If you're part of the writing community, it's likely you've heard the terms "plotter" and "pantser." But if not, essentially, a plotter is someone who (not surprisingly!) plots their entire story or book before drafting. A panster is someone who "flies from the seat of their pants," meaning they get an idea and "pants" their way from start to finish without having any solid outline. For years, I've sat somewhere in the middle, wanting some structure but enjoying the freedom to discover as I go. When I heard the term "plantser" for the first time, I screamed for joy! I finally felt like I had a title that described my writing process. In reality though, claiming my planster status only skimmed the surface of describing what my process truly is. For example, I do a lot of editing as I go, which is a no-no for plotters and panters alike and, I'm assuming, for plansters as well. (oops!) A few weeks ago, I had an unforgettable experience while drafting. I figured out a mind-blowing plot twist! After the experience, I reflected on where and how I got that awesome idea and wrote about it in a tweet thread. In it, I talked to those of us who have been told to never-ever edit while drafting. You see, I got my mind-blowing plot twist idea as I was rereading and editing sections I'd already written. After sharing this thread of thoughts---mainly focused on how I needed to embrace my chaotic process even though it doesn't follow any of the "rules" we're taught...in order to move forward in my draft---a friend of mine asked me if I'd seen this video that breaks the plotter and plantser personalities into subgroups. I hadn't, so I gave it a listen, which I suggest you do as well! This concept tracks with my gut-feeling I had a year ago while teaching Freshman Composition, which is I believe most writers aren't pure plotters or pantsers; they're almost always somewhere in between (like me!).
Apparently, this awesome writer YouTuber breaks the plotter and planster concepts into four subgroups, and as my friend suspected, I am what she calls a "methodological pantser," which means I crave structure (or a method for story telling) while, at the same time, excel at doing bursts of discovery writing. I also get inspiration by "doing," rather than "waiting" for inspiration. This is likely the reason why I've related so well to the Save the Cat! Writes a Novel methodology so well and why I often have to "sit in the chair" and type something, anything, or walk around the room to get ideas. I find all of these concepts fascinating, but also helpful because they can help you understand your unique writing process. Which kind of plotter or pantser are you? I'd love to know in the comments.
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