Are You A Plotter Or A Pantser?

When it comes to writing a novel, there are two stereotypes of writers: plotters and pantsers. Plotters plan out their novels before they even write a single word. They create detailed outlines, character profiles, and scene breakdowns, before they begin to type out their prose. They know exactly where their story is headed and don’t depart from that much.

Pantsers, on the other hand, are so named because they prefer to ‘fly by the seat of their pants’ when writing. They dive into a project with only a vague idea of where their story might go (they love the blank page which plotters fear). Pantsers allow character and plot to develop organically. Of course, these are stereotypes and most writers do not fall clearly into one category or the other, but nonetheless it is useful to look at these two kinds of writer to show different ways to use the Classic Novel Structure system and this book’s approach.

It’s probably easier to see how plotters benefit from Classic Novel Structure’s robust dramatic framework. It offers clear guidelines for what should happen and when, at every step of the journey of writing a novel. But for pantsers, using Classic Novel Structure has many benefits too. But how does that work, if pantsers love a blank page?

It's probably clear how, if you prefer to write without a detailed plan, having a basic understanding of story structure can help you avoid wandering off track. Pantsers, even those who remain unconvinced that they want to start with a plan, can also use Classic Novel Structure as a safety net which at any step you can consult when you find yourself asking the dreaded question all pantsers ask at some stage: ‘What comes next?’ Or its sister question: ‘Did I get that right?’

And so, for pantsers, Classic Novel Structure is a wonderful drafting tool. Whenever you reach a point where you're not sure what happens next, the structure can guide you back on course. But then, when you are editing your novel, it also provides a failsafe checklist against which you can see if you are going wrong.

You could potentially write your whole novel as a pantser and only use Classic Novel Structure to see how your beats and plot points are working afterwards, once you have a complete first or second draft. (We will discuss this fully in the chapter on the Master Document.) Using the Structure, you can identify which scenes need work to hit plot points and which parts of the novel might benefit from an additional scene, for reasons of pacing, missing beats, character or image work, etc. In these ways, the system is actually a wonderful tool for pantsers. Classic Novel Structure will ease, transform and build confidence in your writing experience, alleviating your anxieties about plotting. It doesn't limit your creativity; it emboldens and releases it.

Even if you are the truest, purest pantser, you can look at Classic Novel Structure to work out what’s next, where you should be headed. It’s really not either/or. It’s about writing great novels, and feeling confident that you now know that you have the skills and knowledge to do so.

This is an excerpt from How To Write A Novel Chapter By Chapter available here: https://www.amazon.com/How-Write-Novel-Chapter-Outlining-ebook/dp/B0DJ8TMVWL?ref_=ast_author_mpb

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