Kate Grube

Most writers have heard the terms ‘plotter’ and ‘pantser’ when it comes to the writing process. In case you haven’t, here’s a quick definition:

Pantser: someone who writes without a formal plan. The term originated from the phrase ‘flies by the seat of one’s pants.”

Plotter: someone who writes with a plan in place, someone who plans out the entirety of a piece before writing it.

Many people identify with strongly with one of these terms and use it to describe their writing process. There are also varying degrees to which a person can be a plotter or a pantser. I want to start by saying there’s nothing wrong with either approach. Successful writers find what works for them. But let’s dive into what these terms mean, and what it means for your writing process.

Pantsers that Fly

Pantsers tend to believe that their writing process lends itself to a more creative approach. They may know the base details of their story, but most of the actual plot comes to them while they write. This process has no formality and tends to bend to the writer’s inspiration.

Authors who identify as pantsers:

• Neil Gaiman
• Stephen King
• Margaret Atwood
• Meg Cabot
• Mark Twain
• Isaac Asimov

As you can see, some insanely successful authors have made careers out of pantsing their work. It’s a tried and true method.

Of course, my personal experience with pantsing is a bit more daunting. For short-form writing projects, like a blog, I like to know the topic and can pants the rest. In fact, that’s what I’m doing right now. It tends to work out, though I do get a bit long winded without a plan in place.

My main issue with pantsing is long-form written work. I have never finished writing a first draft of a novel when pantsing. The image above features a series of notebooks with a few pages written of dozens of stories that never came to fruition. Which is why, usually, I start out as a plotter.

Plotters Who Plot

Plotters exist to a varying degree. Some need to know everything that’s going to happen in their work to start writing while others start with an outline and work from there. This writing process is less flexible and doesn’t have as much leeway to inspiration.

Authors who plot:

• John Grisham
• E.L. Stein
• Brandon Sanderson
• James Patterson
• Ernest Hemingway

Dozens of writers choose to plot out their books to get the final product they want. And many tout this as a great way to work on novels that make up a series as it helps ensure the books tell a cohesive story.

Now, I want to say I’m a plotter. I like to have a base outline before starting on the first draft of a novel. It gives me a good idea of what’s coming and how to draw it all together. Above is an image of a wall I sacrificed to the outline of the novel I’m working on now, which included a bunch of notecards taped together.

Much like pantsing, though, I have issues with this method. My plotting process involves plotting each chapter. However, when I do this, I tend to forget… well, the entire middle of the book. And this happens every time I plot out a book. I always know the beginning and the end, and the middle falls to the wayside.

Which is why I’m going to add a third category many writers fall into, which is a little bit of both plotting and pantsing.

Plantsing? Pantter? Plotsing?

No matter what you call it, many writers fall somewhere in this category, which is a mix of outlining and pantsing. This can be writers who pants the story but need to detail their magic system before they start. This can be authors who do a base outline and let creativity take them through the rest of the draft.

I tend to fall into this category because I write a base outline and then pants the actual writing portion of the first draft. For my current work in progress (WIP), I completed an outline, wrote my first draft, then went back and redid the outline before drafts two and three. The final outline came out a lot more detailed than the first and helped me conceptualize the story.

No matter what you identify as, though, the main thing is to find something that works for your personal writing process. It can take years to find the sweet spot, but it’s there, and you can find it. Whether you identify as a pantser, plotter, or something in between, the main goal is to finish your book. One way to do that is to experiment with different writing styles and learn what works.