Which Should You Use? Maybe a Hybrid
It’s the age-old question among writers: to plot or to pants? But the question isn’t really as simple as we think that it is. And the answer IS simpler than we assume. I’ll explain. There really is a way to know whether you should choose plotting or pantsing, and why. There are also some shortcuts that I use, which I’m going to share with you here.
First though, let’s acknowledge that we all arrive at a similar place when it comes to story structure: in the end, it has to be there. If you’re writing a novel or a screenplay, the rise and fall of the characters’ actions need to progress at least close to the classic three-act structure. The reason for that is quite basic. It provides a balanced rise in tension and action, giving room for reflection and interpersonal relationships, so that readers’ (or viewers’) attention isn’t lost.
Unless you’re going to attempt something truly avant-garde – and if you’re not a very experienced, market-proven author, just don’t – it doesn’t make any sense to do otherwise.
But getting there…whether we’re saving the cat, using the snowflake method, or just plain structuring our novel… that’s another matter.
Definitions
Just to get definitions out of the way, I’m referring to these two options as follows:
Pantsing – Writing a novel without outlining beforehand (aka: writing by the seat of your pants). You sit down with a basic idea of a story and just write.
Plotting – Preparing an outline with at least the key plot points before writing. Plotting generally also includes at least a rough scene-by-scene plan, but the extent of the planning varies widely among writers who use this method.
When You Should Pants
- You have structural intuition: you believe that you have the entire story fully formed in your head and want to just let it fly. Some adamant plotters such as Stephen King employ this method. He doesn’t write a story until it has grown in his mind to the extent that he knows enough of what will happen. Keep in mind that King manages to produce stories with solid story structure. Thus, he’s either a really fast and effective rewriter, or he has an innate intuition about structure so that the story falls out in good form.
- You love rewriting: you don’t mind having to rework [potentially] large portions of the story and would rather feel the freedom to see what comes out of your mind. I know a lot of pantsers who feel this way.
The problem with pantsing is two-fold: first, many pantsers end up with content that has to be almost entirely overhauled for it to work. And second, many of them end up stalled at some point in the story because they don’t know where to go next.
When You Should Plot
- Planning is fun for you: let’s face it, some writers enjoy planning the novel. In fact, some of them might enjoy the planning as much as or more than the actual writing.
- You hate rewriting: on the opposite side of the coin from the pantsing option above, a lot of writers find the idea of getting part way (or all the way) through a book and finding that much of it needs to be scrapped or entirely rewritten is very frustrating. And stressful. Plotting can help with that. It allows you to have at least enough direction to produce a first draft that you can work with in the rewrite process. And the rewrite process will likely be easier.
- You don’t know the story: if you come to the writing table and don’t know what you’re going to write, plotting can be a great tool to help you flesh out your story. By using the standard plot points as a guide, you can brainstorm your way to a story that has a solid structure.
The potential problem with plotting is that it can be easy to end up with a story that doesn’t flow as smoothly as a story that’s pantsed. The reason for that is that the plotting process sometimes causes writers to focus on the bigger points rather than compelling them to walk with the characters. This can be corrected in during the rewrite process. OR you can tweak your plotting process to be more detailed, like that of a storyline.
Is There an Alternate??
However, these aren’t the only two options. Many writers, myself included, use something of a hybrid model. That’s what I’m going to share with you here: some options to get you to a solid story in shorter time.
Note: if you really have no idea what story you want to tell, this won’t work for you. You’re going to want to use the plotting method above to help you flesh out what will happen. However, if you have at least part of the story, this will work.
Step 1: Write a summary
Write out the story in summary form, almost like a synopsis. Omit any dialogue and description unless it’s really weighing on your mind. If so, note it to the side on a separate page.
However, write everything that happens in the story. You can do this as prose, or bullet points, whichever allows you to think most clearly. Let your mind flow. Write down whatever you think will happen without worrying about whether it will change.
Don’t worry about whether all of the plot points are in the right places. Don’t worry about whether you’re missing a detail, or don’t know something such as how the character will get from the midpoint to the ending. Just tell yourself the story to the best of your knowledge at this point.
At the end, you should have a summary of everything you know about the story from start to finish.
Step 2: Analyze what you have
Go through what you’ve written and assess what you want to say. Then look for ways to fit what you want to tell into a structural framework. This is when you’ll fill in the gaps. Many of the following questions below may fall out of your summary. But some might require some brainstorming or tweaking in order to find a story that works.
For example:
High-Level
What is the overall story you’re telling – is it about redemption? Revenge? Friendship? Loss?
What do you want to say about that theme? For instance: revenge is a two-edged sword, or revenge is karma…you should have expected it.
What is your main character’s (MC) goal? Her flaws? Her underlying value system? Her false beliefs about what she needs in life, or who she is, or the world around her, etc.?
What or who is obstructing your MC’s progress? (That’s your antagonist.) What is this person’s goal? Why does he want that thing? What will he do to try to obtain it?
Detailed
Look at the possible plot points you already have and tweak as necessary. I plot my stories out of order for a reason: the ending is more crucial than the beginning. And various plot points are contingent on one another. For example I might do something like this:
Start at the end – does the story have a solid ending that you like. Is it surprising? Exciting? Fitting based on what you want to say? Develop that first.
What happens during the climactic point of the story (the last 10 – 15%) to get the MC to the ending that you like?
What happens at the third plot point that sets your character up for the ending? Remember that this is generally a terrible defeat that she must rise from and come back stronger in order to succeed (assuming you’re writing a positive character arc). This success will be based on a better application of your protagonist’s knowledge of the truth and use of her skills.
Does the first plot point mirror what happens at the third plot point (at least vaguely)? Both involve your MC stepping into the action. At the first plot point she’ll do so very poorly, mostly passively. By the third plot point she has learned a lot, nearly failed, and is now ready to take dramatic action in an effective way.
How does her action over the first half of act two (between the first plot point and the midpoint) look different from her action over the second half of act two (between the midpoint and the third plot point)? Note they should be somewhat like opposites. The first half is a passive response to the first plot point…very weak, ineffective, mixed with a lot of failure – like someone failing downwards towards defeat. The second half of act two should be strong action that’s more intentional, and sometimes effective – think of someone failing upwards towards success.
What action or incident (this could be a discovery) at the midpoint will cause your MC to switch from less effective responses to more effective deliberate action?
Step 3: Tweak Your Summary
Next you’re going to want to tweak your story that you summarized in step 1 so that it lines up with this new outline. That might include moving events around or entirely changing your MC’s course of action. The goal at this point is to finalize a rough outline that you can work with.
Then you have choices.
If you’re more of the pantsing variety, you have enough here to build a first draft that won’t need a major overhaul. Notice that by writing out the summary ahead of time, you’ve allowed yourself to be in the flow, seeing where the story takes you, without wasting three- or four-hundred pages on something that won’t work. Be in the flow…but have a plan.
If you’re a plotter, you may choose to flesh out this outline even further and develop a full-blown scene-by-scene plan. It’s up to you. Some plotters work with less, some with more.
Step 5: Write the Story
Then, of course, you have to write the story. If you’re a pantser, don’t fret. You’ll be able to be in the flow, walking with your characters while you do this. However, you should have a story structure that works and gets you to a solid first draft as efficiently as possible.
If you’re a plotter, as I originally thought I was, this process forces you to walk through the story ahead of time (in the summary). While plotting alone can result in novel that feels more technical and unfeeling – or even disjointed – this hybrid process requires you to flesh out some of the side stories and relationships that might otherwise fall by the wayside.
Whatever process you use though, give yourself the room to try alternative options until you find what fits for you. You might surprise yourself!
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