books on story structure. I’m partial to Blake Snyder and Michael Hague's methods. But nearly every author I know that studies structure doesn’t follow one method—they piecemeal the best bits that apply to their work and create their own structure. Writing advice books (including this one) can present the scaffolding, but the writer is the architect and designer.