Plotter, Pantser or Something in Between? #MFRWAuthor #writingprocess

Blogging is an opportunity for authors to connect with readers. Despite being writers, blogging is an entirely different style of writing and often stumps us. To help our authors blog consistently, thoughtfully and with purpose, Marketing for Romance Writers is announcing the 2019 Blog Challenge. Each week, authors use our writing prompt to create a meaningful blog post. We'll be posting every Friday... join us as often as possible.

Week 19: "Plotter or Pantzer, and why?"

Let's get some terminology out of the way:

Plotter - a writer who writes a detailed outline or synopsis before writing the story; one who plans out what will happen in the story before actually writing the story 

Pantser/Pantster/Pantzer - a writer who makes no preparations before beginning to write the story; one who writes by the seat of his/her pants 

Okay, I'll admit it. I would love to be a plotter. Those writers seem to have the knack for working out the kinks before they even begin to write the story! To plot out the entire story (and even series!) is something I admire and wish I could do. It feels like it would make the whole writing process faster and I would love to write faster to produce more books. I have so many stories to tell!

However, my brain doesn't work like that.

I began my writing life as a pantser. Well, at least, that's what I thought anyway, back when I was just learning about the differences between plotters and pantsers.

I never worked from an outline. I never had chapters organized or thought out in detail.

I wrote straight from the seat of my pants.

As I matured as a writer, I realized, that wasn't necessarily true either.

I did have a sort of framework that I worked from, even if it was strictly inside my imagination. You see, many of my stories originate from dreams. There's typically a seed or kernel of an idea planted in my dreams and they blossom during the next day as I think and think and think about it.

Since I was a kid, I've been writing my dreams into notebooks that I dub, Dream Journals. From those images that come to me at night, I've discovered several that have stories in them, whether there are characters, plots, scenes or just vague images that lead to something more.

In the morning, I write everything that happened in my dream and while doing this, more ideas blossom in my brain and I write those down, too. Soon, I have the workings of a story.

And that's pretty much how I begin each of my stories, whether it's from a dream or an idea that popped into my brain. I write down everything that I know. Everything about the characters, the setting, the plot, everything that my brain has already figured out for me.

Then I'll start writing. I'll take what I have and connect the pieces as I go. Like a complicated puzzle of writing material. Sometimes, the beginning is already pieced together for me, but the end is a mysterious fog. Sometimes, I have no idea what happens at the beginning, but I definitely know what happens at the end. Either way, I'll write and write until I figure it out.

So, in some ways, I have a rough outline that's more or less pieces of a puzzle. While I'm writing, I'm pantsing them together.

Does that make sense?

I think there are more writers than we know who are probably a combination of both pantser and plotter. I think I've heard them called Plantsers. You have some pieces of the story figured out, whether its just in your head or you wrote that information down. It's there, hovering in your brain, ready to be spilled out onto the page.

Then you just have to write the story, putting the pieces together in a way that makes sense for the reader.

Whatever method works for you, go for it. As long as you're enjoying the ride. For me, writing is sometimes a complicated mess, but I absolutely love it! I love discovering what happens next to these characters who I've come to love.

Until next time...

Happy Writing!

~Tricia

Be sure to visit the posts for the MFRW's Blog Challenge!

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Sign-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

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When Writers Have Wishes #IWSG #writing

The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. 

The Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! 

IWSG Asks: If you could use a wish to help you write just one scene/chapter of your book, which one would it be? 

If authors had access to a genie in a magic lamp, the wish would be for the next big idea that will sell millions. Something along the lines of selling books as popular as Harry Potter.

This question is more challenging. Help with just one scene or one chapter?

The method I use to write is part panster, part plotter. I have an idea and I write everything I know about it. Whether that includes characters, setting, plot, goals, action pieces, love scenes, whatever. It's always different with each book. Usually, I'll have most of the parts to the story together before I begin. Those missing bits will work out while I write the story. That's the fun of writing and it's also the hardest because inevitably there's always a part when I have to ask the question I absolutely dread...

What happens next?

I don't know.

I'm only the author. I'm simply writing down the images and dialogue taking place in my head. It's not like I'm deciding on what happens. I'm just a conduit that the Universe or characters or whoever is using to tell stories. They pop into my head and I record them to the best of my ability.

I don't make any decisions about what happens. That's out of my control. The characters are telling these stories, not me.

Unfortunately, I've set aside quite a few stories because I didn't know the answer to...what happens next?

Not forever.

Otherwise, I'd never have anything published! But I set them aside to cook a little. I need time for the Universe to send my brain the answer. Eventually, something pops in there. I might be cutting the grass, shoveling snow, taking a walk, taking a shower or even wandering the isles at the grocery store when suddenly an image or a thought or a line of dialogue will shock me into standing still and gasping aloud, "That's it!"

I've probably startled many customers into thinking I'm a bit looney tunes.

And each story is different.

Typically, I often get stuck on endings. I have brilliant beginnings and the characters have it tough throughout the story until the bitter end. How will they get out of the pickle they've found themselves in? How will they end up happily-ever-after. (I write romances, in case you're new here.)

Hell, if I know.

Sometimes it's a character's viewpoint where I get stuck. I have a WIP that is sitting on the shelf because I don't know what the heroine's brother is going to do. He's involved in the plot. I don't know what or how he does it, but he needs to end up at that exact moment, at that exact spot to save his sister. The book is completely written except for that one single scene.

I have a shapeshifter story that is waiting for an ending. Those poor lovers are torn apart at the moment and I haven't a clue as how they're getting back together.

In The Wolf's Bride, the story included in the upcoming Guardian: A Limited Edition Collection of Wolf Shifters, the heroine's occupation troubled me. I couldn't figure out why Madeline was doing the things that she did until I realized that, no, she wasn't a simple governess after all, but something so much more. I had the whole story figured out except for that piece.

In The Witch and the Vampire, the beginning was too similar to what happened in the prequel, The Witch and the Wolf, with both heroine's struggling through a blizzard to get to the hero's houses. Suddenly, in a flash of inspiration, I realized Melora Merriweather's carriage overturned from the icy roads and the hero had to save her, not meet her calmly at the door to his house.

And how to break Marianne's curse in The Witch's Kiss? Well, it took me two books to figure that one out.

If I could have help with those scenes where I don't know what happens next, that would be brilliant! I'd love to be able to write stories faster. I love writing and I hope readers enjoy my books, too. But I want the stories to be the best they can be and if I have to wait a little for the answer to work its way into my brain, then that's what I'll do.

Until I find that magic lamp.

Be sure to visit the other writers in the 

Insecure Writer's Support Group!

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Become a VIP Reader by signing-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

Happy Writing!
~ Tricia 

Preparing for NaNoWriMo

Every November for the last few years I've participated in National Novel Writing Month, otherwise known as NaNoWriMo. For those of you who might not have heard of it, here's a brief description from their website:

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing. On November 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 PM on November 30.

Valuing enthusiasm, determination, and a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought fleetingly about writing a novel.

I finished the first year, but the last few I fell behind. Although, my novels were all completed after the deadline and some went on to publication. Even though I didn't finish during the 30 day marathon, I did complete a good chunk of the story to keep me satisfied.

This year, I'm doing things differently.

I want to finish!

At heart, I'm a pantser. That means I write by the seat of my pants with no idea where my characters are taking me or what scene will unfold next. Typically, I enjoy this writing style since when I begin writing my story, I feel like I'm also a reader eager to learn what happens next. The bad side of this is when inevitably my characters start to wonder what happens next, too. When they don't know, I don't know. And then I'm stuck. Every time this happens, I usually set the story aside for a bit, confident that my subconscious will send me some communication to help me resolve whatever issues my characters are facing. This could happen within days or sometimes weeks. For some stories, it might be months.

Difficult to keep to a deadline when I'm at the mercy of my subconscious. I think my muse might have ADHD. She likes to bounce around from idea to idea a lot.

There have been times that I have the good fortune to have a nearly complete outline already filled out in my head. On those rare occasions, I write out all the information I know about the characters, plot, scenes, conflict, anything and everything I know. Then on my writing journey, if my writing starts to falter, I can easily check out my notes to find out what happens next and I can take off again from there.

That happy incident occurred in January of this year. It was a dream-inspired story. I filled in a few gaps and got to writing. I wrote 36,000 words in one week! Since my normal word count on a good day is about 2k a day, that was an amazing feat for me! By the end of 3 weeks, I had the rough draft completed.

I sang! I danced! I celebrated!

And then I had to take a month off from writing to clean my house since I had completely ignored all the household chores in my obsessive drive to write that story.

I'm crossing my fingers that I can accomplish that magnificent feat twice in one year.

In preparation, I'm giving my house a thorough cleaning to get ahead of the mess that is to come. Unlike some other fortunate writers, the members of my household don't pick up any of my slack, so if I don't do it, it just doesn't get done. Yes, I've tested this theory by just not doing the dishes. After the cupboards were emptied, and still no one bother to lift a finger to clean anything, I knew it was a hopeless case. If I want my husband to help out around the house, I pretty much have to move out so I don't see the horrible mess that remains in my absence.

Okay, back to preparation.

The actual preparation of my novel is pretty much the same as I've done before. I write down every little detail that I know about the story and the characters. As much as I can. It doesn't even have to be in order. Sometimes I write notes on the middle first, then the ending, then the beginning. I hop around randomly as I fill in my notebook. After its all written out, then I can go back and try to rearrange it to make sense of it all. Sometimes I add a few lines of dialogue or maybe a line or two of description that pops into my brain. If I need to do some research about anything, I add what I'll need to find out. If its important to the story, I'll start researching right away. But if it pops up during the actual writing, I'll make note of it and complete the necessary research later. I don't want anything to take me away from my writing, no distractions, no browsing the internet in search of the correct make and model of a car my character might own. I'll figure that stuff out later.

Some authors use the Snowflake Method or Save the Cat to accomplish this sort of pre-writing preparation. Sometimes I like to use the Hero's Journey to work out the journey of my characters. Just google 'hero's journey' and a ton of links will come up. Or you can check out Christopher Vogler's The Writer's Joureny: Mythic Structure for Writers. It's a great book!

I admit, if there's an outline or some manner of road map to follow, it does tend to make the writing of the novel easier.

Here are some other posts I've seen recently with some tips on how to prepare for NaNo.

NaNo Prep via NaNoWriMo
11 Last Minute NaNoWriMo Prep Articles via Dariel Raye
How to Prepare for NaNoWriMo: To Outline or Not to Outline via Writer's Digest
Getting Ready for NaNoWriMo via Steve Shepard

And if you haven't read this book, you should. It's very interesting and inspirational for those of us who want to write faster. Rachel Aaron's book 2K to 10k: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love. It's currently priced at $0.99.

And another here's a site with some free motivational badges for NaNo participants. Something fun to add to your website or blog to brighten it up and let everyone know what you're up to this month. 

For those writers participating...Good Luck! And Happy Writing!