How Do You Write? Pantsing vs. Plotting

English: The School of Athens (detail). Fresco...
Are you the sort who plans the book with a full outline down to the last detail or are you like my fellow writer Robert Chazz Chute, who knows what the characters are in his book and where they will end up but has no idea how they will get there?

I came across this cool video where he explains it all. 

I found that he describes exactly my own creative process, amazing! I could have done the same podcast (except at the end of course, I would have promoted my own books, grin). 

The key to it? It's fun to write as long as you don't know each step of the way, that's what keeps the interest up and alive for you as a writer...and presumably for your readers too! 

Listen to Robert: 
 



I've always been convinced of that: if I'm bored with my writing, you, the reader, will be too! I promise you, every boring piece of writing I've ever done has always ended in the waste-paper basket. Deleted!

This is the writer's dilemma: to outline or not to outline. If you're a writer, share with us how you do it in the comments, tell us what works for you and why. Or vote in the poll and find out how others do it:


How do you write your book?
  
pollcode.com free polls 

(Photo credit: The School of Athens, detail from fresco in Stanza della Segnatura, Vatican - Wikipedia)

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Comments

Caleb Pirtle said…
I never use an outline. If I know where the story is going, I don't want to go. I want to be as surprised as the reader, and usually I am. If you allow the characters to write the book they will find a much better and more satisfying ending.
Unknown said…
Thanks for the nice post, Claude. I'd actually forgotten about this video, but I'm still writing the same way. Someone just asked about my most recent book and mentioned she liked a particular character. I replied that I like that character, too, and I hope nothing bad happens to her in the sequel. Right now, I don't know for sure. I almost killed her off in the last book and opted for another character to get it in the neck instead. :)

It's fun writing this way. I have a compass and a direction but no inflexible blueprints.

Thanks again for the post.

RCC
Anonymous said…
I'm somewhere between a very sketchy plot line and a pantster. I love when the characters and plot take over and end up going in directions I didn't expect.
Robert Chazz Chute, yes, I enjoyed your video so much that I couldn't resist posting it.

Caleb Pirtle: I'm like you!

emandyves: I know just what you mean, when the plot takes you in an unexpected direction, it's exhilarating, a shot of adrenaline!

Thanks everyone for commenting.