Blog 31: Pantsers -v- Planners

If you have a cat, then perhaps you know that it was International Cat Day last week. As we have six of the furry little things, I get quite excited when this day comes along. To be honest, anything relating to cats, and I’m all in.

What confuses me is this reputation that cats have of planning to take over the world. Have these people met cats? They really don’t have that much going on between their ears. Ours are pretty lazy and will only make an effort if they know it involves food, and it has to be decent food at that. I mean these guys spend the majority of their time sleeping, they miss the litter tray and spray the wall, eat too much and throw up, chew grass, and can’t find a piece of chicken unless you pretty much press it into their nose. Nope, felines are not really the planning type; they are more the pantsers of the world, working on impulse and reacting in the moment.

Now, when it comes to writing, are you a pantser or a planner? Because we all know that most of us are going to fit into one of these categories. I thought after the blog with Sarah, last week, I would follow it up with the pros and cons of how we go about writing our stories. Are you buckled up? Then let’s go!

I confess that, like my cats, I am a pantser. For those who may not know what on earth I'm going on about. A pantser is a fly by the seat of your pants, spontaneous kind of writer. You get an idea, pick up your pen, keyboard, piece of chalk, or whatever you have available when the moment hits you, and just go for it. This type of writer fires away with whatever they have come up with and follows that momentum through to the story’s end. The writer of The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood, is famous for this. She never knows how her stories are going to end, and believes that if she is surprised by the outcome, then her readers will be too. She does, however, take time to research elements and has done a vast amount of reading to help her form her initial ideas.

These pantsers are eager beavers; they want to delve in, right there, and go with the ideas that are firing around in their heads. They're probably the kind of person who's always on the go, doesn’t want to sit still, likes the challenge of just diving right in, not knowing where it will take them. However, even if this is a good way to start, without planning, a less experienced writer may have trouble completing what they have started. Why? Because they could get stuck at a particular point. I fell into the same trap with one of my stories, where I was building up to the climax and suddenly realised, I didn’t know what the villain of my story wanted. I had no idea how to proceed.

A friend of mine has no such issues, as she creates detailed profiles for all her characters. I needed to get to know, not just my villain better, but all my characters. I envisaged a big fight scene at the end, but needed to do a bit of outlining and compile ideas for possible outcomes relating to what the antagonist actually wanted or needed. Because we all know, like children, characters don’t always know what’s best for them. They may not always get what they want, but hopefully, they will figure out what they need in the end.

A lot of authors will talk about how, even if they create an outline, the story or characters seem to pull them in a certain direction. Of course, just because you have planned it out doesn’t mean that you have to stick to it like glue. If it wants to evolve and you get that pull to expand it in a different way, you should most definitely go with it. This is all part of your creative process, and the more ideas you get to develop your initial seed, the better the outcome is likely to be.

Chances are, at some stage in your WIP, you are going to need a little outlining assistance, and having an idea of what to do is a useful addition to your creative toolbox. So let’s have a look at how to approach it.

Story Mountain

This follows the three-act structure. It is helpful to know how a story works, and a lot will fall into this general structure of a beginning, middle, and end. The beginning introduces the characters and sets it up, the middle is the confrontation (or the conflict/action in the story that propels it forward), and the end is the resolution.

Five-Act Structure

Here is a more informative structure, Freytags Pyramid, which shows the arc.

1. Exposition - introduces the reader to the main character and their world.

   
   

2. The conflict will be an inciting incident that interferes with the norm and causes a shift, where the character must make a decision and take some sort of action.

   
   

3. Rising action - builds on whatever the character did. It is the result of what happened, taking them to another point/problem to figure out. It either adds additional problems to the first issue or makes things much more complicated, building to the ...

   
   

4. Climax. This isn't usually the middle of the story. It is fairly commonplace to find it nearer to the end. It is the make or break point where the character feels all is lost. But, of course, something will happen, an idea or some event will give the character a way to solve their problem which leads to the ...

   
   

5. Falling action. This is the result of the decision made at that critical point of the climax. How did they try to solve it? Don't make it too easy after that build up. Then finally, your ...

   
   

6. Resolution. How is it all going to end? It doesn't have to be happily. But there should be some sort of realisation or lesson learned, creating a character arc. Yep, another arc!

Snowflake Method

This begins with the idea, which you condense into a one-sentence summary. You then gradually expand it to include detailed character profiles and scene descriptions. 

Butterfly Method

This technique uses the idea that an action, no matter how small, can build and develop into something major. You follow each action through, magnifying the impact, as you build tension and momentum, giving more colour to your story.

Scene-by-Scene Outline

Just as it sounds, this method focuses on the events of each scene, where each is listed in detail, giving you a specific roadmap of the story.

For the above techniques, you need to make notes for the following: -

• Premise: What is the core idea or message of your story? It is important to know this to keep your story intentions on track and have a clear path to follow.

  
  

• Characters: Develop your main characters, including their motivations, goals, and relationships. You need to know them well, what pushes their buttons, and why their reasoning for what they are doing.

  
  

• Plot: Outline the key events, conflicts, and turning points. These are the stages that carry your story forward. It is propelled by how the character reacts and acts upon what happens to them. Each decision takes them deeper into a situation that they have to try to fix.

  
  

• Setting: When and where does your story take place? It could be the real world, a made-up one, or a crossover of both. It‘s helpful to consider the rules of different worlds and have a clear picture of what can happen and why.

  
  

• Character Arc: How will your main character change and develop throughout the story? They should be in a different place (emotionally and maybe physically) at the end, having learned something in their journey.

  
  

• Visualise your story: Mind maps or sticky notes can be useful to see the flow of events. Imagine you are a detective and have a wall with a string connecting everything. Or actually do it! And if you do, take a photo and send it to me. That would be cool.

  
  

• Refine and revise: Make sure everything connects logically and flows smoothly. Avoid adding anything that doesn’t connect to something, pull the story along, or hold an explanation. Everything needs to have a purpose for being there.

And finally,

• Be flexible: You can change your outline as you write. As I said before, this is a guide, not designed to restrict you, but intended to help develop a more accurate picture of what you would like to create.

  
  

Writing Exercise Time!

You know what I’m going to suggest here, don’t you? Yes! Try a bit of outlining. You don’t have to think of a new story idea and begin this process from scratch. You could help yourself along with a story in its draft stage or one that’s been sat on your computer for a while, perhaps unfinished. Don’t deny it, we all have them!

Choose a method that you think suits your style and fill out a template of what your intentions are. It may help you delve into areas that you hadn’t thought about before and result in you improving or finishing your WIP with more confidence.

Go get ‘em, tiger. And please share which method you feel is the best for you in the comments below! Cat you next time. See what I did there?