The Methodological Pantser's Guide to Novel Writing

[@kit888]

00:01 The four writer types 02:10 The methodological pantser 02:45 Treat your process as fluid and flexible 04:05 Refine your idea before writing the first draft 05:30 Plot in advance only if it helps you 08:15 Expect to run out of steam in the first draft 09:50 Start editing as soon as you are ready 10:50 Avoid using wordcount as a measure of success 12:10 Don't wait for inspiration 13:00 Try rigid story structure systems 27 chapter method Save the cat/Save the cat writes a novel Larry Brooks Story Engineering 15:20 Make your own structural guide, use your own terminology 17:40 Outline as you write (or at least before you edit) 18:45 Make edits in the outline first 19:55 Don't be afraid to throw things away 20:45 Rate your scenes - scene structure, integration into the plot 23:50 Leave beta readers to the very end 25:15 Doing something (anything) is better than getting stuck 26:55 Embrace the chaos

[@EllenBrock]

Thank you so much! I was going to try to get the timestamps up later today, but I'm helping my neighbor move. I appreciate your work!

[@lionkingmatiouz3441]

Thanks bro

[@Hello-hello-hello456]

I really like all these tips, especially the last one

[@dday9433]

Wow. THANK YOU! I have never had someone describe the chaotic "process" of how I feel I write. I'm a bit shocked. You've perfectly described both my deep, abiding respect for "structure" (it IS the key to a great story) and my high frustration at being unable to follow the constant "rules" about how I "should" be doing something and the story "should be" progressing in an outline (which I can never do). I have to SEE the story in order to organize it, but I can't see where the story is going until a scene is written and it feels like something is "revealed" (that I didn't anticipate or plan), and once that happens I then need to go back, edit, fill in and shape the previous writing to support the revelation I just discovered. I feel as if I am constantly jumping back and forth. I had no idea this was even a "method" or anything other than "dabbling" at writing. It just feels messy and disorganized and (at times) overwhelming because I *LIKE* structure and organization. I WANT structure and order. Thank you for letting me know that others feel this dichotomy and have worked successfully within it.

[@EllenBrock]

Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I completely understand what you mean about something being "revealed" about a scene after writing it. That's a great explanation.

[@cjpreach]

"Story is Structure." William Goldman, author of The Princess Bride.

[@mjjulian72]

As a methodological pantser, I totally understand this! Attempting to outline before writing has always been a nightmare for me and doesn't work for me. Once I get going, though, I often know what will happen two chapters ahead and was even able to see the ending of my novel--just not everything that would happen along the way.

[@dday9433]

@@mjjulian72 same. When I try to outline, it feels forced and "empty" and I know it's going to change drastically, anyway, so it also feels useless and overly fussy. I'm much better at "pantsing" but I still CRAVE structure. Because when I'm overwhelmed with the chaos, and worry that there is no structure, then I think all I have is a bunch of random scenes. It's so comforting to hear someone give tips on how to handle what I've been trying to assimilate.

[@Quietcloud]

You are describing my experience exactly! I need to write the story to know the story.

[@davidnoel9355]

I keep a trash file for every story that I write. Everything that I write for a story that I later decide to get rid of goes into the trash file. DO NOT DELETE THIS FILE. This trash file makes it a lot easier for me, psychologically, to delete stuff that is not working because I'm not really getting rid of it, I'm saving it for later. One of the benefits of a trash file is that I often find that the idea that I discarded from the first quarter of the book can be rewritten and used in the third or fourth quarter of the story or may even serve as the seed for another story completely. I might even end up using it in the first quarter of the story after all when I rewrite some other introductory scenes because they weren't working as originally written. I also love the scene rating idea, I will start using it immediately.

[@EllenBrock]

A trash file is great, and if you can use those scenes later on that is always an awesome feeling!

[@nadiarey4196]

I have the same process! It's usually a txt called "TO ERASE". Psst, I never erase it. XD

[@kokorodokidoki6437]

I have a Scrivener project called "a collection of random ideas". When I had to toss a couple ideas from my current story, I moved the writing I did for those / notes into that project for future story.

[@dworf6813]

i call mine the lost and found bin 😅

[@pipitameruje]

Oh, I like this. This sounds exactly like what I need. I don't like to delete stuff when I'm editing, and usually find convoluted reasons to keep sections that don't really have a purpose. But this trash file idea is brilliant

[@JoelAdamson]

I take "running out of steam" as a sign that whatever I planned doesn't make sense or isn't the most interesting way for that change to take place. I usually take a few days to think over what the character would do and think of plenty of interesting ways it could happen. This always results in a much more exciting finished draft.

[@AeliosArt]

I just discovered I'm not the plotter I thought I was lol. Honestly you're by far one of the must helpful channels for writing I've come across 💯🙏🏻

[@EllenBrock]

Wow, thank you!

[@luisaah5707]

I 100% agree.

[@anarchsnark]

I'm this type and this was my experience too. I like structures and thought then I must be a plotter? Nope! However hard I try, I lose steam with plotting. I thought I was just a bad plotter before realizing through talking to other pantsers that plotting just doesn't work for me. These four types videos have been so helpful

[@mel_9346]

I don't know If you'll ever read this but thank you so much, you've just changed my life. This is me! I've never heard someone discribe my chaotic writing method like that. I've always loved studying structure, it gives me a lot of ideas, but I hate the rigid system of plotters. I love structure, but I hate plotting? Well, yes. I also have to edit as I go, I can't understand my story if I don't. And I jump in the story a lot. I'm a mess, thanks for saying that's ok. And the tips are amazing!!! Hugs. Have a beautiful life 😭❤️

[@EllenBrock]

I'm so glad you found this video helpful! Editing as you go to understand the story is a great method and totally necessary for this type. Hugs back to you!

[@Tenebracas]

Sorry for the word choice but holy shit, this might be the first time I feel really seen by a writing advice. Especially the last two points really hit home, because I always tend to cling to ideas how the process should look like and then I get frustrated because I can't seem to figure out how to make it work for me. I long knew about the plotter-pantser continuum and always thought I'm a plotter, but somehow I struggled a lot with having to outline everything, and when I'd start writing I would change directions a lot anyways and much of the outline would become useless, making me give up - basically as predicted in this video - somewhere after the 20% mark. At the same time, if I wouldn't outline properly I wasn't even able to start writing anything at all. The additional differentiation between intuitive and methodological really solves the puzzle for me. Every point seems to answer so many questions for me, it's crazy how accurate this is. You must be some kind of personality genius lol. I'm not actively writing at the moment but I marked this video and will definitely come back to it. Thanks a lot.

[@dworf6813]

i'm going to rewatch this video like 10 times just for the pure validation alone 💗 i can't wait to try some of your suggestions and give myself permission to be as chaotic as i like!!

[@nadiarey4196]

I know, right?

[@IsabelA-hp9yt]

Thank you so much! As a methodological pantser I’ve been waiting for this one for what feels like forever! Many of the strategies you mentioned came to me naturally. One of the things I figured out: because I write character based stories, getting stuck usually means I reached the limits of the characters I built and I need to work on them some more.

[@miaramck6746]

I tend to get stuck if I had a character make a decision that wasn't true to who they are. I can't get them to make future decisions, cause they wouldn't have done that thing 3 chapters ago.

[@Peachu_n_Goma_Home]

@@miaramck6746 THIS is me. LOL. I let my husband be the second pair of eyes to tell me if my characters act out of character at certain point. I actually cannot write myself out of the corner I pushed them into.

[@dylanjstafford]

Thank you so much for this. I was just recently diagnosed with ADHD and it explains a lot. It also explains why I am this type of writer. I have never been able to finish anything because of the chaos I incur along the way, and now I know that I should embrace it and not try to force myself in the boxes of other author’s processes. You have no idea how instrumental this video was in allowing me to see what I truly am as a writer, even though I’ve been writing 2/3 of my 33-year-old life. Seriously, thank you.

[@EllenBrock]

I'm so glad to hear that!

[@NotMeButAnother]

Same age, same situation. It's a strange dynamic, writing as a pathological procrastinator. And yet, when an idea has managed to force itself into focus and make me write a chapter or two, suddenly I can see all the things I need to do to make it better.

[@typeslowly81]

OMG yes - I felt like Erin could read my ADHD mind. We want to write by the seat of our pants, and there are so many ideas flooding in - if we don't have some sort of skeleton to pin the thing on, we'll never finish anything (especially without deadlines). Thank you Erin! And thank you Dylan! This post has been such a help and inspiration!!!

[@tearstoneactual9773]

Jesus, I'm in the same boat. This vid actually brought me to tears toward the end, in a good, cathartic way.

[@kittyflint705]

Perhaps we should start to call the Methodological Pantser the ADHD Writer instead ... Same thing here, ADHD, early thirties and, boy, that explains EVERYTHING! Even why some completely logical advice like taking one step in the process after the other never worked at all 😂

[@adverbsLY]

As someone who's neurodivergent, in the past I've had a habit of berating myself for not adhering to what I believed was a "normal" writing process.I've always found it difficult to articulate what i was doing and so on the outside it kind of seemed jumpy or erratic, rather than just a process that I used. I love the phrase 'embrace the chaos' and I honestly cannot describe how much this video resonated with me. Thank you so much!

[@MeHeartBooks]

Me too I’m exactly the same way

[@chuckfarles]

My biggest tip, as redundant as it may sound, is that if you write/think in this way you have to remind yourself from time to time that you are that way. When you’re steam rolling through a chapter or scene and come to a screeching haunt, just take the as a cue to do some revising or spell check even. When I go back a little, it usually gives me a little start up juice to get back on the train with.

[@LolaLink]

Seemingly redundant but so helpful. Without this methodology, I tend to write at a snail's pace. When I embrace it, I'll hit a good rhythm. Then, around 700 words in, it's like my brain runs out of battery and just stops working which can be incredibly frustrating. I remind myself to either pick up another approach (editing, outline, etc.) or just walk away from it. I panic that I'm failing. Then, eventually, the inspiration comes back. 🤷‍♀️

[@modernbuys]

I'm this! But I do want to say that I'm noticing a lot of people in the comments saying they "have to" plot but hate it, but I wanted to say that some of us love to plot. That is, yes, my process requires the combination of plotting and pantsing, but I don't think of this as a negative, because I like both sides so much. I love getting super technical and nitty gritty when plotting, and I love pushing everything side, and forgetting it all when I need to pants. I don't feel burdened by any part of the process, so just putting that out there, that for me, this is a process that is 100% enjoyable from beginning to end.

[@EllenBrock]

That's awesome! Yes, the plotting process can be a ton of fun and very playful and exhilarating, especially if you don't take it too seriously. Thanks for sharing your experience!

[@rianlloyd7476]

I can relate to this. I enjoy and embrace both aspects of the story and by having the flexibility to embrace both, the process feels more engaging.

[@jessicaleal7195]

Never has a better resource existed for aspiring writers than your videos! Hearing your describe the exact pitfalls I often face and the resources you offer to over come those pitfalls, is so helpful. I’m incredibly grateful to have found your videos and can’t thank you enough!!

[@EllenBrock]

Wow, thank you! I'm so happy to help!

[@bustersbrain]

I did not know I was a methodological pantser until now. This is incredibly helpful. Thank you.

[@whyhelloelsie5286]

This video was so freeing for me! I am definitely a methodological pantser. Your video describing the four types was like a revelation to me - I had always considered myself a methodological plotter with zero discipline… because I couldn’t stick to the outline and I was constantly, CONSTANTLY going back and reworking. I’ll be watching this video again and taking notes. Thank you so much for this! Been stuck on a scene the last few days and I needed this.

[@monarose1387]

This is me 100%. I've spent years feeling guilty that I tend to jump around between drafting and editing instead of writing the first draft in one go like other authors seem to do. And it does feel chaotic! I'm currently stuck revising a scene that is taking me in a different direction and I'm feeling overwhelmed by it and putting it off. I like the tip that says to move on to another section of the story when you get stuck to keep moving forward. I'll try to do that more.

[@harvestwhitman256]

This makes me feel so validated xD. Thank you for this! My writing process is such a chaotic mess with the plotting, editing, and writing all at once that sometimes I can't even wrap my head around what I'm doing. You also perfectly summarize my experience with beta readers and critique partners, as well as the thing with losing steam. I think this process is looked down upon in the writing community because there are all these ideas floating around of what the process of writing a book "should look like", which is very much an A B C kind of thing; draft 1, draft 2, edit etc. I found myself often frustrated with myself because I don't quite fit that mold, and it's often made me question whether I was a "real writer". So thank you! And welcome back

[@thewordseamstress]

I think this is a perfect description of what plantsers/plotsers are. We are Methodological Pantsers. A while back I came across the "Torch Method" where I plan there next 5-10 scenes, write, then plan again. This is after I have a skeletal summary of the novel. You describe all that so perfectly in this video. Thank you so much. I'm glad I stayed subscribed to you when you were on a break because your channel is a gold mine.

[@levidenoir]

This video watered my crops and saved my life all in the span of watching it. It felt wild to hear to say insights that directly mirror aspects of my process I've long worried were too chaotic or merely a disorganized way of doing things. Also as a writer with ADHD, it feels extra affirming to have someone put this care into creating a more concrete language for the kind of writer myself and many others are, when I've often felt like there's something wrong with me for not being able to "fix" my process. So thank you, thank you-- this video was incredible and I look forward to the others 🙏

[@EllenBrock]

You are so welcome!

[@riosaharu]

Thank you so much for this video. I always struggled to complete projects when I made detailed outlines, but I could never even get a project going when I tried to dive in and 'just write'. Learning about progressive outlining and zero drafting helped a lot, but I didn't have terminology to describe my process until just now. It's so reassuring to have a professional editor acknowledge that not all of us write in a series of distinguishable drafts, or break down our work into distinct brainstorming/writing/editing stages. I can't wait to try out your tip about editing the outline before editing the manuscript! Cheers to embracing the chaos

[@EllenBrock]

I'm so glad you found the video helpful. Let me know how it goes editing the outline!

[@elicoontreras]

OMG, where were you all my life? hahaha I've been writing, plotting, editing my novel for almost 13 years going in this never ending cycle and feeling I'm not writing this thing right telling myself no method works for me. Totally going to follow your tips because they finally MAKE SENSE for my brain haha. Thank you, gonna binge your channel now.

[@violetrain2850]

Fantastic video, Ellen! In the future, would you consider creating a video where you give techniques on how to move from that 20% point of resistance? Even though it may be especially true for this type of writer, I've heard just about every type run out of steam around this mark, and wanted to know if you could share specific strategies, by type, to push beyond it. Thanks! ❤

[@EllenBrock]

Great idea! I'll add it to my list of future videos.

[@Sue-pn7mq]

That’s a great idea, it took me a while to figure this out as well. I’m an intuitive pantser, so I’m not sure if this applies for the methodological type, but when I run out of steam I need a challenge. It can either be that the book isn’t challenging enough for me to continue with or it can mean that I need to build in some complexity to make sure I keep myself interested and entertained and every time I do this it works. I’ve already finished several novels that way.

[@dday9433]

If you're like me, when you get stuck or discouraged, it helps to jump around in the story, honestly. Go forwards or backwards in the timeline (or within the characters stories, including back stories or their dreams for the future). You may not use it, but its not boring, keeps you writing in the story, and it helps with character arcs and eventual plot (I hope).

[@henrypaternoster2122]

I'm interested in what Ellen has to say about this 20% point of resistance too! As a methodological pantser, I hit some kind of resistance or wall very frequently, and it seems to be different in nature every time. I think it's because I'm trying to make something without the right ingredients - maybe I'm trying to plot it out too far, and I can't keep going with it until I've written some scenes and gotten a better feel for the characters. If I'm writing a scene and it trails off, maybe I need to clarify what it's doing for my plot, and I can't really finish until I know that. At other times, input like a video on plot structure or character arcs will make something about my own story click, giving me new energy to throw at it. If I don't recognise that what I'm trying to do isn't working and change it up, I'll stay at the stuck point indefinitely.

[@gracegaskell8068]

I think this is the best description ive seen of my own process! One thing i will day is, being as crippled by perfectionism that i am, if i stop to edit too soon after ive started writing, i will get stuck in a spiral of thinking my work is worthless cringe, but uf i just write for long enough, my brain kinda works through it and grts into an amazing flow. The only way ive found to get to that point is by forbiddiy myself from editing UNTIL i get there. Then i can churn out so much stuff and i can go back and forth and think 'oh, no, this works so much better than that other way!'.

[@biglogan6142]

... I almost can't believe how much this describes me lol ... Some of this I've already learned about myself (I'm 2 years into my first book lol), but a lot of these ideas are totally new and I think could be really helpful! Thank you :)

[@ladyelle31]

Pure gold. I am SOO glad you are back! It’s because of you that I realized just this last year I was a pantser trying to write novels as a plotter 🙊 I can’t wait to see the intuitive pantser video now so I can compare the two. I feel I fall somewhere in the middle between intuitive and methodological, but not sure where yet!

[@samanthas6073]

Almost everything you described fits me! I’ve tried completely pantsing and I normally end up overwriting and my pacing is slowwww. For some reason I go way too in depth, and end up with a lot of rambling in the draft, lol. I’ve also tried to force myself into being a plotter, and having a rigid outline for a story. Every single time I get bored by the end of the first act. What I’ve found works best is what you were describing…basically I do a “word vomit” initial concept before I start writing. Then I make a slightly more structured outline as I go. So I’ll outline the prologue and chapter one, write that. Afterward I’ll add a chapter two to the outline and then write that, etc. For the most part, it seems to be my sweet spot. Just enough plotting with a lot of freedom to still pants when I need to.

[@NancyChen53]

I had always thought I was a plotter, but watching your author type video, I realized that I'm a pantser who wants to plot. I totally plot a scene right before I write, but I may not even follow that, because it just gives me an idea before I start writing. After I write the scene, I go back and revise my scene outline and I may even go change my entire outline. This is so helpful, thanks!

[@apollolee2978]

I'm so glad you're back!

[@erindodge8521]

I LOVE this!! Thank you for this video; I had never encountered the idea of a “Methodological Pantser” and it feels like a match for how I work- I often feel that I’m not organized enough to be a Plotter, but not intuitive enough to be a Pantser, and it can be really discouraging- I really appreciate that so much of this video goes against a lot of really common writing advice; it feels so encouraging to hear that there’s a different way, and that you’re not doing it “wrong” to be more organic to how you naturally work. Thanks so much!

[@jose11032]

I REALLY resonate with this mythological pantser- writing type! But I have ADHD and possibly high functioning autism, and they are battling every day. I wrote this crossworlds soft fantasy romance 10 years ago, LOVED writing it without any outlining, but since then i have educated myself and now have possibly 20 versions of it, and I can't choose which is better! I feel like my ADHD side just writes and writes and comes up with multiple amazing versions all the time, but I can't decide on a specific theme or philosophical question because my autism-side want it to be perfect! And hates the jumping mess my ADHD is making :) This makes me realise that my process is okay, THANK you Ellen. I already have more confidence since watching this (3 times now!) My visual brain is very active, so its hard to find the image I think is better, I really wish that someone just told me "THIS is best because of your theme" or something like that 😖

[@calmit23]

yes, I have six books all stuck at around 20% So this makes sense. Thanks

[@kelvinm560]

I am glad you are OK

[@ddamianforeman8803]

How the hell did you manage to describe my writing process better than I ever have?

[@gintzudai2979]

Wow, not only did you just describe my entire creative process - heavy on the chaos, thank you very much - but you gave good, creative, and actionable suggestions for working within that chaos. Thank you thank you thank you. I'm going to create a sign for the wall above my monitors that says. "Embrace the Chaos!"

[@EllenBrock]

I'm so glad you liked the video! I love the idea of a sign.

[@AuthorDarrellCScottJr]

Thank you!!!! I’ve never felt more understood as a writer in my life.

[@edwinleskin3112]

Can't believe I'm just finding your channel.

[@MartaKirin]

Thank you! I never met another methodological pantser, but I'm really this! Your advice really helped me to understand what my process is... Thank you!

[@schleepy6362]

I found this series of yours after I asked google “how to be a pantser writer”. For a long time now I’ve known that I was DEFINITELY not a plotter. Setting up a perfect little railroad for my story to follow just KILLED my creativity and inspiration every time. But lately, even though I accepted that I should let my mind wander and discover as supposedly every other pantser does, I was STILL struggling like you wouldn’t believe. I found it hard to keep writing when I had zero direction for my story at all. I kept jumping between paragraphs and editing stuff when I was taught that editing comes last. I kept trying to force myself to just keep writing, but that paralyzed me completely. Thus I took to google to find out what the heck I was doing wrong. Then I found your vid on intuitive pantsers. In that vid I saw _some_ points that sounded helpful, but I didn’t like the idea of generating a story when you’re not actively writing it. I needed something more practical, something that would help me stop thinking and start _moving._ That brought me here. And I am so freakin glad I asked google because I am described pERFECTLY HERE🤣I didn’t even consider that there were subgroups besides pantser and plotter. I think what I need is, like, the barest semblance of a path for me to walk down as I write. It will probably be a really shitty path of vague story beats at first, but it will lead to beautiful offshoots that I couldn’t have found if I never walked it in the first place. Writing in a fluid, ever-changing way is what will bring the creativity and life into my story, I just know it.

[@thups9552]

I've never been this understood in my life lol this is almost embarrassing! Great video!

[@OverthinkingConde]

Yep, the heavy plotting/structuring while writing makes you feel a failure sometimes (I should have this figured it out by now!). But when it's your thing, it's your thing.

[@stealersaga]

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! -- You have described me in every way. I can now embrace what I am and how I work. You have said everything I've felt about writing. I'm glad you have put it in such a concise way. Some people like to write fast and not stop and research. I have to stop and do lots of different things (research, edit, structural analysis, word choice, etc.) throughout my first draft. And I find my best ideas come while I'm writing, after some writing (especially backstory) and character analysis and short summary my hook, my midpoint and the ending, although the ending sometimes change. Structure is something I depend on, but within that structure I'm a pantser. And like you said, I don't have number drafts. I'm just always working on a book. I plan to watch this video several times when writing.

[@EllenBrock]

I'm so happy this video described your experience!

[@erinkristoff3214]

I'm nearly in tears watching this. You've described my chaos so well and given me hope that I CAN finish, that there are writing process tricks that can work for me. When I watched your first video I went into it thinking I was a plotter but I felt so frenetic. I work hard on outlining and research then have bursts of creative storytelling that spill out onto the page. Eventually that hits a wall and I have to go back to the outline to figure out what comes next or how to switch perspectives. I always feel wrong, and slow. Like I haven't figured out what my process is. THANK YOU.

[@ceciliaossenbeck5650]

Oh my god I have never felt more seen re: my messy writing process. I assumed I wasn’t methodical because I’m intuitive about a lot of aspects (tone, atmosphere, theme, etc.), and my process is so chaotic. Something clicked into place for me watching this video, and I think it might have changed my relationship to writing permanently. It never occurred to me to just… create my own structure map 🤯 Every section of this video was exactly what I needed to hear. I can’t thank you enough for the work you do.

[@cjpreach]

ELLEN - Grand Slam Home Run! Every point you made in this video I have seen in my personal experience. Thank you so much for this one!

[@EllenBrock]

You are so welcome! I'm glad you liked it!

[@siouxb4999]

Thank you!!!!! I think you just saved me so much time fretting about not writing to a prescriptive style. I could never understand people talking about writers block or not being able to generate ideas, but then I could never seem to just sit and write a novel in a linear way which made me feel sort of ashamed. Now thanks to you I understand why! The veil has lifted and I feel a lot more confident forging ahead to work with my brain rather than against it. Thank you so much for posting 😊

[@EllenBrock]

Sorry I didn't see this sooner! Thank you so much for your support! I'm so glad this video helped you feel more confident!

[@sarahalbert6833]

I love this playlist. It has helped me a great deal. I can’t decide if I fall into the intuitive pantser or the methodical pantser. My process is very chaotic but I also know what works and what doesn’t without looking at the structure. Structure and plotting gives me a headache 😁 but I do take lots of notes as I go. I never write in a linear way. I tend to start with the scenes I see in my head and let the characters build themselves and the story around them. One major drawback is the length of time it takes me to find what doesn’t work and fix it because it involves a lot of rewriting

[@nanoglitch6693]

Pantser?? That's such a loaded term lol. Feels like it has a lot of condescension baked into it. But then "discovery writer" also has a certain degree of arrogance. "I don't need to plan, I'll just write myself into a corner!" But yeah, as a semi-methodical pantser, I really appreciate this vid. :)

[@EllenBrock]

There is no term that I really like either. They all seem loaded or awkward for one reason or another. "Pantser" seems most widely used so I went with that. So glad you like the video!

[@Ruylopez778]

I was going to make this comment, too. I feel like 'discovery writer' is more like your mind has the story and meaning deep down, and writing is a way some people uncover the subconscious. Seat-of-the-pants, 'I'll just use my judgment as I go', comes across to me like there's no deep rhyme or reason (even though I guess the judgment and experience is also coming from subconscious plans/dreams/desires)

[@shanezellow]

I know more oldschool writers use the terms architect vs gardner. They're not in popular use but I still like them more.

[@briankinsey3339]

Thank you! You just described the way I write pretty much to a T (or, as much as a chaotic process can be described.) I've always assumed I was a plotter, because I compile tons of notes, summaries, bios, etc. before actually writing anything. But descriptions of either plotter type never really seemed to fit. So much of this does. I tend to go back and forth between plotting/summarizing and actual writing, and half the time the actual writing expands - or alters - what I'd plotted or summarized. And going back and revising sections already written seems natural, even if I'm not done writing the rest yet.

[@sylviariess4024]

I really found my self here. Thank you so much for your videos. After 16 Years of writing I really struggled in a phase while having a very young child and less time. Knowing my style of writing better and getting your tips helps, structuring my writing and beeing more productive. :)

[@grrsa]

It's happening!!!! Been stoked for these since the original video! :D

[@timothymclean]

Misread title as "Methodological Panzer's Guide" etc. Which doesn't make much less sense out of context, actually...

[@snovid3306]

I wrote my first book as a methodical pantser, and I arrived at so many of the concepts you mentioned as I went along, that I should feel this is what I am. Before writing the second book, during editing, I moved towards planning though. One thing I'd add about outlining is, it really helps to see it in front of your eyes, and so, I put each chapter section on a separate post-it note. It should be on the wall, it's on a table instead, but still - super helpful. Thank you for creating this platform, all the content!

[@tundranone8366]

Thank you thank you thank you! I found the closest to my writing type for sure. And if that wasn't enough, I now have extra tools to wrangle this complicated style/process of mine. Great stuff!

[@lilowhitney8614]

This video is giving me an identity crisis. All my life I thought I was a plotter but it turns out that I may just be a pantser.

[@therovinggolem8168]

I'm fairly certain that this is my writer type. So much of what you're saying is resonating with me. I don't WANT a chaotic process... I want to make a detailed plot so I know every facet of my story before I start writing 😅... but I guess I have to embrace the chaos. Thanks for all of your videos!

[@ThreadBomb]

Looking forward to the "intuitive plotter" video!

[@xenthine]

Thanks for this. I’ve only heard of pantsers and plotters and never thought of it this way. It’s exactly how I work and I needed to hear it right now. I’m writing a series of short stories and they keep petering out around Act 3 and sitting unfinished while my brain jumps on the next story. I realized I’m reserving those Act 3s until I have a better grasp on my protags arc and how the stories interconnect.

[@KittSpiken]

It was a major revelation to me to open more documents. Way more. Have a document for outlining and notes (maybe two (maybe three)). This is the overworld, you're gonna spend a lot of time here. As you're moving through, plotting the beats, jot down moments as they come to you and if a moment catches, ride it out. This is a level or sub-area. There's plenty to do here, but eventually, you're going to run into a gate you just don't have the key to open. Maybe that pushes through half, a whole, or several scenes. However far it takes you, when you first come up for air (running into an obstacle that breaks the flow), cut everything you wrote and throw it in a new document. From there attempt to push forward again until you hit an obstacle that's a gate. Maybe that first one was the gate, as long as you spent a little time trying to open it, don't sweat if you have to head back there and then. You'll find the key later, but for now it's time to go. You've done all you can here for now, in all likelihood you've found a key here that opens up a gate you ran into previously. There's something substantially different between gates and obstacles. For example: if following multiple characters, a moment might catch and roll out multiple scenes; scenes that inevitably will be chapters apart. At a certain point, you can no longer range ahead without knowing more concretely what the other characters are up to. Whatever stopped you here, is a question you need to and now can, answer elsewhere. That question is the key, that elsewhere is the gate. Maybe elsewhere is in the overworld where you need to outline the plot forward until you hit another spark, maybe you found a shortcut to elsewhere, that rolls right into writing the scene(s) that the key question unlocked. Developing your ability to distinguish an obstacle from a gate and recognizing the keys you found along the way is a skill issue, you'll build it up. It's not less chaotic, but it smooths out. A more straightforward process probably calls for a folder: for their outline, their drafts, a few misc. documents for odds and ends (I don't know, maybe it doesn't: not my monkey, not my circus). Yours probably need sub-folders. Proper inventory management will help particularly when starting another writing session and is a good way to utilize your time mid-session if you're unsure where you're headed next and need to process where you're at subconsciously (mix it up if you're tired of the tried and true pacing around your room) or a nice cooldown when wrapping a session. The last major piece is the complied draft: your world map. Pull the chapters out of your other documents and piece them together. Figuring out how the pieces fit (or don't) will help you identify what pieces you're missing, what keys you were unaware you had and what gates they belong to. Plus, it's just nice to have a tangible draft. Yeah, your process bears fruit in a nonstandard way so the standard gauges of progress are less useful, but you'll still want to see a draft stacking a juicy wordcount. If the reality of in-progress editing often presenting a stagnant wordcount despite the work going in disheartens you, try tracking your build. You add another scene, another chapter; leave the version number alone. You change the scene order, rework, or cut something; track and update the build number. Small toss-ups in scene order or basic edits add .01; big scene rework or cut, add .1; structural overhaul, that's a whole new build, add 1. So long as you're honest in your accounting, you'll have a more useful measure of your gains than the alone wordcount would suggest. Now is any of that entirely coherent or useful to any of you? I dunno, but it was useful to me. The video provided a lot of insight into my process (by the by, thank you) and writing this helped shape a heuristic that I need to go apply to refine. My biggest takeaway is that my method is exploratory and investigative. While I need to chart a course and that course carries with it expectations, a scene is going to play out as it plays out. It's going to surprise me and reveal new things about the characters. Those revelations might "discredit" previous accounts and information that had once seemed credible. I'm researching the story world, the same way I'm researching the real world for the story. With the bonus of finding applications for skills developed playing Super Metroid.

[@dinascott8815]

This video is extremely helpful. You have described my writing completely. I have been stalled for ages. This is wonderful. Thank you!

[@sade8376]

This has got to be the single most helpful video on writing I’ve ever watched, and I really do mean that. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone 1) tell me to embrace the chaos and then go on to 2) give real, actionable methods to do so. Thank you so much!

[@jackhammer4499]

I never stopped believing the queen would one day return.

[@user-kf6yt4mn9v]

Thank you so much for this video, it validates a lot of things about my process which I have never seen talked about anywhere else! In the last few years I've been trying to approach my writing more analytically and figure out through trial and error what processes work best for me, and I wrote a note to myself saying "I write like solving puzzles, or like constructing an object; finding pieces and putting them together in various ways until they make sense for me", and I think this was me trying to describe what you've described in your video about how this type of writer needs to "see things on the page" and then plotting/writing/editing what they have in no logical order until it comes together. Similarly, I found meticulous outlining and fast drafting to produce really bland writing that I didn't want to look at ever again to edit, while my more "natural" process of going back and forth chaotically produced writing that somehow, in the end, came together and satisfied me! Anyway, in short, thank you for this video, it contained a ton of advice I'll take home with me. Particularly "make edits in the outline" is a revelation, I believe this will make the chaos a lot easier to manage!

[@DaveShap]

TIL I am way more structured than I thought.

[@rocketaxxonu]

Wow. I don't know how to say this, but this is an absolutely brilliant breakdown of an approach to the writing process I've never heard articulated like this. I've always thought of myself as a kind of unevolved plotter, who wants to be able to plot out ahead of time and keeps thinking that, with more experience, will someday be able to write a proper outline which doesn't involve rewriting the outline half a dozen times throughout the process or writing a sprawling draft zero that's a mix of summary, minute details, actual scenes (that I'll never use) and a brainstorming list of possible plot points. This is such a powerful tool and approach to thinking, many points of advice I've already been using because I discovered it was the only way I could (all the while with guilt and worries of inefficiency), while others are completely new and will definitely be impacting how I think about the writing process and points to focus on to improve and learn how to get more done. Just incredible insight, thank you so much.

[@andreaquinn6180]

Oh my goodness, Ellen. I know this video is old and you have probably moved on from reading comments here, but I still need to say how much this resonated with me! I've become a bit disillusioned with writing advice because most of it winds up just not clicking with me, and so I took a long time to watch your writer types videos. And wow, I feel so seen right now and wish I had watched this right away! You may as well have been looking over my shoulder this whole time. I have come to learn a lot of what you said the hard way, through years of trying techniques on and finding them fitting well in some areas and poorly in others. It was so wonderful to hear you say "embrace the chaos," because I don't think I've ever heard that particular piece of advice before, and it's just what I needed to hear. Currently clawing my way forward at the 30% mark of a draft that I've been reluctant to assign a number to, because I know there are broken things at the beginning and I can't get my mind off them knowing they're broken. I think I'm going to go back and fix them right now. THANK YOU!!

[@Writing4Jesus247]

WOW, this was awesome!!! I thought I was an intuitive pantser, but this described me so well!!! Thanks so much, girl!!

[@Kfoglarsson]

Looking forward to whichever I am. A little bit of everyone at different times it feels like. All depending on my mood.

[@bodine219]

Ooh my type came first!! Thank you so much for the advice. I’m excited to try the ones I haven’t already tried. -Oh my goodness. I thought the concept of a zero draft was freeing, but....no drafts? 🤩 -I’ve tried fully plotting and you are absolutely right about it not going well and resulting in generic writing -Edit when ready? This is something I have learned through painful trial and error and it’s nice to hear someone else agree. 🥰 - I just completed a quarter Milwordy. I counted drafted and edited words, but I hope I never try this again. I hated it. Time seems like a better way to measure and I will try a time goal next year!! 🤩 (I love nano though- I just prefer rebellion) -I love save the cat! It isn’t ingrained in me yet, but it’s going to solve a pretty serious problem in the first novel I drafted. I will definitely look at some others though. I always thought it was weird how I was attracted to distinct structures while simultaneously despising plotting. -structural guide 👀 I need to do this!! 🤩 -Outline as you write. I wholeheartedly agree. This is why I love Scrivener. Seriously - any pantsers intimidated by it I 100% suggest at least using a trial. -I’m currently making adjustments in an outline...first time trying it and it is the least painful editing has ever been. (Actually I’m having a blast) -rating scenes? I have to try this!! 🤩 I’ve been wondering about scene structure lately. -oof. Saving beta readers for later is a hard one, but I will try to listen. It makes a lot of sense for my personality, let alone my writing style. Thank you again for this video. I feel like your advice all sounds very freeing, and like it will up my productivity. I wonder, do you have an opinion about working on several novels at once? I feel like hopping between projects gives me fresh eyes and I have forward progress in all of them. People always tell me it will keep me from finishing anything and I can’t help but disagree. Although, trying some more of these methods may reduce my need to change it up, I think.

[@EllenBrock]

I'm so glad you liked the video! I think working on multiple novels at once can work great for some people. Some writers find switching between projects keeps things fresh and fun and gives their brain time to reset before looking at the same project again, but other writers find making the mental shift from one project to another laborious. So it's really just about knowing what works best for you. Thanks so much for watching!

[@idaelisabethbjordal3417]

God you're great. I've been following your channel for years (the only youtube channel I follow, actually) and have learned so so much. But now you've also given me an understanding of my process and effortlessly removed a lot of grief and frustration I've had about my way of working. You are amazing and I love you. Thank you so much.

[@hcstubbs3290]

I gave my book to a friend a few months ago knowing there were problems with it, and early on she said "so this character..." and I was like, "yeah, I know, I'm working on her atm so that she's more important to the plot." And then I told her to stop reading and that I would send it back when it was better... Turns out I wasn't ready for a beta reader yet as I knew what needed fixing already. Gonna send it back to her soon now that I don't know what else needs fixing, and I can't wait for her to read it and see what I missed. There's no point getting people to read it when you know what to fix. Better not to waste their time and get them to read it when their feedback will be more vital. This video validates the chaos of my writing and the fact I've only just started letting people read it after years of working on it. 👌 One thing I've found really helpful in my final line edit is that I wrote all the chapters down on paper, cut them out, and put them in a cup. I pick one out and that's the chapter I'm gonna edit that day rather than going through it in order which is boring. It makes it less of a slog. Maybe this will help someone else.

[@jaearnell]

I feel like when I was young, I was definately an intuitive panster when it came to writing (whether my writing was good, well... I don't have a lot of the early stuff to really judge, honestly), but then I went to school and university and my natural process was kind of beat out of me. I'm not a methodological plotter, I've tried to force myself into that mindset for school over the years and it drained all the joy out of writing for me. But I don't feel like I have that intuition that was abundant from when I was a teenager engrosed in storytelling, either. So I think, this is where I end up. A lot of this advice resonates and hopefully can help me continue on with my novel. Thank you for sharing!

[@jasminado8157]

This video is amazing! THANK YOU SO MUCH for putting all this together! I finally found my own writer's type and it honestly feels so good, that this is actually a thing! I thought I've been constantly searching for the 'perfect' method, so I can finally become a plotter, but from now on I'm gonna embrace my chaotic method.

[@carcowarc]

This is such a great video-thank you!! As both a writer and an editor, knowing these types has been super helpful and I’m really excited for the other breakdowns. I’m a methodological pantser, and yes the process is very chaotic lol. Something I’ve found really helpful though is building a strong foundation for my main characters and world (and maybe the plot a little too) so that when I do start writing, I have a good grasp of who the story involves and what external elements may come into play. For characters, I’ll write a summary of their backstory and identify their goals, strengths, and flaws. For the world, this gets a bit trickier, but I’ll usually identify some important locations I’d like to be involved, the economic/political states of these locations, any important factions of people and their beliefs, and how the magic works since I write fantasy. After that, I let the characters loose and just see what happens!

[@helenlittle7761]

I do this too for characters and worldbuilding! I feel like I’m making grab bags of interesting traits and details that I can easily pull from while I’m writing.

[@carcowarc]

@@helenlittle7761 Yes! That’s really what it is

[@authorliswrenn]

Finally~ I've been waiting this since your video about writers type. Yes this is actually what I looking for!

[@josepcorretja]

Dear Mrs. Brock: Thanks, thanks and thanks a million times. Your videos have been for me a source of useful knowledge and comfort, when I have been more hopeless. I really identify myself in the group of Intuitive Plotter. Sometimes I tend to rely on short sentences, or opposition between two words or concepts to follow my creative process. Thanks a lot.

[@tomarcarjack]

Holy cow! Thank you so much for this video! I feel like you probed into my brain and articulated every aspect of plotting/writing/editing I struggle with. This video describes me to a “T.” Thank you for expressing that those of us who are methodological panters should embrace our methods. I’ve been struggling so long with the idea that I need to complete an entire draft before going back and editing things. I tend to have a basic plot structure drawn out in a sort of mind map, but if I take a detour while writing because the muse strikes, I may write 3500 words that make far more sense to the story. Then I have to revise some of the later plot or some of the earlier plot in order for that to make sense. And to me, it makes more sense to revise it while everything is fresh rather than wait until I finish the first draft. I need to stop focusing on the ways I’m not working according to someone else’s ideas of how to write and get back to my own methods that work for me. Ellen, you’re the best! I can’t wait for more of your informative videos!!!

[@tomlewis4748]

Thank you. Understanding that there are types and that they are different in itself is a truly brilliant observation that is incredibly liberating. I now feel validated to be who I am, whereas before this, I felt almost inferior, like a square peg in a round hole, as if it was not OK that some things worked for me while others did not. Now I finally know why. That is so valuable and empowering. I almost want to kiss you. On top of this, you seem to have very carefully leveraged these distinctions in ways that are very positive and very helpful. Your level of insight is astonishing. You are definitely potentially the most important mentor figure for writers one could ever imagine. Also possibly the brightest star ever on KZbin, in any category or capacity. I've had only two pros that were really of any help, which are James Scott Bell and the Story Grid bunch, both great, but this level of deep understanding you have elevates you well above even them. Wow. Knocked my socks off. I've been searching for this type of guidance for years. This feels like a watershed milestone in my journey.

[@pamelaabdou9069]

We missed you so much, Ellen. Please, keep making videos❤️

[@PleaseBeQuiet1]

Thank you so much for this in depth video. I think I've watched it five or six times now. This is me!!! It's such a relief to know I am not alone in my process. I love structure. I believe it's the best way to tell a story but I can't, for the life of me, outline. I'm so glad you started your series of the four types of writers with this one. Thank you! I often feel that the story lives inside a little orb I'm holding. It's spinning and there is one port hole into the center of the orb, where the story lives. Each time the hole passes me, as its spinning, I get another glimpse of the story. I quickly take in all I can, write it down, fix what I wrote before to accommodate the new information, and wait for my next glimpse. The story is slowly revealed to me in bits and chunks. Now I have a name for my process, which makes me feels less alone and less crazy. Okay, I'm still probably totally crazy, but at least I'm not alone anymore. Thank you!

[@CelestialSoular]

This very much how I operate as a creative with inattentive adhd. Thank you for all of this information. You have no idea how helpful and affirming it is. ✨☀️✨

[@VictorianEvening]

This type fits me to a T. Thank you SO much! It’s mind blowing how liberating it is to know there is nothing wrong with me. I can’t plot in advance. The story ideas just wither away. But when I write they come to life and then I plan and then I write. This is the PERFECT description to how I create. And now that I know this is my methodology, I can hone it to perfection. Please know how much I appreciate you and your videos. You have a gift.

[@rianlloyd7476]

Thank you so much for this video. I was intrigued by your concept of different writer types because I'd recently seen a lot of advice to write the first draft and not edit until it's done. But I knew that wouldn't work for my process as I naturally move between writing and editing and love that method of working. It doesn't slow me down at all (and because I fix issues as I go, I avoid creating a first draft so bad I think it's unsalvageable) but actually keeps me invested. When I get stuck with writing, I'll edit or return to world building or go back to a character design or refine the outline further. There's always something to do rather than getting pigeon-holed to only one task at a time. It's so good to see this method validated for those it works for. I related a lot to this video and was so much of my own process in it. Thank you.

[@riesmurphy9198]

Watching this video series - especially this specific video - has been an uncanny and invigorating experience. I've never heard the reality of my writing "process" (lol) so flawlessly described - both the good, and the not so good aspects of it. Your insights are truly helpful, and I've hung on every word. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. One note I would add for any other Methodological Pantsers out there looking for insights: write 1000 new words a day. Interestingly, Ellen sort of gets at this when she talks about how MPs do our best work when looking at something we've already "gotten on the page". She really hit it on the head when talking about how MPs figure things out by the act of writing; as such, I think my advice here doesn't go counter to anything she says in the video, but rather supplements it. MPs need something to work *on* - an area that we can easily fall short on, precisely because we will just as happily plug and play our "creative summaries" or "structural documents" to our hearts' content. Unfortunately, no book awaits us as the end of that tunnel - just really, really good outlines. Try and generate 1000 words a day, and think of it almost as a warm-up exercise. (Yes, really.) You may be shocked at how energized you are to get back in the document after doing so. Some days I'll do 500 words in the morning, 500 words in the evening, and then at night once everyone is asleep I get in there and start embracing the Chaos. Other days, it's 1000 words in the morning. Either way, generating new content, bit by bit, is critical as a first step. Once that content is generated, I think everything else in this video is 10/10 accurate. (I learned 2-3 new tricks that I'm totally gonna try.) Again. Big thank you to Ellen for this really fantastic video. Wow.

[@v.r.hodgdon]

I've spent years going "I'm not a plotter but I'm not a pantser. Nobody has advice for me, and I desperately need help." Little did I know, everyone (including me) has been ignoring everything INBETWEEN the two extremes. (ladies and gentlemen, hold onto your hats. Not everyone fits into the extreme categories you try and pack us into.) The fact that my brain wants to plot but my creative process doesn't has always confused the hell out of me. Thank you for clarifying; I feel like someone just turned on the office light and said I didn't have to write in the dark.

[@robrumble3991]

Thank you so much, Ellen! An absolutely essential video for pantsers like me that feel doubtful as one pushes against writing 'rules' like not editing. I always found soft editing as I go my favoured way of writing. I'd love to hear your thoughts (or perhaps a video!) on this thing I call mosaic writing which I've found means not writing in a linear way, scene by scene, but rather jumping around until it comes together. It works well when you have several PoVs and you (as a pantser) can't connect their stories at first. Is this a stupid way of writing and if not can it be made easier? I'll defo take some of the advice from this vid to try and outline as well as I can 😄 Blessings to your and yours during the holidays! Hope you have a lovely time! And thanks for coming back to us!

[@EllenBrock]

You're welcome. Thanks for watching and for sharing your process. I've heard of other writers using that same method. Some find it helpful to write scenes in the order they are most excited about, the scenes they know the most about, or the ones most integral to the plot. If it works, it works!

[@OnefortheBooks]

I really needed this video today. I'm nearly 90,000 words into my fantasy novel, and I was convinced, because of a lot of writing advice I had heard, that I needed to push through and finish the book before editing or I would never get it done. But at this point I have so many developmental edits to make with what I've already written that pushing through to write the end feels off base because all the things I want to change will most likely change the way the ending unfolds. I have been stuck in this spot for over a month but finally gave myself permission to start back at the beginning with my new vision, and I have been beating myself up about it. So thank you, for telling me it's okay to do that. I don't want to be a methodological pantser, but I guess these are the pants I was dealt. 😂 This video was full of great advice and I feel seen. ❤ Thank you.

[@renab.7390]

THIS IS ME, even moreso thank the intuitive pantser! I finally understand why I never finished a book project, thank you Ellen!!

[@DJ_Drakon]

Im in the middle of writing my first novel and every time i write a section of it, i realize that plot point would be better if i updated this other thing i have been thinking about so my process is an endless cycle of writing, hitting a wall, thinking, refining my plan, and writing some more. I always thought i was just broken but this video showed me that a lot of people have the same tendencies and helped me to come to terms with how i write. I appreciate that so much.

[@kokorodokidoki6437]

Thank you very much for this video, Ellen! ❤️🥺 I struggled so much with the common Plotter advice, and although Pantsing comes naturally when writing short stories, I've been working on an episodic TV series with 16 episodes for a long time now. After watching your 4 types of writers video & a few videos I stumbled upon--I think both of those ladies are this type--I ended up trying a few of these approaches myself with newfound pleasure in writing! As a screenwriter, I keep myself accountable in an Excel workbook I created. I do Word Count, BUT I do it differently. Like you mentioned, I delete words & sections often. Therefore, I count only the words in a section I worked in during a writing / editing sprint (not the whole screenplay). I just recently accepted that I can't fast draft without getting anxious. I need to edit & research as I go. Writing non-linear (jumping around in different episodes within the same project) has helped me not be stuck for months! I keep count of my progress with ✨percentages✨ of how close I am to completing each episode & the whole series overall because people are waiting for me to finish writing the screenplay so we can move forward with teamwork. And you're right about getting a clearer understanding & epiphanies after seeing my ideas written / typed! 💯 I'll try the rating system you explained! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A new tool I started using is the Kanban board. I use Trello (it's free on their website & as a smartphone app) to help me keep track of which episodes / scenes I'm working on. It's easy to go through the checklist & move stuff around from "To Do" / "Doing" / "Done"! ✅ For my ideas / research organization, I use Scrivener -- I don't like normal outlines -- I prefer writing summaries & editing them on cards in the storyboard view. I also use the Private Pad document I've created for every episode in my WriterDuet project! You're spot-on about the mix-and-match or making something new for my own understanding / approach for screenwriting! I struggled so much with other writers' templates & explanations for a character's flaw. 😭 I decided to customize a succinct meme I found online for my protagonist & supporting characters! That worked well for me! 😂

[@kokorodokidoki6437]

To clarify, I track my accountability / progress to make sure I do writing sprints daily. My Excel worksheets have columns for the date, time I started my sprint, and how many minutes my sprint was (5, 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30). I am trying to develop a habit of writing more often in the day, not only at night. The number of words I typed during a sprint is a way for me to show myself that I put effort into the sprint. Sometimes I can get a lot of words in. Some sprints I don't type as quickly because I need to research / make a decision / edit. But I'm okay with that now! ✍🏻

[@kokorodokidoki6437]

Update: I decided not to do word count anymore. That was unnecessary and time-consuming. I do sprints with page count now. (It starts at 0.1 page.) It helps me to see the pages counted with a color code system in Excel. I made a physical Kanban board in a thin A5 notebook. This is useful, especially because I don't write in a linear approach.

[@athena03000]

You’re in my head and it’s kind of freaky. I never knew there was an actual type breakdown for my chaotic writing style. My advice to others in this type is to embrace it and magic will happen. Great video!

[@Kurtisie]

People don’t even need any sort of writing seminars or classes, just watch ALL of Ellen Brocks videos, and you’ll get everything you could ever need!!

[@HowStoriesWork]

This definitely describes me. And Ellen, you definitely understand my process! I LOVED that you said, "You don't need to follow the common advice of writing an entire first draft before editing." I've always thought that was ridiculous (for me personally). Fantastic video! - Jay

[@nobody_special]

Thank you! I'm a methodological pantser, and a lot of your tips for writing were things I did. I've been struggling with editing my first novel, and I really appreciate your advice. I'll be trying them out. One thing I found that worked for me was going back and doing some editing as I wrote my draft, but also incorporating research into the process. It gave me a great deal of excitement as I wrote, seeing the story unfold as I was writing. I wanted to see what would happen next, as if I was reading a novel.

[@kierac9072]

I’m sure you’ve heard this a million times, but this explained so much about my own writing, THANK YOU

[@sunsethappy]

Honestly, I can’t tell you how helpful I find your videos and the way you explain things. I find myself nodding along to what you say, which I never notice myself doing for others. Your videos are brimming with immensely useful information! The value I’m getting from your channel is incredible, so thank you, thank you, thank you!

[@nessaidolslayer3426]

This is the first writing video that I've seen that's ever described anything even close to my style. Before, I could never really answer the question of "am I a pantser or a plotter?" but this video describes me to a T. And a ton of the advice that you're giving is stuff that I'm already doing XD and I'm definitely taking notes for the rest. I related so much to the part about draft numbers... I'm still technically on draft 1, about 70% through, even though I have edited the earlier chapters multiple times already, and have been working on this for over a year now. And I feel like when I do finish draft 1, my book's gonna be pretty damn close to query-able. And yet, everyone keeps shouting from rooftops that your first draft is supposed to suck and I'm like... 🤔 I don't think it will? So thank you, for shedding light on this type of methodology and convincing me that I'm not a weirdo! XD Also, I have ADHD, and I feel that everything you were describing about this process is so in-line with how our neurodivergent brains work 😅 I'd be curious to see how many other authors with ADHD fit into this category!

[@SysterYster]

I edit when I see problems, and I edit when I'm done. I never got the whole "Put it on a shelf for 6 months and then edit". Like, but then I'll have started something else and I will not feel like editing it. The moment I'm done, I start from the beginning to go through it and fix it. I work best on things that I never stop working on until they're done. Things I put aside very rarely gets finished.

[@SpiritedHeart94]

I have found that if I can’t decide wether or not I want to throw something away, but at the moment it’s just *not* working in the outline, I create a separate note & put those ideas in there to look over later in case I find something that works later on (if not I just throw it away).

[@PaulaScardamalia]

Finally listening to this and it's kind of creepy how you are in my head!!! Ex.: the need to get all those intuitive ideas out on paper or something where I can see it... Not try to plot it all out in advance... Brilliant work, Ellen. Looking forward to watching the other videos in this series.

[@PaulaScardamalia]

OMG< word count! Yes.