The Healer and the Pirate

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Wednesday, October 26, 2011

I'm a Pantser? Really?

So I'm told there are two kinds of writers. One kind uses outlines and plans where the story is going. They are dubbed "Plotters."

The other kind makes stuff up as they go along. They have different names but one of the most common is "Pantsers," for "seat of the pants" writers.

I am the second type, though I find that name rather obnoxious. Why does one group get a name that sounds very writer-ly and the other gets a name reminiscent of grade-school humiliations? I don't know; "Improvisers" sounds nicer to me.

I almost wonder if these names are a way to imply that there's only one right way to go about writing, and that everyone should eventually graduate from that amateur-ish title and become a Plotter. I don't know....I'd be very interested to see statistics as to the percentage of Plotters that finish writing their books, versus Improvisers.

2 comments:

  1. Is there a type of writer that is both? Because sometimes I'm actually both whenever I write. I plan in advance for plots, but when it comes to backgrounds and other such things, I kind of randomly write as I go. Most of the time, it fits almost perfectly to the advanced plot from months, or even years, ago.

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  2. I'm pretty sure that makes you a Plotter. Plotters do not have to plan EVERYTHING but they have a solid idea of where they're going before they start. (I usually have ideas, but they change so much along the way, I don't think I can say I plot in advance.)

    Though in fairness, since Plotters think that's the only way to write, they tend to be pretty generous in declaring everyone with a solid plan a "plotter."

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