In episode 118 of the Life Writers Vlog, we discuss a word—pantser—I’ve heard a lot lately but didn’t know what it meant until recently.
Pantsing, plotting, and plantsing are three different approaches to writing.
No one way is better than the other. The trick is to figure out what works best for you as you sit, primed, ready to write.
Does throwing words onto a page and following where they take you serve you better than outlining and mapping your story in advance? Or does a little planning and allowing the story to take you where it will do the job for you?
Tell us about your writing method in the comments section below. But always remember, The only way to do this wrong is to not do it at all!
If you need a laugh, watch what happens behind the scenes when I can’t get my tongue untangled. I entertain myself filming these vlogs.
I’ll get this in the correct spot yet. Once a pantser, always a pantser? I have tried plotting, hoping to, at least become a
plantser. No luck. My mind doesn’t work that way. I remain a pantser.
In the 1960s, Life Magazine printed the first pages of an unfinished Mark Twain manuscript. The Life editor explained that Twain wrote without a plot plan, and the story was venturing into a topic that Twain didn’t want to explore so he abandoned it. Up until reading the Life issue, I assumed that all authors planned out their book before starting. Today we’d call Twain a Pantser. Back then, the Life issue opened my eyes to another way of writing, but I’m still a plotter.
Pantser, through and through. I get an idea and start developing the story as I remember it happened. Not sure how you plot a life experience you had as a child. I think the facts should flow from memory and create the story. That’s my two cents.
I agree!
I agree, well done Betty.
I am a Pantser, wild and free,
No plot or plan to anchor me.
Not a Plotter, with charts so neat,
Nor a Plantser, blending both to meet.
I write with heart, let stories flow,
Where they’ll end, I never know.
In my memoir, about a trailblazer’s journey
This spirit shines, a true life’s tourney.
My journey’s bold, my path unique,
A Pantser’s tale, no need to tweak.
In the world of words, I take my chance,
A wanderer’s tale, a daring dance.
Well said. I love this!
Well done!
I am definitely a pantser. I wrote my memoir entirely by sitting in front of my computer and recollecting the events. But then I was not as knowledgeable about writing as I am now. Still, when I started to work on book two, I continued my practice of writing on a spur of the moment. It works well for me, however, now as I am writing a new scene and something pops into my mind, I make a note on the side to come back and read it again to figure our with a plan of where in my book… Read more »
I’m definitely a Pantser. If I come up with an idea a subject or am given a prompt, my mind set instantly creates motion. It is then a matter of time, usually short, before I sit down and write. All takes form on the page and the first draft comes naturally from start to end in one breath. It can be a short sigh or exhalation over weeks, but it follows a path of integrity. Then the editing process can take place. These days as I am in the process of writing a book I use the Plotter approach as… Read more »
Interesting statement, Thierry, “ Terrorized to show up as a writer!”. At first I read that as terrified, imposing my own feeling of imposter syndrome. But “terrorized” is totally different. I’d get a new instructor if I felt that!
Can’t wait to hear how it turns out.
I’m both. I started with Patricia’s Story Anatomy form, which is a simple, main points, outline. I like the questions “what is the central issue?” and “what resolves the issue”. These days I rely less on the form. I start with a story concept, and visualize beginning and end. Key words will come to me and I’ll write them down. Then I’ll think of a few phrases and sentences and write them down. All of this goes on a legal pad, in no order, sometimes written sideways, and I’ll add a few doodles. At some point I open up Word… Read more »
Dave, you just came up with a new definition for a writer. An assembler-I like that.
I’m happy to now know about these fun words. I guess I’m a classic Panster. I love idea of shaping a plot, but haven’t seen that come naturally. Fashioning a story arc is not something I’m even sure how to do before I write a draft. The story in my head comes out on the page, then I edit and try to add all the proper pieces afterward. Several edits help me begin and end the story better than the first draft. I’ve thought of plot as something made up for non-fiction stories. Is plotting unnatural for memoir? I look… Read more »
Kit, I took some classes on writing memoir and I have not heard the word plot in any of them. What I heard though were the words “sky writing. Arc, a heroes journey” memoirs and fiction are different animals. Ha ha.