WRITERS WRITE #3

PANTSER OR PLOTTER

It is rumored that Robert Ludlum, the Jason Bourne books’ creator, would create a detailed outline before committing a single word to a page. It is also rumored Stephen King simply sits down and begins writing. Ludlum was a plotter, and King was a pantser. In his book, The Three Story Method, Zack Bohannan opines that pantsers waste a lot of time writing and editing. He also believes everyone needs to be a plotter.

I consider myself more of a pantser than a plotter. When I wrote The Album: Growing Up in the Age of Innocence, I was definitely a pantser. I wrote each chapter without any forethought or planning. Then, when I ran out of stories/chapters, I arranged them in a way that made sense.

Finding Ted James started with a premise – a retired burglar. I let the book lead the way, and it took me in directions I had not anticipated. However, after the first few chapters, my writing became less random. When I sat down to write, I would review the most recent action and answer the question, “where do we go from here?” Although not written down, the love protagonist’s love story was carefully orchestrated.

I did not outline The Mexia Music Murders, my first murder mystery not yet published. Nor did I do a lot of research ahead of time. Instead, as I reached critical stages in my writing, I would stop and confirm where I was going with the story was appropriate. I knew where I wanted to go. I just didn’t always see the path I needed to follow.

So, what about you? Are you a plotter or a pantser? If you are detailed oriented, which I am not, then plotting is a logical way to organize your thoughts. I have always been quick on my feet. As a first-year teacher, the principal would visit my classroom unannounced. Regardless of the topic, I was always able to immediately incorporate his presence into my lesson. To the casual observer, it may look like I was “winging it,” but I always had a purpose and a direction.

So back to the opening question. It is not an either-or answer. You are you, and that is enough!