This week, I'm discussing the outcome of the goals I set for my writing for 2010. The first was to finish the rewrites of an old project. Success! The second was to dive into a new project. Sort of success... And the third was to outline said new project instead of writing by the seat of my pants. I wanted footprints to follow. On every other project, I winged it, and the amount of revision and rewriting has been overwhelming.
Well, I'll call this a success. I did attempt to outline my current project. It's a very sketchy outline, but still an outline. I have narrowed down the major plot points and the character goals, motivation, and conflict, but everything in between is still up in the air. I decided I'm not much of an outliner. When I tried to plot chapter by chapter, I lost enthusiasm for the project and I felt lost rather than guided. There's nothing wrong with being a pantser, and there's nothing wrong with being a plotter. Is there anything wrong with being an in-betweener? I guess I'll find out in the coming months as I proceed with this project in that fashion.
What about you? Do you plot, or do you wing it? Or are you an in-betweener like me?
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Footprints Lead the Way
This week, I'm discussing the outcome of the goals I set for my writing for 2010. The first was to finish the rewrites of an old project. Success! The second was to dive into a new project. Sort of success... And the third was to outline said new project instead of writing by the seat of my pants. I wanted footprints to follow. On every other project, I winged it, and the amount of revision and rewriting has been overwhelming.
Well, I'll call this a success. I did attempt to outline my current project. It's a very sketchy outline, but still an outline. I have narrowed down the major plot points and the character goals, motivation, and conflict, but everything in between is still up in the air. I decided I'm not much of an outliner. When I tried to plot chapter by chapter, I lost enthusiasm for the project and I felt lost rather than guided. There's nothing wrong with being a pantser, and there's nothing wrong with being a plotter. Is there anything wrong with being an in-betweener? I guess I'll find out in the coming months as I proceed with this project in that fashion.
What about you? Do you plot, or do you wing it? Or are you an in-betweener like me?
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I'm sort of a plantser--a variation on in-betweener! I have the general outine in my head. I know how it starts out, where it will end, and the major milestones in between. I've tried to map it out on paper, but the most I end up with is a timeline to keep the plot tight. Anything beyond that and I get all jammed up and loose enthusiasm. I like watching some story elements develop all on thier own--that's where the excitement is for me and how I keep my momentum.
I'm so with you as an in-betweener. I tend to plot out an overall outline but I'm not afraid for the characters to take a turn and freak me out :)
In-betweener. I make guided notes and then let my characters run free.
They like their freedom. I won't rob them of that.
~ Wendy
I'm a mix of both. I'll do a rough outline chapter-to-chapter of the major points that need to happen. But it's a fluid outline. I leave plenty of room for my story to grow organically.
Congrats on the success!
I'm an inbetweener too. Sometimes it just depends on the story and how much of it I see in my mind before I start writing.
Ummm, to be honest. I don't do either. When I get an idea, it comes to me fully formed. The story is just THERE. I have no better way to explain this....
I am a pantster to begin with. I have plotted first, but then felt the heart drop out of things, it and mine. Now I write then plot. After I've gone through things a few times, I do a more formal plot to set things right timeline wise. I find it works if I play to my strengths and not another writer's. No matter how successful.
I appreciate your honesty with plotter issues. I feel the same way. Like medicine--it may be good for me, but I don't like taking it.
There's nothing wrong with being an inbetweener. But I'm not one. I do plan out almost scene by scene but there is so much room when I go to write to let my creativity rein. In fact, my writing is terrible without the confines of structure and an outline. I've tried. Can't do it. And I can't start writing because I'm too excited about where the story will go, so while that part of my brain is working, I plot out the whole story. We all work differently.
I like to plot, but sometimes winging it is the best thing! I am trying to create an outline of a book i would like to write...this is my first experience at writing, so i think i will plot and see how it goes from there.
I am absolutely an in-betweener. I like to just write to get to know my characters and then by about chapter three I'm ready to outline a little to figure out where the story should go. The one time I tried to outline the whole book ahead of time, I had the same problem as you and the book never got finished.
I'm like you. I tried to plot my book chapter by chapter but wound up losing all interest in writing the book, but I do need to be a little more pantserish (is that a word?)
Congratulations on meeting your writing goals! I’m somewhere in between too. I start with characters, settings and a loose summary of the main plot points in a couple of pages. After I have a chapter or two written, I outline by chapter in thirds as I write, but I don’t necessarily follow it. When my agent is ready to shop my MS, I write up a formal 2-page summary for her use only. This is usually quite different from my starting summary. Good luck with your next project.
I'm an in-betweener. I have an idea of where I want the plot to go. I have an idea of what the characters want. And then I sit down and write.
I start by winging it, then panic and begin to plot. I then get frustrated plot and begin to wing it again all the while feeling like a dope for not figuring out how to follow a plot. I guess that makes me an in-betweener.
Whoohoo, on meeting your 2010 goals (even those sort ofs count)!
I'm more of a plotter, but kinda loosely. So I guess that makes me an in-betweener but leaning more toward plotter. I don't like the restrictions of having every single detail outlined, because I like to feel the freedom of being able to find nice surprises along the way--things I couldn't ever have imagined by boringly plotting everything out ahead of time.
Yay for you completing your rewrites!
I'm the half plotter/half pantser type. I need the major plot points and I have to know the characters' goals/motivations, but everything else I discover as I write.
Hey, I like that term, because I am right in the middle. I like to know where my story is going, so I outline. But I love the feeling of taking the story where ever I want, so I pants it in between scenes. =)
Ha ha! I'm a pantser working hard to become an in-betweener. Love that term!! :-)
I'm a "panster" but nothing wrong with being the kind of writer who does what feels right in their bones - :-D
I working my way to pseudo outlining. Good for you for the successes
So interesting to hear about everyone's individual process. I can write a PB without an outline, but I don't think I could ever write a novel without one!
Well, yea for three kinda successes. Now was that so hard??? Keep up the awesome momentum! :O)
Just like you, I've been a pantser, but vowed to plot my next novel. I'm working on it, and I have to say my enthusiasm is higher the more I delved into different ways to plot. I haven't actually started yet, though, so we'll see how it goes. Good luck!
Nope, I've always been a "wing it" type, which usually means lots of reworking during revisions. I just can't outline first. When I do, I find myself going in a completely different direction. What I DO do, though, is get halfway through and jot out notes to myself -- what to make sure I deal with, things that need closure, etc.
I am more panster than plotter. I have a general idea and may make some notes, but never a fleshed out outline. I tried that once and when I knew what was going to happen I lost all excitment. I like my characters to surprise me and uncover the story as they do and as a reader would. I do have an idea of what is going to happen about two chapters ahead of where I am at, but that is about all I know of the future of the story.
I'm still kind of figuring things out. I'm trying to outline more with the current project, but I think I'm a lot like you. I'm ready to write and get to know the characters in order to develop enthusiasm for the project. It's okay to be an in-betweener.
In-betweener. I do a loose outline, framing the main points of the story to keep me heading to the right ending. I don't do a structure one because I prefer to let the characters lead the way. I agree it wouldn't be much fun to be so structured. I love discover what they're up to!
I plot and wing it. Every day is different and I just go with it. By the end of the MS I have it pretty well together and just need to fill it out before sending it off to my editor.
Definitely an in-betweener. I basically wing-it, but I do make some notes as I go, mainly plot points I want to hit. I am in no way a plotter. I have tried it and we do not like each other.
Good luck with the new project!!!
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