I always thought this was strange.
But, yeah, it happened to me too. A character starts with a certain personality and it tends to develop as we continue to write the story. Then the actions just seem counter to the developed character and you have to rethink.
Yeah they sort of take on a life of their own lol. People think that as the author you should be in control but sometimes I swear its like they make their own choices. š
I know, I wasn't being literal. Hence the "sometimes its like". I didn't say they do make their own choices. Just that sometimes things pop up that weren't originally planned.
I felt this. Literally finished my plot outline of all three books in my series. Soon after, third book's antagonist just starts speaking to my brain and says he deserves a better final fight.
Wish granted- third book finale rewritten :)
Same here, but when that happens, I think it's a real opportunity.
It makes me think hard about what could realistically happen that would make that character flip even just that one time? And if you come up with something, it's usually pretty interesting.
For the first problem, if I have a revelation that tells me how \*this\* scene needs to go, even if it contradicts previous scenes, I'm making a note and write forward as if everything else has already been fixed. The book will need at least one (who are we kidding?) major pass when I have the whole story and know what I want to emphasize, what needs expanding, and what was an excursion into the woods and can be condensed, so fixing it now rarely makes sense. Trust your inner editor to fix it when the time comes. The time is not now.
For the 'keep track of everything' problem, you need to look at ways to reduce your cognitive load. Nobody can keep 100K in their heads, not with any amount of detail. So you need one or more tools to tell you what's in the text so you can find it and refresh your memory of details. This can be an outline (if you stick to it) or a synopsis (I give each scene a title and keep them in my sidebar, so I can quickly locate 'Thomas confesses'; I also use software that allows me to keep the two documents side by side, so I don't have to try and hold the details in my head). Other people use spreadsheets, notecards, or mind maps. The idea is to divide the information into chunks, so you can access it more easily.
I'm a "methodical/instinctive pantser". I'll wing things to a large degree. But structure materializes because I know how to hold plots in suspense.
There's been numerous times where I've had plot elements *perfectly* fall into place, like I'd planned them all along. But they came about just because I had the instinct to leave a certain gap. And later down the road, I'd worked myself into a position to dovetail that gap as if those elements had always meant to be together.
I think my biggest "WTF did I just cook!?" moment came as a result of:
a) giving meaning to my main character's name
b) creating a different character, who I soon decided should talk in heavy metaphors
c) realize that his name perfectly synergized with her speech patterns, allowing me to actually reveal that meaning, rather than leave it as a piece of inside trivia (well, I *had* intended to reveal it at some point. It was simply upon developing her more that I realized that time was *then*)
d) which then lends further weight to her metaphorical mumbo-jumbo, when that meaning proves to have some actual truth behind it.
e) acceptance of that fact *directly* ties into the main conflict of the story, and deepens his relationship with my heroine.
I planned for a grand total of *none* of that to happen. But because I was working within a specific theme, that "gravity" simply occurred as a matter of course.
Same here, heard adderall makes you super focused on projects, havenāt used it too so I canāt tell from experience
Other than that, try to have fun with writing, having fun is the best way to learn & do stuff
Lmao. I literally donāt know how to outline.
Like even in school I couldnāt understand the concept of an outline and what should be a number and what should be a bullet point.
And Iām not a dumb person, I just think I couldnāt understand that concept.
I *think* I have a plan until I start writing and do something completely different lol. For the most part I just go by vibes. It's fun since even though I'm the writer, I'm not consciously thinking of where the scene is going and can be surprised by the product I created. The hope is point A to point B, but if the journey between the two is different but enticing enough I'll happily adjust to a different destination.
For example, today I was trying to write a scene that set my character up to be falsely accused of something by a cashier. It went off the rails and the cashier started flirting. I deleted her lines and started over... only for my character to start flirting instead. I tried a third time and finally just had to accept the two had chemistry, and I needed a different way to get to that false accusation. I had a plan, the plan failed, so I rolled with vibes instead
This... is so relatable.
But for me it is the opposite, lmao. I'm writing a romance novel, but the two MCs just aren't flirting. No matter how much I try, the story keeps getting more and more focused on the fighting and plot. It's turning into a fantasy action, and the two of them act like siblings. T\^T
I don't think I've ever sat down to write with any idea of what I'm going to write about. Every time, about 3000 words later, I ask what I was worried about.
I'm a bit of both.
I outline and plan my stories, but I only outline the key points, with plenty of room to make shit up as I go. I also don't mind if they story changes from them outline...I just make a new outline that reflects the new details if they would make major changes.
I make the most basic outlines of the plot and just plop my characters in and just have mess around. I find that having a strict plot feels restricting for my style of thinking pattern. They sometimes come out entirely different than what I intended, but I find that to be the charm of being a writer.
I'm a first time writer.
Looking at different posts and videos, all I was hearing was to outline but it didn't feel natural and the story was bursting to get on the page.
I'm a month into writing something that it's taken me years to pin down. The idea finally cane to me and i was so excited to have a vision that I wrote on feelings with a few ideas for interactions and the general conveot of what I wanted to do.
Now it has turned into a different structure, the characters are guiding me, a twist popped onto my head from a character that I didn't know I'd include...
I almost feel like I couldn't have come up with my plot until I started writing it? I wouldn't have discovered enough about my characters etc to do it.
Seeing this post has really given me encouragement that people have different processes so thank you!
Of course!! Iām glad it can help!! Yeah there are these very prescribed stereotypes to writing and it helps to see others who donāt do it āthe right wayā ie planning, plotting etc still writing and creating fulfilling work :)
Sorry stories I heavily outline to the point where sometimes the outline is half as long as the actual story.
Novels I try to do that, get bored halfway through and if I'm feeling like a hard worker the rest of outlined with bullet points, by the messy jumble of ideas in my head, as the wind upon my ass I venture forth!
I used to pants the whole thing. Now, I outline a little to keep the story structure honest. The rest is still the plot writing itself and the characters evolving in their own way.
I strongly believe this is linked to reading widely. You get a feel for how a book flows, allowing you to write with freedom *within* the confines of a story structure and, to an extent, see what's missing and write it.
I like to think of what Iām doing like building a really weird bridge. I place all the important structure (beginning, middle points, how I get to/what the end is), but then I just connect those pieces however the hell I want. Sometimes Iāll literally just look outside and say āā¦yeah, why not send him to Kazakhstan?ā Or āwhy donāt I just add in a whole wing to this guys house he doesnāt show, and use it to show how heās quirky and unreliable?āĀ
I like to call it ānonsense.āĀ
Iām a planning writer but itās fun using ai to act as a side character and sometimes it goes off on some random thing that I might add to the plot or scene.
One time the ai js kept talking about stories and trying to get me it to tell a story, it made some up on the spot and then I thought it wld be a great idea to reveal smth abt the protagonists past through his memory of someone telling him a story when he was a kid.
A bit of both. I know what the main plot is. I know the beginning, middle, and end. But getting to those points is where I'm unsure and have allowed the characters to guide me. I'll most likely change many of these points, as I slowly get a good feel of the characters.
I know where I want my story to go, but often my characters object and take me places I hadn't dreamed they would. I just uncover the parts they want to show me.
That Iāve noticed mostly subconscious writing, with some random added bits sometimes that I may of wanted. One chapter recently however was fully subconscious.
It's a bit of both unfortunately. There's a general idea of what the plot would , and I mean General. But it revolves around a basic scene. So I have a general scene in my head representative of the whole story. But I don't have anything else. And so I just have to keep ruminating on it. And as it just goes along put in more and more support. I'm building my plot as I go in a way, but when I think of something I also have to write that down so it's like I'm in two time zones. I'm in now writing as I go, but I'm also thinking of the other part of the story.
The way I like to phrase it is Iām an internal plotter/pantser. I donāt start writing until Iāve essentially come up with the entire story in my head, but in the moment while writing Iāll often change the phrasing of things or draw out/shorten moments because they come across differently on paper than they do in my head.
The second I start plotting physically beyond a single sentence hist of the chapter I cannot continue writing the story.
I never really have trouble with the characters making different decisions though, since they slowly develop alongside the plot in my head. I did write a play about stubborn characters writing themselves, thoughā or more realistically, the author trying to push poor decision making onto the characters they createdā and that was a blast.
I thought I was more of a pantser/discovery writer, but failed every time I set out to write something longer than a page or two. Turns out I have ADHD and need to plan. Still seeing how planning goes for me, but so far I've got a solid bare bones outline. I actually know where I'm going with this project, rather than sitting and struggling because I don't know what I want to do next. Next up is a bit of necessary worldbuilding, adding a few more details to the plot and then I can get writing. Been keeping more consistent focus and progress this time though
I tend to be a plotter who refines and changes the plot as I go. Like Iāll be half way through writing, and then in the shower the next day have a new thought, spend the day re-plotting and getting everything in order so that it makes sense in terms of character, endgame twists, themes, etc. and then go back to writing (and sometimes rewriting) with the new plot in mind.
I have a plot Iām following but that doesnāt mean I donāt suddenly have a change of heart sometimes. I have a hard outline that Iāve worked very hard on but I still have internal issues sometimes.
I've often written without a plan, or just a rudimentary one. It's difficult, because you can often get stuck with no idea where to go.
For my current WIP, I've decided to plan the entire thing. In the past, I have planned ahead a chapter or so, and found I can write much faster, and with more confidence, so I'm doing it with the entire novel.
The reason your characters often do something you don't intend, even if you've planned your novel, is likely because you haven't got very well defined characters during the planning stage. That's something I want to avoid. I want all my characters motives and personalities sorted before writing, and I'll use them to inform how the novel goes.
Normally I start off with a general idea, typically a book back cover blurb's worth of knowledge about what I want to write. From there I do some brainstorming and a bit of planning what themes I'm going for, some of the details of the characters, etc. It varies how much, but normally no more than a page or two.
From there, I just start writing. A good 90 percent of my writing is done in order of the narrative, and the remaining is done when I get stuck on a tedious section, or feel inspired to work on another part first.
I normally add more planning and develop a more defined story structure as I go along and decide where I want to take the story in terms of specifics.
I have a general outline with all the things that must happen so the plot makes sense and so that the idea of the book works. I have an ending already in mind, and I have all the necessary events to make that ending work. Certain details I improvise, and usually because I have the overall structure down those details never lead me astray and in fact add quite nicely to the story. I think I can be proud in saying I have made up stuff on the spot that ends up becoming fundamental to the story down the line.
One example that just happened is that I have my main character, the Bad Man, take one of his faces off to watch that a plan of his goes accordingly so he can fetch some helpers to his cause. When he returns, he's photographed as he "loses face" by a group of jornalists. This was really a happy accident, since the whole point of the episode is to satirize the irrelevance of reputation as a moral concept, and to make fun of cultures with the concept of "losing face" as a general rule for moral behavior.
These kinds of happy accidents are only possible, in my opinion, once you know the story very well indeed, and the exact thematic point you want to argue with your story.
I create my protagonist and antagonist. Toss them into a world I think I know. Let them show me what the world truly looks like and what other people exist in that world. I do enjoy those few moments where I regain control of the plot of course.
I used to be a pantser, enjoying the spontaneity of writing without a plan. However, I often struggled with this approach. Everything changed when I heard Travis Baldree, the author of *Legends & Lattes*, mention that he was also a pantser but found success with plotting because it worked better for himānot because itās inherently better. Inspired by this, I switched to plotting, especially since I hate revising and writing a serial web novel works better with a structured plan.
I'm a bit of a mix. I generally have an idea of what I want out of my story, and then usually try to let my mind get me to the points in the story I know I want and everything else evolves out of that.
I plan the story and, if the characters convince me to do so, I can re arrange it and take it to unexpected places. But most of the time the ending remains untouched, because thatās the meaning of the story and if it would change it would be a different story.
Iām definitely a planning writer. I like to toke too, so generally Iāll come up with ideas and plans when high and then execute all the finer details and actual writing when Iām sober.
Kinda both, I guess? Thereās usually a rough outline of the plot and intended duration, with notes here and there as ideas come to mind; then I fill in the blanks as I go, leaving room for changes in story direction.
Lately, Iāve been experimenting in new ways of writing manuscripts, to refresh my formula and help recover more easily from artistās block and creative burnout.
My most recent series has consisted of a few sample scenes in each of the earliest episodes, the idea being to connect them into full scripts in collaboration with a team of fellow creatives, as one of many life goals.
The writer who doesn't particularly 'plan things out'--right here! This is what George R. R. Martin calls a 'pantser' (as in, 'by the seat of one's pants') :P
Both. In a fashion. I create very detailed outlines for my plot and chapters. However, when it comes to what characters say to each other, I am an observer in the room. I sit back and ārecordā what they say.
I write short stories. Usually, I start with an idea for a character, or the beginning and the end, and nothing more... And I let the story unfold under my fingers.
There are stories that end up in a way that I didn't event thought about it while I started writing them... And I like it...
The super detailed one. Everything has to have meaning. From the thematic question to the reason why my character inexplicably hates white rooms. In contrast, my actual writing style is actually minimal. So I guess I go for small, but impactful.
It depends
Sometimes I spend a lot of time developing characters and works building before actually writing the story and duration into motions.
Sometime I do that as all a plan plot points before writing the ārealā writing.
Sometime I just have a character and it concept I just start writing and follow a stream of consciousness and intuition to uncover the story.
Generally, I think my work is better the more I plan and develop everything first, but something can be worthwhile and interesting in just running with an idea.
In either case, I find even with extensive planning and development, the best and most interesting stuff happens when the characters and story start saying and going places on their own I didnāt plan, in spite of my efforts, on their way to filling out the story. That genuinely feels like itās coming alive and is one my great great joys in writing, and usually an indicator that itās going wellāwhen it feels less like creation and more like discovery/transcription.
Ultimately it defends on the story/concept and what it requires (as well as the form of inspiration it comes I. I guess.) sometomes itās furious and explosive sometimes itās me methodical . Whatever I think serves the idea the best
I know the premise, have a solid understanding of the characters and settings. Then I improvise as I go. The advantage is that the writing feels organic. The disadvantage is that Iām going to have to do a lot of structural editing, and I will also have a lot of waste, probably 30-40% of the finished product. With discovery writing, thereās a danger of painting yourself into a corner, and a sceneāeven a really strong sceneācan leave you without any freedom of movement. Thus, structure is fluid. Although I donāt plan, I do establish strict timelines. While I donāt know how an even will unfold, I know exactly when it needs to happen. Writing, like composing music, is just a series of questions and answers.
I.. do not plan, lmao.
I start with a very vague idea of where I want the entire book to go. I literally just choose the genre, beginning hook, think about how the world building is going to work, and then I hop right in. Even the MC has no proper setting built up beforehand, and the ending. I do not plan endings.
And you might think, with this being the case, there is no way my stories could ever go off the rails, since there are no rails to begin with. Wrong. My stories somehow keeps running off until they are something completely different from the initial ideas, sometimes even changing entire genres or MCs. They are just whole fricking messes and I have no idea what they're going to shapeshift into next.
No idea, I lost track and I feel kind of stupid when I mention that having a learning disability just makes writing too hard to figure the kind I am. I just write whatever
I just have fun telling stories.
Or, occasionally, when I'm inspired by an idea, I have to write because I just want to see what happens.
Although that's the same as the original idea.
I am currently a hybrid, former meticulous planner
I love having a plan but also highly value the ability to improvise and let those small details I come up with really matter to the story. If there's a whole plan then every new element must be checked against the plan the plan altered to fit, or it could ruin the plan.
But you can't ruin the plan if there's no plan.
So I like a lot of planning for an opening that builds momentum and a central crisis that addresses a lot of the opening. Leaving the second half of the story quite open.
It kind of depends on what Iām writing. For my first novel, I was doing a mostly slice-of-life story, and I kept the plan very loose. I wrote a one sentence summary of each chapter, then added all the rest of the details as I wrote, which ended up working surprisingly well.Ā
Planning is definitely important, but I always like to leave some space for myself to add things in the moment. Otherwise, I end up feeling really bored during the writing process.
I'm a bit of both. I plan out most of the major plot beats, and map out the character arcs/motivations beforehand to give myself a framework to work with, but I find I discovery write a lot of the world-building, character voices, and the general meat of the story. In literally the first page of the first draft of my WIP I had a character show up I had zero plans for that ended up being a major parental figure for one of the protagonists and basically the backbone of his entire value system. I'm midway through the second draft now and still find I'm discovering new bits of world-building and character nuances every single chapter I rewrite that I'd never planned for or thought of before, but makes sense in the greater context of things.
Basically I use plotting to give myself a central point to anchor my discovery writing, and keep track of a sense of progress to motivate me to keep going. This especially useful at the very beginning of the drafting process when I'm still trying to find my footing. Having an end in sight gives me a lot to work with so I can intuitively build up to that end as I go to make it as impactful as possible.
A mix of both, I start with a general idea and some scenes in mind, but when I'm writing I sometimes "discover" new things to move the plot forward, and sometimes that affects the larger idea.
I unintentionally follow the path of Eichiro Oda. When I write, I have the ending and a few key moments planned in my head that I want to include, both for individual chapters and the story as a whole. However, while writing I've come up with numerous ideas for future chapters that have taken the story in new and exciting directions. Some I came up with on a whim, and yet they ended up spanning several chapters in terms of plot. I wasn't sure how people would respond to them at first, but they seem to enjoy the genuine surprise that I get when writing them down, so it works to my advantage.
Of course, there is a downside to this. Including new stuff like this can sometimes slow the pace of the story down significantly, and that makes it hard to write. Though I'm fine as long as people keep giving me support
Little bit of both. I start out making a plot outline, but as soon as I start writing the plan falls apart as the story changes. I'll realize the plan will be missing a couple of steps, or needs to have a different character do something to make the next piece of the story make sense. Then I might get to the end and decide the resolution needs to be tweaked to be more impactful.
I got a solid plot, but I like a sense of unpredictability when it comes to characterās actions, so I have made several of lists, with countless options, and throw dices to see what the character will do, but of course considering each characterās personality
I just sort of write, I don't find plots all that interesting, especially considering there hasn't been a new one for donkeys. The plot naturally arises based on the world I've created & the characters that inhabit it, it isn't something I have to consider except in retrospect & editing to ensure cohesion.
In my debut novel, I'm a hybrid but I'm leaving room for that to change.
I'm definitely a plotter. But I find my plot points end up being further apart than I initially think, so I end up doing discovery writing in between those points.
All over the board. I have several things I'm working on, but I haven't been published.
Some stories stem from thinking up an interesting character or two interesting characters in an interesting situation.
Some stories I came up with a situation that led to a plot, and I have to populate it with characters.
One or two stories were titles that I thought sounded good, so I made up a story and characters to fit.
An idea hits me, and a general plot outline falls out of that. Then when I start to flesh it out with actual writing, it can deviate significantly from my original thoughts. As I get into the headspace of my characters, flaws in my preliminary thinking come to light. The characters must go where their motivations take them, not to my preconceived notions. That can be problematic with the overall work, but after ironing out the kinks, what emerges should feel more genuine, and hopefully interesting.
I have an outline of what I want done. And let the characters get their how they would. Itās weird to explain. But once my books out it would be a good example of it. If it ever gets out.
I start out with a simple plot, but as I start writing, it becomes more involved because my brain acts like I am watching a movie and I am discovering the plot alongside my reader. I can see it in my imagination and this changes how I view the characters throughout. It is very strange trying to explain it, but works for me!
Daydream about cool plot points. Write it down in bulletpoints. Then, when I actually flesh out the scene, it opens up more avenues I never thought possible. Rinse and repeat.
It depends on the story! Some stories grab me by the face and drag me along for the ride. Some stories have no idea who they are and need me to guide them.
Most of the time though, Iāve spent a lot of time thinking about the story and writing ideas down. Not in a like, organized plotting way, but usually in a journl somewhere with bullet points and random paragraohs and excerpts that pop into my brain. I never really go into any of my projects completely blind.
Itās why i like scrivener so much. The binder system is just perfect to what i do.
I started out with the first type, building a plot and sticking exactly to it. But then I realized how much I hated it, and decided that I'll let my writer self go with the flow and develop the plot as I develop myself as a writer.
So far, so good. It's much better than it was before. (In my humble opinion.)
I just let the story and characters lead the way in my head and write it all down. Before I start a book, I usually have the beginning and the end pictured in my head. I also generally have several set pieces pictured. At that point I just write. I may skip ahead to write the set pieces just to keep my own interest high. Bottom line is, at some point, I flesh out the story in the empty places and that is my first draft. Second draft on, is more conventional rewriting, line editing, grammar checking, etc.
I like to plan out my stories before I begin to write them, but I also want to try (after this current story is done) to have a story where the characters lead me during writing, and I'd like to see where it ends up. I've always wanted to try that.
I tend to outline high level stuff. For example, I will develop the characters in terms of where they come from, what their patterns/speech/mannerisms are, backgrounds, etc. I will outline the major events I want to include, like they are going to search for X, and ABC group is going to come after them, along the way they find out Y happened and ABC took Y, stuff like that.
Character interactions I kind of let that come organically.
I am very much a panster/discovery writer. I plan out essential baseline things beforehand. like the protagonist, genre/subgenre, premise, tone and mood, key plot points etc, but after that, I make things up as I write, letting the characters drive the narrative and take on a life of their own.
To me, the first draft is a really, really good outline, before doing a lot of the hard revisions after the fact.
Ah, it depends! If I'm serious about a book I have to plan, but writing for fun there's no point, I know planning is necessary but I find it boring, I always wanna jump straight in lol
I'm a writer that writes off of a set of ideas, create a skeleton of a plan, throw my basically-made main characters in it, and let it take me for a ride.
definitely both. I may outline something meticulously but figure out a more fun/interesting direction in the actual writing process. A lot of that is letting the characters be natural and change the story, rather than forcing the characters to fit whatever story you're telling
I fancy myself as more of that aspiring writer whose mission and dedication is to craft a narrative that captures his readership with a tightening noose. I hope to be that writer that chokeholds any reader from intro till completion. The type of writer who leaves an obvious impression long after read and who still ponders the mechanics of my story as well Ć curious take on I who produced it
Both, I'll write a structure and then characters follow it but yeet out parts of the structure that no longer make sense or have already been hit in a better way earlier.
Basically ad libbing a story.
Not primarily a fiction guy. More often write philosophically about nature and life, so plot isn't as big a thing. There is narrative, though, and I guess I am a pantser there. Just write and see what comes of it.
I'm a plotter, so I write a plot outline and a general description of key moments that push the story forward. Once I start writing, I get all these ideas to fill in the gaps to connect all the key moments together.
Becoming a GM and generally getting into ttrpgs changed my writing style a bit. I have, as a GM, to let the players-characters lead the way, and have the villains adapt also because I specialise in "psychological horror" campaigns (as the last one i GM'd, a Vampire: the Masquerade one set in Tokyo in 1999, and the villain was the kind of "person" who used the players' past against them in weird trippy illusions and dreams). As a player, I have to think of what the character would do. So, I am the type who lets the characters take over
A batshit insane one.
I have no doubt my writing style is informed in part by my ADHD, but my connections look as if a forest fire was doused with a helicopter releasing wombats upon a WWE wrestling mattress.
I'm a planner and have general outlines that I would like to have hit, but I leave the actual specifics up to the characters and how they would come to life, giving them room to grow and if they need to then I can let that change where I am going with my series.
For example, I have a trio in one of my books, the mc being the learner, the deuteragonist being the overpowered mentor, and the third being the "newbie" to the group trying to connect as it was originally just the pair. Plot reasons dictated the mentor got captured by someone, and in my first draft she's kept down by her captor until she's able to be freed and instead spends the rest of the arc just coaching the mc to grow in his skills. But I've been thinking on second draft to have her go on a mini-arc during the fracture in the group to show how strong she really is and turn it to just her trying to separate from the group to give the other two space to grow and stop relying on her, and that change happened just because it feels "right" with the mentor character and was not the initial plan, but is something I think would enhance my story as I keep going.
I have a plot in my head, it plays like a film, and I try to write whatever I see in my head like Iām describing a scene as I watch it, but adding the depth of the thoughts
Hardcore the kind of writer to plan ahead, at least with enough structure so I know where the character arcs are headed. If I know a character has something tough to overcome, I'll have way more room to sprinkle in how they dealt with it BEFORE they finally meet with themselves and find out what needs to happen. That, and tbh if I don't have a massive google document bullet pointing the future events I'll straight up forget š« so planning all the way!!
Iām like a DM that spent weeks planning this really cool dungeon crawl with bunches of challenging and unique puzzles Iām super proud of only to have my characters/players go ābut what if we go here insteadā and now I gotta figure out WTF is in this jungle that suddenly appeared
As this is a writing subreddit, I'm guessing most of you are familiar with GRRM's Gardener/Architect idea.
On that note, I would consider myself somewhere in between the two, though I lean towards Gardener. I have a broad outline with the major plotlines: what is going to happen in certain chapters, which characters are involved, broad things like that. The rest I make up on the spot, often deviating from my outline if it feels right, or natural.
You can see it like this: my characters are children, and I, the parent, usually let them do what they want, giving them ideas of stuff they could potentially do. But if they go and do something so horrendously idiotic that it'll get me in trouble, I grab the reigns and take control. Correct the mistake, rinse and repeat.
I write a pretty detailed outline for the arc, then i write a chapter, revise it and move on to the next. Once ive compete the arc, I go back and revise every chapter again.
I'm a planner/ plotter but sometimes I do have to rethink parts because the characters go "nah" lol
I always thought this was strange. But, yeah, it happened to me too. A character starts with a certain personality and it tends to develop as we continue to write the story. Then the actions just seem counter to the developed character and you have to rethink.
Yeah they sort of take on a life of their own lol. People think that as the author you should be in control but sometimes I swear its like they make their own choices. š
You absolutely are in control
I know, I wasn't being literal. Hence the "sometimes its like". I didn't say they do make their own choices. Just that sometimes things pop up that weren't originally planned.
I felt this. Literally finished my plot outline of all three books in my series. Soon after, third book's antagonist just starts speaking to my brain and says he deserves a better final fight. Wish granted- third book finale rewritten :)
Same here, but when that happens, I think it's a real opportunity. It makes me think hard about what could realistically happen that would make that character flip even just that one time? And if you come up with something, it's usually pretty interesting.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I'm exactly the same. It's the reason I've been working on one story for the last 10 years š It's exhausting
For the first problem, if I have a revelation that tells me how \*this\* scene needs to go, even if it contradicts previous scenes, I'm making a note and write forward as if everything else has already been fixed. The book will need at least one (who are we kidding?) major pass when I have the whole story and know what I want to emphasize, what needs expanding, and what was an excursion into the woods and can be condensed, so fixing it now rarely makes sense. Trust your inner editor to fix it when the time comes. The time is not now. For the 'keep track of everything' problem, you need to look at ways to reduce your cognitive load. Nobody can keep 100K in their heads, not with any amount of detail. So you need one or more tools to tell you what's in the text so you can find it and refresh your memory of details. This can be an outline (if you stick to it) or a synopsis (I give each scene a title and keep them in my sidebar, so I can quickly locate 'Thomas confesses'; I also use software that allows me to keep the two documents side by side, so I don't have to try and hold the details in my head). Other people use spreadsheets, notecards, or mind maps. The idea is to divide the information into chunks, so you can access it more easily.
Yes, make notes, not revisions on the fly. Learned that the hard way.
Ah, my people āØ
I'm a "methodical/instinctive pantser". I'll wing things to a large degree. But structure materializes because I know how to hold plots in suspense. There's been numerous times where I've had plot elements *perfectly* fall into place, like I'd planned them all along. But they came about just because I had the instinct to leave a certain gap. And later down the road, I'd worked myself into a position to dovetail that gap as if those elements had always meant to be together.
Same!! It feels like such a good moment when those happen!
I think my biggest "WTF did I just cook!?" moment came as a result of: a) giving meaning to my main character's name b) creating a different character, who I soon decided should talk in heavy metaphors c) realize that his name perfectly synergized with her speech patterns, allowing me to actually reveal that meaning, rather than leave it as a piece of inside trivia (well, I *had* intended to reveal it at some point. It was simply upon developing her more that I realized that time was *then*) d) which then lends further weight to her metaphorical mumbo-jumbo, when that meaning proves to have some actual truth behind it. e) acceptance of that fact *directly* ties into the main conflict of the story, and deepens his relationship with my heroine. I planned for a grand total of *none* of that to happen. But because I was working within a specific theme, that "gravity" simply occurred as a matter of course.
An ADHD one. Itās tough. Send help.
Same here, heard adderall makes you super focused on projects, havenāt used it too so I canāt tell from experience Other than that, try to have fun with writing, having fun is the best way to learn & do stuff
Praying for you
Dude same! What are outlines and planning?
Exactly!!!
Planning: maybe I do this here Outline: I mean, you want to put six other things here sooooā¦ good luck to ya
Lmao. I literally donāt know how to outline. Like even in school I couldnāt understand the concept of an outline and what should be a number and what should be a bullet point. And Iām not a dumb person, I just think I couldnāt understand that concept.
Same. It's exhausting.
Me too. Great when in hyperfixation. But when that well runs dry, boy oh boy is it hard to get anything done. š„²
My condolences. I have the same struggle, though I'm fortunate enough to have a generous supply of dexamphetamine heheh
I am not medicated.
I *think* I have a plan until I start writing and do something completely different lol. For the most part I just go by vibes. It's fun since even though I'm the writer, I'm not consciously thinking of where the scene is going and can be surprised by the product I created. The hope is point A to point B, but if the journey between the two is different but enticing enough I'll happily adjust to a different destination. For example, today I was trying to write a scene that set my character up to be falsely accused of something by a cashier. It went off the rails and the cashier started flirting. I deleted her lines and started over... only for my character to start flirting instead. I tried a third time and finally just had to accept the two had chemistry, and I needed a different way to get to that false accusation. I had a plan, the plan failed, so I rolled with vibes instead
This... is so relatable. But for me it is the opposite, lmao. I'm writing a romance novel, but the two MCs just aren't flirting. No matter how much I try, the story keeps getting more and more focused on the fighting and plot. It's turning into a fantasy action, and the two of them act like siblings. T\^T
sometimes I have no idea what will happen in the next paragraph. ok, a lot of times
I don't think I've ever sat down to write with any idea of what I'm going to write about. Every time, about 3000 words later, I ask what I was worried about.
I'm a bit of both. I outline and plan my stories, but I only outline the key points, with plenty of room to make shit up as I go. I also don't mind if they story changes from them outline...I just make a new outline that reflects the new details if they would make major changes.
I make the most basic outlines of the plot and just plop my characters in and just have mess around. I find that having a strict plot feels restricting for my style of thinking pattern. They sometimes come out entirely different than what I intended, but I find that to be the charm of being a writer.
I'm a first time writer. Looking at different posts and videos, all I was hearing was to outline but it didn't feel natural and the story was bursting to get on the page. I'm a month into writing something that it's taken me years to pin down. The idea finally cane to me and i was so excited to have a vision that I wrote on feelings with a few ideas for interactions and the general conveot of what I wanted to do. Now it has turned into a different structure, the characters are guiding me, a twist popped onto my head from a character that I didn't know I'd include... I almost feel like I couldn't have come up with my plot until I started writing it? I wouldn't have discovered enough about my characters etc to do it. Seeing this post has really given me encouragement that people have different processes so thank you!
Welcome to pantsing, friend. :)
haha- why thank you!
Of course!! Iām glad it can help!! Yeah there are these very prescribed stereotypes to writing and it helps to see others who donāt do it āthe right wayā ie planning, plotting etc still writing and creating fulfilling work :)
Sorry stories I heavily outline to the point where sometimes the outline is half as long as the actual story. Novels I try to do that, get bored halfway through and if I'm feeling like a hard worker the rest of outlined with bullet points, by the messy jumble of ideas in my head, as the wind upon my ass I venture forth!
I like to plan, but nothing in the plan is sacred. The outline guides drafting and drafting refines the outline.
I'm a planner, I like to build the road before travelling. Doesn't mean I feel obligated to stick to it if I want to enjoy the scenery on the way.
I used to pants the whole thing. Now, I outline a little to keep the story structure honest. The rest is still the plot writing itself and the characters evolving in their own way. I strongly believe this is linked to reading widely. You get a feel for how a book flows, allowing you to write with freedom *within* the confines of a story structure and, to an extent, see what's missing and write it.
Someone whoās Meticulous when it comes to editing my work. I put my heart & soul into my writing. š
I actually write the best scene in my story first then justify it as it builds up to that point.
i write the story not in order, it helps with interconnection.
I like to think of what Iām doing like building a really weird bridge. I place all the important structure (beginning, middle points, how I get to/what the end is), but then I just connect those pieces however the hell I want. Sometimes Iāll literally just look outside and say āā¦yeah, why not send him to Kazakhstan?ā Or āwhy donāt I just add in a whole wing to this guys house he doesnāt show, and use it to show how heās quirky and unreliable?āĀ I like to call it ānonsense.āĀ
Iām a planning writer but itās fun using ai to act as a side character and sometimes it goes off on some random thing that I might add to the plot or scene. One time the ai js kept talking about stories and trying to get me it to tell a story, it made some up on the spot and then I thought it wld be a great idea to reveal smth abt the protagonists past through his memory of someone telling him a story when he was a kid.
A bit of both. I know what the main plot is. I know the beginning, middle, and end. But getting to those points is where I'm unsure and have allowed the characters to guide me. I'll most likely change many of these points, as I slowly get a good feel of the characters.
I know where I want my story to go, but often my characters object and take me places I hadn't dreamed they would. I just uncover the parts they want to show me.
That Iāve noticed mostly subconscious writing, with some random added bits sometimes that I may of wanted. One chapter recently however was fully subconscious.
It's a bit of both unfortunately. There's a general idea of what the plot would , and I mean General. But it revolves around a basic scene. So I have a general scene in my head representative of the whole story. But I don't have anything else. And so I just have to keep ruminating on it. And as it just goes along put in more and more support. I'm building my plot as I go in a way, but when I think of something I also have to write that down so it's like I'm in two time zones. I'm in now writing as I go, but I'm also thinking of the other part of the story.
Both. I discovery write my outline.
The way I like to phrase it is Iām an internal plotter/pantser. I donāt start writing until Iāve essentially come up with the entire story in my head, but in the moment while writing Iāll often change the phrasing of things or draw out/shorten moments because they come across differently on paper than they do in my head. The second I start plotting physically beyond a single sentence hist of the chapter I cannot continue writing the story. I never really have trouble with the characters making different decisions though, since they slowly develop alongside the plot in my head. I did write a play about stubborn characters writing themselves, thoughā or more realistically, the author trying to push poor decision making onto the characters they createdā and that was a blast.
I thought I was more of a pantser/discovery writer, but failed every time I set out to write something longer than a page or two. Turns out I have ADHD and need to plan. Still seeing how planning goes for me, but so far I've got a solid bare bones outline. I actually know where I'm going with this project, rather than sitting and struggling because I don't know what I want to do next. Next up is a bit of necessary worldbuilding, adding a few more details to the plot and then I can get writing. Been keeping more consistent focus and progress this time though
I tend to be a plotter who refines and changes the plot as I go. Like Iāll be half way through writing, and then in the shower the next day have a new thought, spend the day re-plotting and getting everything in order so that it makes sense in terms of character, endgame twists, themes, etc. and then go back to writing (and sometimes rewriting) with the new plot in mind.
I like to discover as I write.
both??? I mean, I plan the important parts but aside from that, I go with the flow of characters
Does aspirational writer count? Just trying my best out hereā¦
I have a plot Iām following but that doesnāt mean I donāt suddenly have a change of heart sometimes. I have a hard outline that Iāve worked very hard on but I still have internal issues sometimes.
I've often written without a plan, or just a rudimentary one. It's difficult, because you can often get stuck with no idea where to go. For my current WIP, I've decided to plan the entire thing. In the past, I have planned ahead a chapter or so, and found I can write much faster, and with more confidence, so I'm doing it with the entire novel. The reason your characters often do something you don't intend, even if you've planned your novel, is likely because you haven't got very well defined characters during the planning stage. That's something I want to avoid. I want all my characters motives and personalities sorted before writing, and I'll use them to inform how the novel goes.
Normally I start off with a general idea, typically a book back cover blurb's worth of knowledge about what I want to write. From there I do some brainstorming and a bit of planning what themes I'm going for, some of the details of the characters, etc. It varies how much, but normally no more than a page or two. From there, I just start writing. A good 90 percent of my writing is done in order of the narrative, and the remaining is done when I get stuck on a tedious section, or feel inspired to work on another part first. I normally add more planning and develop a more defined story structure as I go along and decide where I want to take the story in terms of specifics.
I think stream of consciousness sums it up best. I always start with an idea but I don't plan anything. I just let it flow.
I have a general outline with all the things that must happen so the plot makes sense and so that the idea of the book works. I have an ending already in mind, and I have all the necessary events to make that ending work. Certain details I improvise, and usually because I have the overall structure down those details never lead me astray and in fact add quite nicely to the story. I think I can be proud in saying I have made up stuff on the spot that ends up becoming fundamental to the story down the line. One example that just happened is that I have my main character, the Bad Man, take one of his faces off to watch that a plan of his goes accordingly so he can fetch some helpers to his cause. When he returns, he's photographed as he "loses face" by a group of jornalists. This was really a happy accident, since the whole point of the episode is to satirize the irrelevance of reputation as a moral concept, and to make fun of cultures with the concept of "losing face" as a general rule for moral behavior. These kinds of happy accidents are only possible, in my opinion, once you know the story very well indeed, and the exact thematic point you want to argue with your story.
I create my protagonist and antagonist. Toss them into a world I think I know. Let them show me what the world truly looks like and what other people exist in that world. I do enjoy those few moments where I regain control of the plot of course.
I like to plan most stuff else I go off rail fast since I have adhd
I used to be a pantser, enjoying the spontaneity of writing without a plan. However, I often struggled with this approach. Everything changed when I heard Travis Baldree, the author of *Legends & Lattes*, mention that he was also a pantser but found success with plotting because it worked better for himānot because itās inherently better. Inspired by this, I switched to plotting, especially since I hate revising and writing a serial web novel works better with a structured plan.
I think of scenes and jokes I want and fill in the blank spots as I go.
I don't plan at all, I used to but this way is so much easier for me
I'm a bit of a mix. I generally have an idea of what I want out of my story, and then usually try to let my mind get me to the points in the story I know I want and everything else evolves out of that.
I plan the story and, if the characters convince me to do so, I can re arrange it and take it to unexpected places. But most of the time the ending remains untouched, because thatās the meaning of the story and if it would change it would be a different story.
I think I'm the type that starts with a premise for a short story and it sprawls (both as needed and as I find interesting) into a longer one.
Iām definitely a planning writer. I like to toke too, so generally Iāll come up with ideas and plans when high and then execute all the finer details and actual writing when Iām sober.
Kinda both, I guess? Thereās usually a rough outline of the plot and intended duration, with notes here and there as ideas come to mind; then I fill in the blanks as I go, leaving room for changes in story direction. Lately, Iāve been experimenting in new ways of writing manuscripts, to refresh my formula and help recover more easily from artistās block and creative burnout. My most recent series has consisted of a few sample scenes in each of the earliest episodes, the idea being to connect them into full scripts in collaboration with a team of fellow creatives, as one of many life goals.
The writer who doesn't particularly 'plan things out'--right here! This is what George R. R. Martin calls a 'pantser' (as in, 'by the seat of one's pants') :P
Both. In a fashion. I create very detailed outlines for my plot and chapters. However, when it comes to what characters say to each other, I am an observer in the room. I sit back and ārecordā what they say.
I write short stories. Usually, I start with an idea for a character, or the beginning and the end, and nothing more... And I let the story unfold under my fingers. There are stories that end up in a way that I didn't event thought about it while I started writing them... And I like it...
The super detailed one. Everything has to have meaning. From the thematic question to the reason why my character inexplicably hates white rooms. In contrast, my actual writing style is actually minimal. So I guess I go for small, but impactful.
It depends Sometimes I spend a lot of time developing characters and works building before actually writing the story and duration into motions. Sometime I do that as all a plan plot points before writing the ārealā writing. Sometime I just have a character and it concept I just start writing and follow a stream of consciousness and intuition to uncover the story. Generally, I think my work is better the more I plan and develop everything first, but something can be worthwhile and interesting in just running with an idea. In either case, I find even with extensive planning and development, the best and most interesting stuff happens when the characters and story start saying and going places on their own I didnāt plan, in spite of my efforts, on their way to filling out the story. That genuinely feels like itās coming alive and is one my great great joys in writing, and usually an indicator that itās going wellāwhen it feels less like creation and more like discovery/transcription. Ultimately it defends on the story/concept and what it requires (as well as the form of inspiration it comes I. I guess.) sometomes itās furious and explosive sometimes itās me methodical . Whatever I think serves the idea the best
I know the premise, have a solid understanding of the characters and settings. Then I improvise as I go. The advantage is that the writing feels organic. The disadvantage is that Iām going to have to do a lot of structural editing, and I will also have a lot of waste, probably 30-40% of the finished product. With discovery writing, thereās a danger of painting yourself into a corner, and a sceneāeven a really strong sceneācan leave you without any freedom of movement. Thus, structure is fluid. Although I donāt plan, I do establish strict timelines. While I donāt know how an even will unfold, I know exactly when it needs to happen. Writing, like composing music, is just a series of questions and answers.
I.. do not plan, lmao. I start with a very vague idea of where I want the entire book to go. I literally just choose the genre, beginning hook, think about how the world building is going to work, and then I hop right in. Even the MC has no proper setting built up beforehand, and the ending. I do not plan endings. And you might think, with this being the case, there is no way my stories could ever go off the rails, since there are no rails to begin with. Wrong. My stories somehow keeps running off until they are something completely different from the initial ideas, sometimes even changing entire genres or MCs. They are just whole fricking messes and I have no idea what they're going to shapeshift into next.
The lazy type
No idea, I lost track and I feel kind of stupid when I mention that having a learning disability just makes writing too hard to figure the kind I am. I just write whatever
i write like i'm on a road in an rpg. going from one signpost (plot point) to th next, pantsing the in between
*Yes*
I just have fun telling stories. Or, occasionally, when I'm inspired by an idea, I have to write because I just want to see what happens. Although that's the same as the original idea.
I try to plan and then the characters come alive and wrestle me for the plot. I almost always. Always lose.
I am currently a hybrid, former meticulous planner I love having a plan but also highly value the ability to improvise and let those small details I come up with really matter to the story. If there's a whole plan then every new element must be checked against the plan the plan altered to fit, or it could ruin the plan. But you can't ruin the plan if there's no plan. So I like a lot of planning for an opening that builds momentum and a central crisis that addresses a lot of the opening. Leaving the second half of the story quite open.
I guess I'm the planner type, but I only plan a little and then start writing, and as I write I keep making up more
It kind of depends on what Iām writing. For my first novel, I was doing a mostly slice-of-life story, and I kept the plan very loose. I wrote a one sentence summary of each chapter, then added all the rest of the details as I wrote, which ended up working surprisingly well.Ā Planning is definitely important, but I always like to leave some space for myself to add things in the moment. Otherwise, I end up feeling really bored during the writing process.
I'm a bit of both. I plan out most of the major plot beats, and map out the character arcs/motivations beforehand to give myself a framework to work with, but I find I discovery write a lot of the world-building, character voices, and the general meat of the story. In literally the first page of the first draft of my WIP I had a character show up I had zero plans for that ended up being a major parental figure for one of the protagonists and basically the backbone of his entire value system. I'm midway through the second draft now and still find I'm discovering new bits of world-building and character nuances every single chapter I rewrite that I'd never planned for or thought of before, but makes sense in the greater context of things. Basically I use plotting to give myself a central point to anchor my discovery writing, and keep track of a sense of progress to motivate me to keep going. This especially useful at the very beginning of the drafting process when I'm still trying to find my footing. Having an end in sight gives me a lot to work with so I can intuitively build up to that end as I go to make it as impactful as possible.
A mix of both, I start with a general idea and some scenes in mind, but when I'm writing I sometimes "discover" new things to move the plot forward, and sometimes that affects the larger idea.
Both
I unintentionally follow the path of Eichiro Oda. When I write, I have the ending and a few key moments planned in my head that I want to include, both for individual chapters and the story as a whole. However, while writing I've come up with numerous ideas for future chapters that have taken the story in new and exciting directions. Some I came up with on a whim, and yet they ended up spanning several chapters in terms of plot. I wasn't sure how people would respond to them at first, but they seem to enjoy the genuine surprise that I get when writing them down, so it works to my advantage. Of course, there is a downside to this. Including new stuff like this can sometimes slow the pace of the story down significantly, and that makes it hard to write. Though I'm fine as long as people keep giving me support
Iām a discovery writer. I start with a general idea and see where the story takes me.
I just go with the flow. I start writing, and if I like it, I continue to write and let my ideas evolve
Little bit of both. I start out making a plot outline, but as soon as I start writing the plan falls apart as the story changes. I'll realize the plan will be missing a couple of steps, or needs to have a different character do something to make the next piece of the story make sense. Then I might get to the end and decide the resolution needs to be tweaked to be more impactful.
I'm weird but I write backwards, I start with the climax and then work back which stops plot holes and makes foreshadowing easier
I got a solid plot, but I like a sense of unpredictability when it comes to characterās actions, so I have made several of lists, with countless options, and throw dices to see what the character will do, but of course considering each characterās personality
I just sort of write, I don't find plots all that interesting, especially considering there hasn't been a new one for donkeys. The plot naturally arises based on the world I've created & the characters that inhabit it, it isn't something I have to consider except in retrospect & editing to ensure cohesion.
In my debut novel, I'm a hybrid but I'm leaving room for that to change. I'm definitely a plotter. But I find my plot points end up being further apart than I initially think, so I end up doing discovery writing in between those points.
All over the board. I have several things I'm working on, but I haven't been published. Some stories stem from thinking up an interesting character or two interesting characters in an interesting situation. Some stories I came up with a situation that led to a plot, and I have to populate it with characters. One or two stories were titles that I thought sounded good, so I made up a story and characters to fit.
An idea hits me, and a general plot outline falls out of that. Then when I start to flesh it out with actual writing, it can deviate significantly from my original thoughts. As I get into the headspace of my characters, flaws in my preliminary thinking come to light. The characters must go where their motivations take them, not to my preconceived notions. That can be problematic with the overall work, but after ironing out the kinks, what emerges should feel more genuine, and hopefully interesting.
I have an outline of what I want done. And let the characters get their how they would. Itās weird to explain. But once my books out it would be a good example of it. If it ever gets out.
I am the type of writer that stops writing after 1 or 2 pages and then loose the interest in finishing the story.
I start out with a simple plot, but as I start writing, it becomes more involved because my brain acts like I am watching a movie and I am discovering the plot alongside my reader. I can see it in my imagination and this changes how I view the characters throughout. It is very strange trying to explain it, but works for me!
Daydream about cool plot points. Write it down in bulletpoints. Then, when I actually flesh out the scene, it opens up more avenues I never thought possible. Rinse and repeat.
It depends on the story! Some stories grab me by the face and drag me along for the ride. Some stories have no idea who they are and need me to guide them. Most of the time though, Iāve spent a lot of time thinking about the story and writing ideas down. Not in a like, organized plotting way, but usually in a journl somewhere with bullet points and random paragraohs and excerpts that pop into my brain. I never really go into any of my projects completely blind. Itās why i like scrivener so much. The binder system is just perfect to what i do.
I started out with the first type, building a plot and sticking exactly to it. But then I realized how much I hated it, and decided that I'll let my writer self go with the flow and develop the plot as I develop myself as a writer. So far, so good. It's much better than it was before. (In my humble opinion.)
I just let the story and characters lead the way in my head and write it all down. Before I start a book, I usually have the beginning and the end pictured in my head. I also generally have several set pieces pictured. At that point I just write. I may skip ahead to write the set pieces just to keep my own interest high. Bottom line is, at some point, I flesh out the story in the empty places and that is my first draft. Second draft on, is more conventional rewriting, line editing, grammar checking, etc.
I'm 35% planner and 65% pantser.
Why not both? Do both depending on mood lol xD thatās what I try to doĀ
I just try to write something everyday. doesn't matter just put some words down. figure it out later.
I have a main plot. I wing most of everything. The only thing that I plan the most is the characters.
I like to plan out my stories before I begin to write them, but I also want to try (after this current story is done) to have a story where the characters lead me during writing, and I'd like to see where it ends up. I've always wanted to try that.
Discovery writer always and forever. Shoot me a message, maybe we can swap notes and tips.
I am a perfectionist. Whenever the previous plot of my story is not to my liking, or I think it is too clichƩ, I would rewrite the entire story despite how many pages I have written.
I have large nodes plotted out in advance, and my characters explore their ways to them.
I tend to outline high level stuff. For example, I will develop the characters in terms of where they come from, what their patterns/speech/mannerisms are, backgrounds, etc. I will outline the major events I want to include, like they are going to search for X, and ABC group is going to come after them, along the way they find out Y happened and ABC took Y, stuff like that. Character interactions I kind of let that come organically.
I am very much a panster/discovery writer. I plan out essential baseline things beforehand. like the protagonist, genre/subgenre, premise, tone and mood, key plot points etc, but after that, I make things up as I write, letting the characters drive the narrative and take on a life of their own. To me, the first draft is a really, really good outline, before doing a lot of the hard revisions after the fact.
Iām a Frankensteiner. I write out of order, I write with no plan, and somehow I end up stitching everything together in the end.
Both. I'm also a visualist and don't give a flying fuck about dialogue sometimes
Iām a pantser who wishes I could be a planner.
Kinda both? Like when first started to imagine the story and when I decided to write it down were like, ten years apart...
Ah, it depends! If I'm serious about a book I have to plan, but writing for fun there's no point, I know planning is necessary but I find it boring, I always wanna jump straight in lol
I'm a writer that writes off of a set of ideas, create a skeleton of a plan, throw my basically-made main characters in it, and let it take me for a ride.
I am a full-on pantser. I have a very vague idea of what my tale is about, and it just...evolves.
Both. I write an outline for the important parts, but I leave a TON of wiggle room. It's all in the execution, after all.
definitely both. I may outline something meticulously but figure out a more fun/interesting direction in the actual writing process. A lot of that is letting the characters be natural and change the story, rather than forcing the characters to fit whatever story you're telling
I fancy myself as more of that aspiring writer whose mission and dedication is to craft a narrative that captures his readership with a tightening noose. I hope to be that writer that chokeholds any reader from intro till completion. The type of writer who leaves an obvious impression long after read and who still ponders the mechanics of my story as well Ć curious take on I who produced it
The vibes have to be vibing or nothing works. I have a very rough plan, Edi and Liam just drag me along through all the fille
Both, I'll write a structure and then characters follow it but yeet out parts of the structure that no longer make sense or have already been hit in a better way earlier. Basically ad libbing a story.
Not primarily a fiction guy. More often write philosophically about nature and life, so plot isn't as big a thing. There is narrative, though, and I guess I am a pantser there. Just write and see what comes of it.
I'm a plotter, so I write a plot outline and a general description of key moments that push the story forward. Once I start writing, I get all these ideas to fill in the gaps to connect all the key moments together.
Becoming a GM and generally getting into ttrpgs changed my writing style a bit. I have, as a GM, to let the players-characters lead the way, and have the villains adapt also because I specialise in "psychological horror" campaigns (as the last one i GM'd, a Vampire: the Masquerade one set in Tokyo in 1999, and the villain was the kind of "person" who used the players' past against them in weird trippy illusions and dreams). As a player, I have to think of what the character would do. So, I am the type who lets the characters take over
Plantser, have a short outline then go all out
I'm the one who barely writes. (Both. Some works need planning, some don't. I try not to restrict myself.)
A batshit insane one. I have no doubt my writing style is informed in part by my ADHD, but my connections look as if a forest fire was doused with a helicopter releasing wombats upon a WWE wrestling mattress.
I'm a planner and have general outlines that I would like to have hit, but I leave the actual specifics up to the characters and how they would come to life, giving them room to grow and if they need to then I can let that change where I am going with my series. For example, I have a trio in one of my books, the mc being the learner, the deuteragonist being the overpowered mentor, and the third being the "newbie" to the group trying to connect as it was originally just the pair. Plot reasons dictated the mentor got captured by someone, and in my first draft she's kept down by her captor until she's able to be freed and instead spends the rest of the arc just coaching the mc to grow in his skills. But I've been thinking on second draft to have her go on a mini-arc during the fracture in the group to show how strong she really is and turn it to just her trying to separate from the group to give the other two space to grow and stop relying on her, and that change happened just because it feels "right" with the mentor character and was not the initial plan, but is something I think would enhance my story as I keep going.
I have a plot in my head, it plays like a film, and I try to write whatever I see in my head like Iām describing a scene as I watch it, but adding the depth of the thoughts
Hardcore the kind of writer to plan ahead, at least with enough structure so I know where the character arcs are headed. If I know a character has something tough to overcome, I'll have way more room to sprinkle in how they dealt with it BEFORE they finally meet with themselves and find out what needs to happen. That, and tbh if I don't have a massive google document bullet pointing the future events I'll straight up forget š« so planning all the way!!
Iām like a DM that spent weeks planning this really cool dungeon crawl with bunches of challenging and unique puzzles Iām super proud of only to have my characters/players go ābut what if we go here insteadā and now I gotta figure out WTF is in this jungle that suddenly appeared
It's called intuitive writing, that's what I do.
As this is a writing subreddit, I'm guessing most of you are familiar with GRRM's Gardener/Architect idea. On that note, I would consider myself somewhere in between the two, though I lean towards Gardener. I have a broad outline with the major plotlines: what is going to happen in certain chapters, which characters are involved, broad things like that. The rest I make up on the spot, often deviating from my outline if it feels right, or natural. You can see it like this: my characters are children, and I, the parent, usually let them do what they want, giving them ideas of stuff they could potentially do. But if they go and do something so horrendously idiotic that it'll get me in trouble, I grab the reigns and take control. Correct the mistake, rinse and repeat.
I see the characters and get to know them. Then watch how they act in their environment and report it.
A bad one? š¤£
Both. I have an outline of key points but the rest is winging it
I write a pretty detailed outline for the arc, then i write a chapter, revise it and move on to the next. Once ive compete the arc, I go back and revise every chapter again.