What makes for a better story, an outline or discovery? Plotting or ‘pantsing?’
Writers fall into two types: the plotter and the ‘discovery writer.’ The ‘free-writer’ likes to ‘fly by the seat of their pants’ (hence ‘pantser’) and write without an outline for their plot. ‘Plotters’ meticulously plan the whole thing in advance and effectively write to their own brief.
Of the two methods, is one better than the other? Is one more productive or easier to edit than the other?
More best-selling authors are plotters than pantsers. J.K. Rowling is an archetypal plotter. Stephen King is perhaps the most famous and biggest selling ‘free-writers. While I don’t like King’s manic, random and often illogical plots, what do I know? King is a multi-million seller.
Pro’s and Con’s
Free-writing can be good for generating ideas. Discovery writing lets the author go with the flow, live life on the creative edge. Plotting keeps things focused as the draft progresses. Plotting encourages structure, and a course to follow from beginning to end.
Some writers hate the idea of mapping out the whole thing before they start. The determined free writer scorns traditional plot structures and templates.They like the freedom of generating ideas, characters and scenes as they go, excited to see where it takes them. The really good discovery writer can ‘feel’ their way through plot and character arcs in their discovery writing.
Die-hard plotters cling to the security blanket of structure and a clear narrative outline.
But which is better?
Reportedly a lot more editing goes on in ‘discovery’ manuscripts than plotted ones. But how many drafts and how many rewrites does each type of author go through? There’s no empirical answer.
The discovery writer may work fast and break things. Or they may take longer to finish, going through more story changes as each scene, chapter or draft generates more ideas and more revisions. The methodical plotter may go through just as many drafts chasing the perfect story arc.
Now consider: if plotting and free writing are the two ends of a scale, then most writers are somewhere along the axis.
Plotting AND Pantsing
The initial ideas for my series came from free-writing; key characters, set-pieces and snippets of dialogue. The overall shape of the plot and characters arcs, I mapped out in a giant spreadsheet. This is also my master editing tool.
Writing a complete draft of each novel contains much free-writing, as I join-the-dots between all those plot points and snippets. I generate a lot of character and action in the process.
Maybe it’s not a case of one or the other? Maybe it’s the best of both worlds?
You can spot the discovery writers when they throw out half the book on a plot point from nowhere, just because it’s cool. Your writing style is witty, keep doing what you`re doing!