Many an author has been asked: ‘Are you a plotter or a pantser?’
The answer will provide insight into a key component of the author’s method of writing.
What is a “plotter” and a “pantser”?
A plotter is someone who writes after plotting or outlining their story.
A pantser is someone who doesn’t.
The term “plotter” is usually used to describe someone who, before sitting down to write their book, has written pages of notes, diagrammed their plot or covered a wall in those sticky post-it notes.*
*Yellow is the colour that first comes to mind when I think of that, but of course, they could be any colour.
*Alternatively, there are various apps and programs that allow you to do this virtually.
The term “pantser” comes from the expression “fly by the seat of your pants”. Pantsers make decisions (on the plot) as they go along.*
*As you probably know (or can easily look up), the idiom “fly by the seat of your pants” has another (far more negative) meaning but that does not apply in this context.
For example, a pantser may start with a idea for a character and then sit down and start to write their novel.
You may hear other labels used. Plotters are sometimes called outliners (for obvious reasons). On the other hand, a pantser may be referred to as a discovery writer. To my ears, this is a nicer term and one that paints a better picture of the writer: one discovering the plot as they write (or what would happen in a certain circumstance, etc).
George R.R. Martin uses the terms architects (meaning, plotters) and gardeners (meaning, pantsers). He describes himself more of a gardener. You can find a great interview here (it’s under 5 minutes).
Somewhere in between?
Some people talk about plotters and pantsers in a binary way, like it’s a rigid dichotomy: you’re either one or the other.
Others acknowledge a middle ground. Some of those people like to label it: a plantser. A plantser is a part plotter and part pantser. They undertake some measure of preparation before writing, but leave a good amount to discovery.
Personally, I like to think that about it as a spectrum. If this spectrum was represented by a band of colours (like seen in a rainbow), I’m sure you’d find writers of all colours. That has a nice ring to it.
So, to me, it’s not a question of “to outline or not to outline”, but how much outlining (if any) (and in what form) suits you, at present, for this project. I expand on that below, under Don’t Ask Which is Best, please.
What’s a “puzzler”?
Plotters (/outliners), pantsers (/discovery writers) and plantsers are the most common terms.
On occasion, you may also hear the term puzzler. A puzzler is a writer who has various pieces—a character, a scene, a subplot, etc—and slowly puts them together (yes, like connecting puzzle pieces). They don’t necessary write in chronological order. As they join more and more pieces together, the novel (or, the “picture”, if you will) emerges.
Famous Plotters
J.K. Rowling is a famous plotter. There are plenty of pictures online of her spreadsheets (or grids, if you will) which she used when writing Harry Potter. These captured the chapter number, time (e.g., month of the school year), chapter title and plot (or chapter outline), plus ones for certain subplots or character interactions.
Crime writer Jeffery Deaver said in an interview:
“I do an extensive outline. My outline for The Never Game was 150 pages long. It includes every element of the plot. All the clues are seeded in. I know when each character enters the story and when they leave. I start with post-it notes on the bulletin board in my office and move them around after about two months when I have all the scenes and chapters figured out with a small notation as to what’s going on. Then I move to the computer and I adjust the outline again and again and again. Finally, at the end of that seven or eight months, I have the outline. I know exactly where the book’s going to go and I put it in front of me along with the research and I write the book very quickly. I can write 110,000-word book in about a month and a half or two months.”
Famous Pantsers
Above, I mentioned that George R.R. Martin considers himself more of a pantser. In the interview that I provided a link for, he says that, for him, the discovery process is “what makes the journey interesting”.
Stephen King is another famous pantser. He’s also a harsh critic of plotting. In his well-known book entitled “On Writing”, he says that he distrusts plot “because our lives are largely plotless” and because he believes that “plotting and the spontaneity of real creation aren’t compatible”. He doesn’t hold back, continuing to say: “Plot is, I think, the good writer’s last resort and the dullard’s first choice.”
I couldn’t disagree with him more. Of course, pantsing is what works for him, and obviously it has worked very well. But that doesn’t mean it works well for everyone. There’s no right or wrong way to approach writing a book.
I did enjoy learning about his process though (and find many other nuggets of wisdom in his book). He said that, for him:
“The situation comes first. The characters – always flat and unfeatured, to begin with – come next. Once these things are fixed in my mind, I begin to narrate. I often have an idea of what the outcome may be, but I have never demanded of a set of characters that they do things my way. On the contrary, I want them to do things their way.”
Don’t Ask Which is Best, please
I’ve heard plotter vs. pantser called “an age-old debate” or the “eternal writer debate”. You’ll find many an article online providing lists of pros and cons about them. I’m not going to proclaim the virtues of one method over another.
I’d suggest that, if you haven’t already, you look to find your personal approach. That is, look to understand your natural writing style. Then, honour that!
You’ll have to experiment to find what works for you at time point in time and for this story—noting that your style may evolve or change depending on the project you’re working on. (Nope, there’s no blood test or scan you can take, haha.)
So, you could test a different approach with an open mind, notice what works and what doesn’t about that approach and reflect upon what you’ve learnt about yourself. The approach you test doesn’t have to be at the opposite end of the spectrum of where you currently see yourself, it could be plotting a little more, a little less or in a different manner.
For example, let’s say you try plotting more than you currently do. If, when you sit down to write having completed that plotting (to whatever extent you’ve chosen), you constantly find that knowing where you are heading has sucked the joy out of writing for you, you’ve likely tried to plot too much.
On the flipside, if you try pantsing (again, with an open mind and for more than a day) but find yourself constantly nervous, with no idea what to write and getting lost all the time, maybe you need a little more guidance when you’re writing your draft.
Through trial and error, you can find your style. And that style can change over time, be open to that too.
Again, there is no right or wrong style, just the style that works best for you.
Yes, Kane. But what type are you?
Okay, me, I’m more of a plotter than a pantser. I like to have the bones of my story in place and an understanding of my world and characters. But I haven’t got every detail down.
If writing was like going for a long walk, I’ve packed key provisions and I’ve got a good map (including with all the main sights marked on it), but I’m still going to discover a lot along the way. That’s what works for me.