5 Misconceptions of Pantsers

[@worldforge4739]

As a pantser, I can confirm that sometimes we do have a plan! It's just a vague plan--a general plan. The kind of plan a six year old might come up with if he was thinking about robbing a bank...

[@calixta31]

Total truth!

[@drjag2861]

What a fabulous comment 🫶

[@biblio.esther]

Great video! I actually thought I was a plotter because it was the "serious way to write" but since I know I work better as a pantser I write more. Btw, the word pantser is very funny for me. In spanish we call it "escritores de brújula" (compass writers) in opposite of "escritores de mapa" (map writers). That means some writers have a detailed map of the story while others follow the compass through the journey.

[@alexanderboukal5332]

We need to adopt this term in English. Compass Writer is the terminology I prefer.

[@elisa4620]

I love that! Both terms are cool and explain it very well. Thank you for sharing.

[@aceofpages]

How does someone even care enough what another writer's process is that they gotta hate on them for it? I can see curiosity about it, but beyond that? Don't let the haters get you down Alexa. You published two novels, regardless of how they feel.

[@donovanjones4170]

I'm writing the last chapter to my first book. Thank you for helping me along the way Alexa!!!

[@stephaniejean7429]

Donovan Jones Congrats!

[@donovanjones4170]

@@stephaniejean7429 thank you

[@joannamiller9446]

I read a book by a militant plotter. They've basically said people who don't plot are idiots and brag about their 30 page outline. So when I got to the end of their book and there were SO MANY loose ends I felt a little cheated. Like "this is what you planned on purpose?" haahaha

[@julietfischer5056]

Let me guess: no sequels.

[@elisa4620]

Could this person be an authortube by chance?

[@NicoleCreates]

One of the incredible things I've noticed as a Pantser is how instinctive the understanding of story is. Having finished book 2 of a trilogy, I'm amazed to see how things I didn't even realize would be important have become instrumental in finishing the story and making the plot work. It's crazy.

[@writethepath8354]

Two years later, 100% I'm finding the same truth

[@Liv-ie4xl]

Two years later, I as well am finding the same truth :)

[@aaronlewis9769]

Lazy? Pantsers accept they will have a LOT more work when it comes to editing. However, that is also fun since you are kinda writing the story again.

[@AlexaDonne]

I've heard it! I was surprised, too, because I don't think it's lazy at all of course :)

[@lunarfaery]

I have never understood why personal preferences are so offensive to other people! Cats vs. dogs, Samsung vs. Apple, pantsing vs. plotting. There’s no wrong way to write and it’s always a tough process so we should be encouraging each other and lifting each other up! Thank you for making this video. Hopefully it changes some minds!

[@teresagaskins7309]

Person: *Has almost any of these misconceptions* The editing process: Am I a joke to you?

[@kirawarner4571]

I have a really strong memory and will remember most plots worth remembering. Most of the time I've thought about a story a lot before I write anything down, so plotting drives to boredom because I fell like I'm writing down things that I've already got ingrained into my mind. I know this comes off a little high and mighty, but that's just how my brain works. I'd rather start writing down that stuff that I need to write down to improve and go back later to check that it flows coherently.

[@IceRiver1020]

That's a lot like how I am too! When my writer friends learned that I don't write much down aside from the actual draft they started throwing out a bunch of reasons why I should be writing everything down. It was annoying, but it came from a good place so I can't be too mad at them lol!

[@stevenwhelan8007]

I would consider myself a plantser. I briefly plan my novels and then just start writing.I usually just figure out the main plot points beforehand.

[@thecaptain7238]

Steven Whelan me too. Mine came from a dream

[@sofijasofija2867]

there is no wrong way to write a novel

[@katelewis808]

The only wrong way to write a novel is not to write any.

[@sofijasofija2867]

@Lee Logan how is this relevent to writing a novel?

[@dimwitteddingo]

@Lee Logan umm I really hope your gf is imaginary and your just saying this to look cool

[@aprilshighfantasysoul5891]

I think a lot of these misconceptions come about when writers don't properly revise their books. For both pantsers and plotters, revision is key to making sure your story is solid and coherent, but as you've already stated in some of your videos: when you pants a novel, it usually needs more revision than a plotted book to get it to the standard you want. Plotters, a lot of the time, front load the work (putting a lot of time and effort into the outline so the drafting is a bit clearer) so revisions may be lighter while many pantsers back load the work putting more effort into the revision process. I think I've realized through the years that my issues with bad books that were pantsed comes down to the fact that they weren't revised or edited so the pansted-ness showed through a lot more than it really should have. If a book is properly revised, you shouldn't be able to tell if it was pantsed or plotted and that's up to the author and the publishers to ensure that that is the case.

[@deanj.9324]

"Everything is fixable" best words of motivation for any writer/artist

[@charlesbardoquillo692]

Writing my first draft rn and thanks to your videos I realized that I was a pantser, I remember trying SO HARD to outline but nothing comes out and I tried every possible way for outlining. Your vids are incredibly helpful ❤💕

[@reinierovertoom7123]

You're in good company with the likes of Stephen King. Discovery-writing is a very rewarding style, as the novel will progress very nicely. It just requires us to spend a little more time in editing to get our endings strong enough, our foreshadowing subtle enough and our character arcs complete. Our first drafts are done faster, but they tend to need a bit more work.

[@azuroslazuli6948]

I’m a pantser, and I’ve tried writing without any plan - it doesn’t work. BUT, what I plan is not the story itself - it’s the world and characters. Once your world is fleshed out, it’s like assembling your pieces on a chess board. You know when to move each piece when the time is right, cuz they’re all right there. It also makes for amazing twists when you feel prompted to move a piece you never thought to move...that’s the joy of pantsing. You’re experiencing the story just like your readers would be!

[@motocrikey]

I think my favourite term is Discovery Writer ('pantsing' sounds so negative). I really identify with in-depth planning taking the fun out of it: internalising the flow, structure, etc of a story is the key and then the world's your oyster! Would you consider making a video on things pantsers are good at? #stoppantserhate

[@IceRiver1020]

Yeah, calling yourself a pantser in public gets you weird looks lol! It sounds like you go around pantsing people. Also, I've tried outlining so many times, and I would rather slam my head into a brick wall. Repeatedly. It gives me the same awful, dead inside, feeling that highschool math did, and I don't even know how to describe it.

[@christopherdrost3764]

Quite honestly, I don't think discovery writers are lazy if they don't outline their work ahead of time. I do think it's lazy when they don't go back in revisions to structure their stories. Story structure matters people. You can't just skip it.

[@rocketaxxonu]

'Spectrum' seems a great way to put it; almost all writers are going to need some of both approaches, either starting out from the macro (plotting) perspective and discovering the details later (pantsing), or starting out from the micro level and discovering the bigger picture through that. Different authors are going to favor different variations on the approach, though for a single writer it seems like it could also vary from project to project. (I know it does for me.) But definitely, both have advantages and disadvantages, and it's important to think consciously about those rather than simply writing off one way or another.

[@elizalagonia1049]

I'm in the middle. I have an outline that is for my main storyline and then my subplots I pants. And sometimes the discovered subplot becomes the over arching plot for the series. I do like having an outline to show me where the holes are and if I want to move things around and where I can put a subplot.

[@amy-suewisniewski6451]

I realized that the title of plotter and pantser was pretty useless when I watched booktuber Shaelinwrites and how she was pantsing her new book project "Honey Vinegar". She went over her process and what she was doing, and I realized she had more outlined for her WIP - even though she considered herself pantsing - then I had outlined for my WIP and I would never consider myself a pantser! So much of it is wrapped up in our own personal definition, I think many die-hard plotters that like to put down pantsers might be surprised if they actually talked to them how similar their processes are. They might even meet a pantser who knows more about their WIP then the plotter does about their own.

[@sharonefee1426]

Come see my writing process, and you'll be surprised something was written at all. Okay, the 3 first chapters were perfectly constructed, chapter 4 and 5 reserved their main idea, but still, I changed things in chapter 4 that influenced chapter 5... and the rest of the book. For 6-8 chapters, after I ruined my outline completely, I came with some new ideas which I put. And... Now I'm at chapter 9... and I think I know where it should go... Hi hi hi. Wish me luck.

[@allcatsaregods2043]

Alexa, as a published author myself seeing your video of saying "Nobody cares" about your books was very liberating. It allowed me to take a step back and it really centered me. I thought that when I wrote my first book "Creepy Vibes" that it would be a million dollar best seller but nobody seemed to want to give it the time of day except for a few people and while they liked it enough to share on their Instagram and tell their friends and family about it, overall if the book could talk you would hear crickets from the pages as far as the attention its getting. So let me explain to you why I thought it was going to catch on. This is a very weird and crazy story in itself. So I sent my finished movie script to my favorite musician who owns his own publishing label called Verotik in summer of 2015 (So who is the mystery man, I will give you a hint, he started the legendary band "The MiSFITS!") well I wanted to write for him so I sent my work as an audition piece. I heard nothing back, nothing, the good news I thought is that the script wasn't sent back! Fast forward to late 2016 and my friend texted me and said "Stop what you are doing and watch this trailer!" So I immediately watched the video and I was....shocked. It looked like my work but was it? It had all the signs that it was my story but I waited for the movie to come out to the theaters before I could make a final determination. And the verdict? A resounding YES!!! The twist was identical, some of the characters were written the same, even some of the lines I wrote the film studio used! BUT The real proof, the absolutely scene that proved that it was my story is when the man who I sent the script to, his song started playing in the background and my heart sunk. Yep, it was mine. While they didn't steal it outright, they used my story as inspiration to make their own story. They did name a character after me which I thought was nice but I got no credit no money nothing. The movie I am talking about is "AMERICAN SATAN!!" You can watch it on amazon right now. While they definitely took my story, they added on other things and in my opinion it didn't pop like it should have. The humor was gutted out, the twist was the same but what they did to the lead character pisses me off to this day. My story was protected by the Writers Guild but they changed it enough to where they didn't have to compensate me. Anyway after seeing my story more or less on the big screen I thought for sure my book would be a huge hit but no, people just don't care. However I feel incredibly lucky that my story was actually created and became reality on the movie screen no less and I am grateful for what Sumerian Films did. So I thought that since my ideas were marketable that I would just waltz into the best seller category. NOPE. The reality is, a TON of authors never have a best seller, even if it does sell, it usually wont sell enough for you to be financially independent. No matter how much you write or how hard you work so what is the answer? You do it because you love it! As a writer you are a GOD in your own universe, you are creating something out of nothing and that is good enough for me. If the rewards come, they come but they are not my focus and it shouldn't be. It should be all about finding release for your creativity and giving it life.

[@TheNerdyBookNerd]

Thank you so much for this video! :D As a pantser, I've definitely had my doubts about my own abilities when I've heard people say that plotting is the best and right way to do things. Over time, I've learned to not listen to that, but it's nice to be reminded.

[@aaronlewis9769]

No. 4: For myself, it depends on the story. I may have an idea, it may be a character or even just an opening line. In each case, I have discovered more of the story as I go. My first novel had no ending until I got halfway through. And further still until I knew how to get there. I just can’t create an outline for the whole story. The excitement in writing is discovering the story as I go.

[@IsuzuForever]

Pantser here! I do my first draft as it comes to me and then i go back and write out the main points from my first draft once it's done. From there I try to thread the main points together. It takes a lot of work, but it seems to be worth it!

[@SpottedBananaPeel]

I’m a hard core plotter and find pantsing really hard. I tried it once and my zombie novel turned into a weird alien takeover. I wish more authors would make videos on how to pants.

[@happylion18]

I'm totally a pantser, but my best friend is a plotter. It's hilarious. She keeps track of everything in a special notebook, and I keep random notes...just about everywhere. Most of them are unintelligible.

[@ellevera2952]

great video! pantsing has put me through 2017 NaNoWriMo..thanks for another informative video. Love from the Philippines :)

[@kindredecho]

My experience is the opposite of yours (in regards to your dog/cat analogy). I find the militant ones are the pantsers who think plotters are unimaginative hacks without a creative bone in their bodies. And wanting to distance themselves from anything that smacks of "structure" have nothing but disdain for plotting/plotters. Personally, I am a hybrid and do some of both. But I agree with your sentiment, let's just get along.

[@sharonefee1426]

I would like to be a plotter. I think it would make me feel safer to know where I'm going. But... I wasn't born for this.

[@emilyestelle7471]

Oh! @5:26 That is me... I moved to a town so small there was no library, got tired of having nothing to read, and pantsed an 80,000+ word Fantasy Novel. I will admit that because I actually didn't plan any of it, hell I didn't actually plan to write a book at all, I am having to go back and edit heavily. It is a hot mess of a first draft that is currently in pieces as I now sift through and organize it.

[@LauraWrites]

I have literally never heard anyone say negative things about pantsers other than they can't imagine doing that. I'm a light outliner. I'll put something like "go to a party" and then just pants the whole thing and see where it goes. Also, I'm obsessed with my dogs but also love cats. I think maybe dog people do that because they think people don't realize how amazing having a dog can really be. But yeah. Make love, not war!!! lol. In all honesty, I don't care about others' life choices, pants or plot, cat or dog, etc. Just do you and celebrate everyone, geez! Lol

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

Great video! As a GM (Game Master) myself, I have ended up surrounded by varieties of artists, crafts-people, and writers as well as other performers... I've been to work-shops (usually in some part time instructional trade-off) and I've had the opportunity to hear and field advocation for both sides of this "Plotter vs. Pantser" subject. In all that time, I've run across exactly TWO (count them "2") writers of any criteria, that were absolutely, died-in-the-wool, point for point, architectural PLOTTERS. Zero room for adjustments, and redrafting the outline fleshed it out from plot-points to scene by scene resolution, and the process repeated itself until they just sat down and followed the final outline to draft out the work in relatively finished form. One of those two, even had the gumption to point out simply, "When you get tired of being lost in the wastelands of your second act, try plotting. It will probably fix it." AND that was it. EVERY other writer, amateur to LONG term pro', eventually admitted to some degree of field-improvisation, veering "off-book" with the works... realizing the outline just wasn't realistic, or "punchy" enough, and made adjustments... half-way or more through the process... AND myriad other separations between the regimental "plot plot plot" or "don't don't don't plan anything" extremes. Now, my experience is individual, and dubious at the best of times. Okay... BUT think of the "Bell Curve" principles so many other videos have covered. It's likely relevant here, too. For the population of Writers out there, you have two extremes in method. Absolutely Plots Everything, at one end... AND Absolutely Refuses to Plot Anything at the other... According to the HUGE great majority of the Bell Curve Principles, most (80% or more) writers will fall somewhere in that middle ground where they Plot a bit here, and improve everything else... OR they improve so far, and then start taking notes for a basis of plotting the most impact there-after... OR some other blend of cultivating a Character Driven Experiment as far as conceivable, and then structuring the rest of the project to best complement what they've got... Somehow, though... I'd really REALLY like to see Alexa actually pantsing Stephen King! ;o)

[@mckenziestaley9063]

I don't really like the pantsers and the plotters labels. Because a lot of the time people fall into the middle and its unfair that people treat pantsers the way they do. I find myself leaning more towards pantsers as I grow into my own writing process. Let me tell you, the writing I produce when I pants is far better than the writing I produce when I plot.

[@sharonefee1426]

The only reason these labels are important is because, please, look at most videos other there, and they will tell you "of course you must outline" or at least "it's really really good to outline". You know, watching all this videos made me feel bad with myself for not being able to plot beforehand. The moment you say "hey, there's another way, and it's not just you." it makes one feels a bit better.

[@mckenziestaley9063]

@@sharonefee1426 Very true.

[@julianfantasia9033]

I’m 26k into a novel that I started with a single image. I look at word counts for certain plot points in plot sheets and try to meet them by the appropriate times but that basically happens naturally anyways. I think if someone were to read my book they would find it actually quite structured in that way, but right now I’m just starting the middle and I literally have no idea what any of my middle or end is going to be, except one character introduction that has to happen soooooon...? and a vague idea for a fun and games type thing that I’ll have to incorporate the overall plot into somehow.

[@sharonefee1426]

I know this feeling. Though I did think of an idea for the middle... the end is still unknown... to both me and my book XD

[@wrongsizedjeans]

Thanks for the video (and validation haha) Alexa! I've tried to properly outline but it just doesn't work for me. I feel that it's too rigid and the story doesn't come out organically - if I don't already have enough of a feel for how things *should* go without having to nail them down ages in advance, then do I really know my story and characters well enough to be writing in the first place? When I'm drafting, the sometimes the story just takes a twist I wasn't planning to take and I just... roll with it, if it's better than what I had initially planned. I feel that this also makes plot twists more genuine, because then they really do come as curveballs. Of course, there's always the rewriting and editing stages to fix continuity errors!

[@jamiemac8769]

When you mentioned cat lovers, you sold this to me. I was only half listening to your video. I had to rewatch your video 3 times. I'm a pantser who's bought into the idea that I'm a crap writer because I can't work with an outline, or even outline or plot to begin with. This is my first youtube comment because I feel deep inside you've given me the permission I needed to write my way and not to feel like I'm useless at writing. I'm now using Headlights Writer as my label as my Dad (RIP) always used to say you can only drive to the end of your headlights (it was his metaphor on life) Thank you, Alexa.

[@emberblakewrites6443]

Great topic, Alexa! I have discovered over the years that I must be at LEAST a plantser because if I don't have at least a basic outline (i.e. one sentence prompt per scene), I find I have NO idea what I'm supposed to do next hahaha! Sometimes I do throw my outline to the wind and follow my characters, and that usually leads to better character development! It's all about finding your style, and the best way to do that is to try both! Thanks again for a great video! Also, side note, your green blouse makes your red hair pop so nicely!

[@philbe1111]

Yeah, even for a first novel pantsed to plot beats, my story/character arcs were pretty spot on. My revisions were for general craft improvements. I always knew where I was going-Team Pantser all the way. 😁

[@seabird3896]

I love how passionate you are about his ahha! I must admit I am a Pantser, but I still have a rough outline written down of how I want my book to progress, but a lot of it goes on in my brain since I can get through the book much quicker than staying to the T during drafting. All of that comes during the editing and revision stages! No hating on Plotters here we are all amazing writers((:

[@Agentmg17]

Can you make a video about 1) co-authors 2) anthologies 3) querying poetry ?

[@c.d.dailey8013]

Wow. I am a die hard plotter. I consider outlining to be a vital part of the writing process. It is interesting to see what the other side is like. Pansers seem to be different but not inferior. I didn't know Martin was a pantser. That would explain why the plot of A Song of Ice and Fire is such a convoluted mess. I wonder if Martin could write Winds of Winter and Dream of Spring faster if he outlined them. I do have one question. How the heck do pantsers avoid writers block? Wouldn't they just stare at a blank paper, and the intimidating emptiness would make their mind go blank? I am very good at managing my workflow. Writers block and artist block in general is rare for me. One trick I do is to plan ahead of time and use outlines and other notes. The blank page doesn't bother me. I know what to right before I write things. So I can fill up the blank page. Pantsers don't have an outline or knowledge of how the story will play out. How do they do it?

[@lunarfaery]

C. D. Dailey Alexa talked about how even pantsers have a plan and know where they want the characters to start, the twists and where they end up. They aren’t just staring at a blank page and willing a story to happen as you seemed to have suggested.

[@c.d.dailey8013]

@@lunarfaery Okay that makes sense. Thanks Maybe some people need less planning that others. Maybe there can be a specrum of more or less planning. Maybe things are only bad at extremes. An extreme panser may have the writer block problem I descibed. An extreme plotter could spend so much time planning and plotting every little detail, that they never get to move onto the story. I admit I am guilty of this. Too much planning can delay a writer for months or even years. I write high fantasy, and that has its own rabbit hole of too much planning and world building. It is wroth it to invest some time in planning. However it can be hard to gague as to how much is too much.

[@kaylajames3098]

Uh, make it up as we go?

[@sintonic6960]

There is no better feeling than coming up with parts of your plot as you’re writing, I love those moments. I used to think I was an outliner, or I should be. But as I’m writing my characters just do what they want lol

[@Zoe_C95]

My first attempt at a novel I over plotted and it got so boring to write, I just left it. Now attempting my second novel with the most vague outline - the goal is to open the doc and just write! I’ve picked up such a momentum and it’s so much more fun to write as the plot is a surprise even to me. I’ll fix it in revision, but the fact that I’ve got this far with a pantsed novel tells me what works for me personally. No right or wrong way 🙂

[@neddythestylish4296]

Wheeee! Sitting down with virtually nothing is what I do. I started my novel with the name of a protagonist and the name of an organisation and that was all. I can draw a pretty tight plot out of that. By the time I'm up to 1,000 words I know the events of the next 1,000. By 10k the next 10k, and by the time I'm halfway I've figured out the whole plot through to the end. You have to carry around more inside your head and make a lot of mental notes about stuff that should return later. I don't really write anything down other than the draft itself - occasionally a witty line or something but generally I just remember. That said I am autistic and my brain handles things in an odd way. I miss an awful lot of things in the world around me, I forget what I'm doing and I need someone to steer me through crowded environments so I don't bump into things. I've done revisions, edits and sprucing up but the plot has remained the same from the first draft and beta feedback has been very positive. I've started to send queries out... and now I wait.

[@AmberMcManus]

My god. That shirt and lipstick combo is stunning!

[@AlexaDonne]

Thank you! Shirt (kimono top, technically) is from Torrid and the lipstick is Hi Striker from Colourpop :)

[@gabrielasilva3561]

I just write a simple timeline with the most important events and go from there, I tried to do two original stories (comics) outlining, but I got stuck and bored, now I started a fanfic just for fun and did only the timeline, the story is flowing so much better, this is being a great practice. Also, could you do a video about second person pov (seen in character x reader fanfics) and a video about writing multiple novels at the same time?

[@SydneyFaithAuthor]

Nice video! It really is a spectrum. I consider myself a plotter, but I certainly have times when I write and go in a totally different direction! Pantsers, don't let a few rude plotters get you down ❤

[@crow5326]

Youre videos are so helpful Thanks! ❤️😊 Also im a pantser But im trying to plot cause i wanna Try new things

[@sharonefee1426]

Good luck.

[@oBUNo]

I had never heard of this style before but it totally fits me. I get 3 main points, weed out some characters and go at it for the rough draft. Then I edit. I do the same for reports and other written works. Not to mention I tend to daydream a lot so I've already imagined multiple outcomes already.

[@---ng7ke]

I just won’t outline it on paper. I’ll have enough to write in my mind.

[@Lewisiaisoutofcontext]

When asked how he comes up with all the horrible scenarios and things in his novels, one of my all time favourite authors John Ajvide Lindqvist (Let the right one in, and many more great books) said something like this: "I think of an ordinary, everyday situation. Then I think 'what if this weird thing or that weird thing happened here?'. Then I put a bunch of people in that situation and just watch what happens to them." As a fellow pantser, I think that is brilliant.

[@scarlet8078]

I cannot imagine not outlining and having scene cards. Yes, I discovery write characters and sometimes I'll start to write a scene and the chars will do something unexpected. But I just have trouble imagining why anyone would not plot ahead of time. I'm a painter, too, and I wouldn't just paint a corner of the canvas. First, you put down the colors, then you refine the shapes, then last you put on the details. I write that same way

[@gordonpreston7960]

I used to be plotter but recently I've become a bit of a pantser where I throw myself into a scene and blindly grope my way toward a resolution. I would never discovery write a whole book but there are times when outlining just doesn't work and the only way to make progress is to throw yourself into the deep end. So many options become visible to you when you're in your characters shoes in the moment, and you can't figure out all of these elements by trying to look ahead. I guess that's the magic of writing.

[@stephaniejean7429]

I don’t know if I am a pantser or a planner... I outlined my novel’s main events and chapters, but as I write, the characters lead most of the story. It’s like, “okay character A, you need to meet up with character B and then after that is a dream sequence” but I don’t know what the dream sequence is about until I’m there. Maybe I am a pantser?

[@jindrichsvec5754]

The book I’m writing now started as two scene ideas in my head. The inciting incident and an act two scene and a couple of idea what the mechanics of the world are (it’s a fantasy) and the rest comes as I write. I don’t plan more than about 3000 words ahead. It physically hurts to try and plot ahead chapters and chapters

[@Lilitha11]

I have actually pants an entire story with only an idea once. However, it wasn't for a novel but a choose your own adventure style game. Which by it's nature allows you the freedom to explore different paths, since they can all be included in the story. I am also working on a novel, which I actually did plot out in more detail.

[@joemerl1145]

I've recently realized that I'm much more of a pantser than I had assumed. I tried outlining one story over and over and over again and never seemed to make much progress; my current WIP started just as a side project is at more than 150 pages now. I did eventually stop and make an outline for the second half, but even then I keep adjusting things.

[@airforcedad4529]

Absolutely Love this Video, & Very Informative. When I write I have no Idea or a General Idea of what I want to write about until I start writing. I must be a Pantser and love it.

[@annmurry8589]

I find pantsing to be super difficult for long and complicated stuff. I even outlined my 5 paragraph essays. When I'm writing, I get on a super emotional high and have scenes playing out in mind like a movie. The problem is that emotions are variable for me so without an outline, I can't "find my emotional bookmark" from last time and I couldn't get past 1 page with all the viscious revising and starting over.

[@surfit.]

Another great video, thanks. You are soooo right about plotting /plotters. Why do plotters dog pantsers? I understand plotting is another way of writing a story, but don't tell me that is the only way. I really read and heard some authors say that. Not cool. I feel plotting binds me to follow the outline that I wrote weeks ago. I tried it and I went down another path with a better idea. So, isn't that time wasted when plotting? Go pantsers!

[@sharonefee1426]

So many talked about it, that I felt like if I want to write something I MUST outline. I tried. After a third of the outline, which wasn't even complete, I just messed everything around. I didn't feel like writing what I planned. Now, when my characters were developed, it felt idiotic. Maybe I did it the wrong way... but guess it's not for me, as I change my idea all the damn time. (And believe me, it's annoying for me too).

[@AMG_Creates]

I LOVE being a pantser!! I love seeing where the characters take me, even if I'd rather they not go that direction.

[@StephanieWhitson]

I'm a.midway planner. I'll have a good idea for a book and I'll write out a good 2-4 chapters and then wrote down a bullet list of scenes I want to happen.

[@JanetDax]

Pantser here. What usually works for me is to start with a basic idea of what the story is about and where it should go, the setting and the characters. Then I sort of let the characters write the story for me. They know who they are but I don't always know until I start writing them.

[@TheEccentricRaven]

It's weird how there's a debate over which is better when many great books were produced by both. I've found that it helps new writers to experiment with both plotting and pansting to figure out what works for you.

[@theaquinnwrites]

I have tried planning and outlining and it just... doesn't come naturally to me, all I can manage is some vague ideas of a beginning, middle and end and what I very generally want to happen in between. Also sometimes my ending changes based on how the characters and the plot actually unfold on the page. I even hate writing scenes ahead of time, because almost always I end up scraping them or they just don't fit within the larger narrative of my book.

[@ruubytues]

The one and only time I wrote an outline made me so bored I never filled in the rest of the story. I spent a few days plotting it out and planning the story, creating twists and turns and reveals, imagined a satisfying ending and everything. Then I sat down to write and was like... why bother? I know what’s going to happen. It put me off outlining. Now I may have a flag pole, an idea I’m working towards, but jotting concrete.

[@byebye9840]

I’m a pantser but I had a general overview of what my plot is. I just couldn’t sit down to write an outline. Now because I’m lazy at all, but because it was just excruciating.

[@katelewis808]

Does it mean that if I have one or two pages of planning that I am a pantser? My plan has only general outline and lots of question marks inside.

[@basilrene7688]

Unfortunately there are lots of insecure people that think their way is the only way and everybody else’s way is crap. No matter what you say or do, they will always be right it best. You put your right leg in your pants first and they will insist left first is right. I don’t bother to try to justify my methods. Just put out a good product without explaining. Who cares what method was used?

[@AlexaDonne]

Yeah, I get you. I feel pretty darn secure (worked for 5 books and counting!) but I have found viewers of the channel who are pantsers love seeing content on the topic, so they feel less alone! :)

[@isabel2589]

I am currently writing my first book from 1st person perspective. I recently started reading about subplots and I was wondering how I can handle this, considering i’m writing from 1st person. Can you please do a video about subplots? And maybe talk about this situation, too? That would be so helpful. Thanks

[@amandao9869]

Me too

[@amandao9869]

I just realized I'm a pantzer.

[@ainsleyzirkle2485]

Generally (as a pantser) I will have some kind of an idea in my head, then I will wait a few days while thinking it over. Then I’ll begin writing, I’ll usually know what’s going to happen about five chapters ahead of time.

[@lisaeadesauthorandartist]

I think I'm a pantser. I had the first section as my original idea and after the first main big event happened, I was so stuck and still am stuck on where the rest of the story is going. If I could somehow know what the ending was or what the next big event is then I could work on pantsing my way to that conclusion. I've never written a book before outside of my immature teen years so it's been a hard process.

[@kimserio8317]

I know this is one of your older videos but I have only just started listening to you. On the spectrum of pantser or mapper, I kinda fall in the middle. My issue is I get to about the 7th or 9th chapter and then get stuck. I have tried mapping at this point- no luck. Also, I have tried working on another project or just giving it a few days of thinking. Any suggestions?

[@rivka8576]

Well I guess I'm one of the few dog-loving plotters who doesn't care if you're a cat-loving pantser ;)

[@aliwinters7847]

Same!

[@IceRiver1020]

As a cat loving pantser, I really appreciate that! :D

[@jelliejam]

Same! Actually ... most dog people I know are like us! :)

[@mexibillycuisine4899]

I usually dream of an idea then start to finish I just write the entire book without planning one single thing. The story flows from me mostly without any forethought at all.

[@kaylajames9334]

Do you edit as you go or just write?

[@zoomzoom103]

The most planning I do beforehand is the main idea and how it'll end, I figure the rest out as I go lol

[@DalCecilRuno]

Dude, Ima hardcore plotter and I get off track and I have to go back and check my outline and adjust it to the off track stuff I discovered. I think everyone has their unique process, if it works for the person, and they can finish the book, revise it, edit it, agent it, publish it... Then let them be! No process is better than other processes.

[@lawan7]

I was trying to explain this to a friend. I'm sharing this video right away, thank you !

[@Eijididnothingwrong]

You got super fired up at one point and made an iffy comparison, and it stuck out when your point seemed to be, "it's not productive to generalize (insert group)". I was with you until your point about cat people versus dog people, because you inadvertently ragged on dog people by saying that so many of them go hard on cats/cats people. This is coming from a dog person who, like the cat people you described, generally just identifies as an animal lover; I don't dislike cats one bit, despite having been attacked by several as a child (my partner and I are actually looking to adopt one in the next year). I'm somewhere between pantsing and planning, so I was really excited to see you defending a middle ground, but this analogy you made really weakened the overall tone of the video, as you proceeded to display distinct bias. Just something to consider, thanks for the thought provoking content.

[@werelemur1138]

I think I fall just slightly toward the plotter end of the continuum: before I get started writing, at minimum I want to know the end (so I know what I'm aiming for), have a general idea of the major plot points, and have a pretty good idea of how at least the first few scenes are going to go. Different books take different amounts of plotting. The trick, for me, is to plot enough that I feel like I'm raring to go, without plotting too much. I've definitely done that, and lost my enthusiasm for the story. I've also encountered a writer who'd been working on the outline for years, because he wasn't willing to start writing until the outline was perfect. (Nobody beats writers in the creative procrastination department.)

[@world-of-evalanty]

I'm a pantser, and dang proud :D

[@carolsikes5069]

I thought the whole "Pantsers are cat people who think loving all animals is great while plotters are dog people who are always ragging on cats" was hilarious. And not what I've encountered at the Nanowrimo forums where - in outlining threads - Pantsers always come in and make fun of plotters and claim that they truly can't discover their novel correctly if they're planning - it can only be accomplished by pantsing. That feeling that someone else thinks you're doing it wrong goes both ways. Maybe it's less obvious on You Tube, I don't know, but I can guarantee that the cat lovers on Nano aren't any nicer than the dog lovers! ;-)

[@reinierovertoom7123]

I discovery-wrote an entire novella. I started with the idea that a pilot flies a space ship to another star system and then crashes into an asteroid, basically stranding him there. It wasn't good, but that wasn't because I discovery-wrote the thing. It was because I didn't follow a lot of "rules", like adding a proper character arc for the protagonist and stuff like that. Most important thing is to keep in mind the pros and cons: outline writers tend to have better endings, and discovery writers tend to have better characters. But fun fact: I feel like characters are actually my weak point, even though I like to discovery-write. Just be conscious of the general pros and cons of your style, as well as your own personal weak and strong points, and with practice, you'll get there.

[@adriansherlockdamondark.1094]

The world's most famous pantser is Stephen King. He once defined his method as putting a character into an interesting situation and watching them struggle to get out of it. I think if you look at his best work, they are about very small groups of people, maybe even just one or two people in some cases, trapped in a very interesting situation. I think that is something you can explore as a pantser. If you want a sprawling plot and huge cast of characters like a Hitchcock movie or a Bond thriller, then you cannot really pants it, you need to nail the plot down first. To my mind, that's the secret.

[@violetlavi2207]

I always plot a lot of stuff but really, I’m just pantsing and stuff can change at any time XD the plotting is only there to help me if I get stuck and don’t know where to go. It’s always good to have a little bit of both, but I envy those who can pants novels effectively

[@ceeceetracey9839]

Yes, i have a whole story in my head. Making an outline would limit my writing, characters and ideas. I just go with the flow.

[@LiadenRogue]

I'm a plottser i suppose. I use both styles as it suits a story. I dont understand the one style vs another. Use what works for you

[@IceRiver1020]

As a pantser... 1: I physically cannot outline, I can't even tell you how many times I've tried. I thought that it was helping once, and it really wasn't. 2: I definitely just have a sense for the plot structure in my novels. I feel it out way more than I think it out. If I try to outline the structure always ends up really screwed up somehow. 3: My pantsed novels look WAY better in their first drafts than the ones I tried to outline. 4: It's definitely a range. I was confused for a long time about what I should call myself because everyone talks about it in extremes. 5: Writers who think that it's their way or the highway really piss me off. Also, I love the comparison with cat and dog people, as both a pantser and a cat lover I really feel that.

[@scarlet8078]

Have you tried to write out 10 key scene cards, instead of doing a formal outline? We do that sometimes in screenwriting. I outline and do scene cards for fiction (chapter cards for nonfiction) and I find it does help you plan the details like char, setting, and goal of each scene.

[@ceeceetracey9839]

"..... the writing process really is organic....." THAT PART

[@annmurry8589]

Do pantsing and plotting tend toward different types of issues? I find pantsing to be super difficult for long and complicated stuff. I even outlined my 5 paragraph essays. When I'm writing, I get on a super emotional high and have scenes playing out in mind like a movie. The problem is that emotions are variable for me so without an outline, I can't "find my emotional bookmark" from last time and I couldn't get past 1 page with all the viscious revising and starting over.l I wonder if pantsing is easier for people with less emotional variation in their drive. Plotting is the best way to ... collaborate ... Pantsing could take less time assuming that additional revisions are equal.

[@Kelly-ib1hf]

Shouldn't we all just want amazing books to enter reality, regardless of how the author got there?

[@JoeyPaulOnline]

As a planster I have to agree that the lines in the sand are silly. I love pantsing and do it more than plotting. It's a freeing experience and everyone writes differently and like you said that's okay!

[@kaitlynshell8887]

You tell 'em, Auntie Alexa.

[@pagecandy_5610]

As a fellow panther, I loved this video!

[@Katlyn_Duncan]

Everyone writes different and there shouldn't be a "better" way of doing it. I'm strictly a plotter but I wouldn't go after someone who doesn't. In fact, I think it's fascinating how a writer comes in without a plan and still end up with a book! :0)

[@personified3500]

i don't understand how people can stick to just an outline. Writing, art in general, is forever changing with the new ideas people have. I find that it's easier for me to find the main goal of where my characters are trying to get to, so I at least know that and then I let my imagination wonder. I just think it's better than feeling imprisoned by an outline and worrying if the new idea works within the outline or not.

[@SysterYster]

I don't understand that idea at all. Why would a plotter be better than pantser? I mean, you can plot a bad idea all you want, if it's a bad idea it's a bad idea. And it says nothing about how well you write. And you have a great idea and just write it... and if you're also good at writing, it can become great. Of course, you can also turn this around. Both camps can be equally good. :P

[@danieldoesgaming5899]

Im a plotter and my friend is a pantser,, and we are writing a book together, while it's hard, we manage

[@dantean]

Great vid. Btw, you may wish to do something with the lighting of the videos, as there is a danger of your eventually becoming entirely translucent on the screen. And while I appreciate that as a redhead you likely are not as naturally "hued" as, say, Whoopi Goldberg, you may wish to consider a somewhat less heightened contrast between very lovely, very red, hair (and lipstick) and what I am sure is quite alabaster skin. Either way, please keep up the great content--thanks!

[@sarcomeresarecool]

I tried on more than one occasion to write novels with nothing but pantsing, and I can assure you that all of them were absolute disasters. I think I'm at least a plantser, if not an outright planner, but that technique is certainly not for me.