So, the last time I posted I spoke about the fact that I hated deadlines and detailed the various ways I tricked my muse into meeting them. I also mentioned the fact that I was a pantzer at heart, but I’m now actually writing outlines. Today I’m going to expand on that a little more.
First off, let’s just explain what a pantzer is. Some writers are plotters–they detail the entire story out beforehand. They know the character arcs, they know the action arcs, they know the ins and outs of conflicts and often know their themes for the story. Pantzers are the opposite. We know nothing. We start with an idea or a scene image, and fling ourselves into the story from there, muddling our way through the forest of ideas until we get to what we hope is a satisfying and suitable story end. For most of us, the act of detailing the story beforehand would destroy the journey for us–basically, by outlining the story, we’ve already written it, so why would we want to go there again?
Which leads me to the whole synopsis and outline deal.
Now, if you’re a writer, you’ll know that a writing a synopsis is a major part of your writing life. Agents want them when you submit a query or a partial, editors want them, heck even contest coordinators want them. Which is one reason why I never entered many contests before I was published. You see, the muse and I really didn’t like writing synopsis (as I mentioned, my muse is a stubborn little soul). A synopsis is basically the overview of the entire story. It focuses as much on character and conflict as it does on the action and establishes the setting and the tone.
In a synopsis, you’ve got to show the character’s goals and motivations, and how they will have changed from the beginning of the story to the end. It’s the character growth that a lot of editors (especially in the romance field) look for. They need to know it’s a logical, believable and rational journey, and unfolds naturally from the events in the story.
And there in lies my problem with them.
You see, I just don’t know any of that before I write a story. And I don’t want to know any of that. If I know the emotional arc of the main character beforehand, it actually spoils the story for me, and half the fun of writing (for me, at least) is the journey of discovering just how far I can push a character and how much they’ll take before they break. And yes, Riley does break! (Just wait until you see what I do to that woman in Deadly Desire and Bound to Shadows). It wasn’t until Dangerous Games (book 4) that I actually knew for sure exactly how her emotional journey was going to end. And even then, I still wasn’t sure exactly how I was going to get there. That clarified in Embraced by Darkness.
So, I hear you asking, how come I can write an outline, given outlines are a complete break down of the story by chapter and scene? By doing that, aren’t I going against my ‘pantzer’ soul and destroying the exploration of the story that my muse so loves?
Yes and no.
You see, creating a simple outline isn’t the same as writing the story, and for me, it isn’t as detailed as a synopsis. A synopsis might only be two pages, and an outline five or six, but a synopsis is a detailed overview of all the threads–character, action and emotional. But an outline is basically a road map–it’s a simple story guideline that doesn’t step too deeply into emotions, motivations and action. So, I can say something like Riley runs into bad guy and gives chase, or Riley realizes who her soul mate is, and while it presents the big picture, it leaves plenty of room for the muse to fill in the details. And it’s not set in stone, either. Something that sounds like a good idea before I started the story might actually be totally unsuitable to the story by the time I get around to writing it.
Of course, now that I actually have to submit my outlines for approval before I write the story, all of the above might change. And the muse and I are both panicking somewhat at the thought…but to echo Dame Devon, fear and me go way back. And if I have to get more detailed with my outlines, then I will. Because if there’s one thing every writer must remember, it’s that this is a business and you have to treat it like one. And no matter what my personal preferences might be, I’ll do what I have to remain in this business as long as possible.
So, what about you? Are you a pantzer or a plotter? Do you enjoy the evil process of writing an outline or a synopsis, or are you like me, and only do it because you have to? Please share! 
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“muddling our way through the forest”
Yes, exactly! though in my case I’d add “blindfolded and desperately hacking with a machete”. I have only the vaguest idea of what will happen in a chapter when I start it. Characters come flying out as needed. Its terrifying and exhilerating, and I know myself well enough that if I ever did plot out a whole book I’d never actually summon enough interest to write it.
then again, I suspect plotters don’t spend long periods in front of their keyboard saying ‘Now what???’
I’m stuck somewhere between plottings and pantsing: I waste a lot of time filling out worksheets and character sketches and then, somewhere around chapter 7, I ditch it all and collapse into chaos. If that seems like the worst of both worlds, it is.
My question for pure pantsers is, I’ve heard before that they don’t like to plot or synopsize because it’s like they wrote the story already so the thrill is gone. So how do they REwrite if they can’t write when the thrill is gone?
I figure more tricks to rewriting, whether you’re a pantser or a plotter, are always good.
I have a real problem with synopsis. I don’t know what’s going to happen until it does either. If I try to write one my characters do the opposite because they don’t like to be forced.
Pantzer I am
I’ve also considered rewriting a seperate part of the journey. If pantzing is the joy of discovery, then rewriting is sharpening the vision and making it all make sense. lol.
uh, that was supposed to read I’ve ALWAYS considered…not I’ve also considered. The heat has sapped my brain cells…
Being a pantzer kind of writer I will say I can do rewrites because it is changing things. The first go through for errors I can do, after that I can’t do it. That’s where a beta-reader comes in. Oh, did I also mention I have ADHD?
i have been feeling terribly inferior that i suck so badly in working on a synopsis. it always feels so contrived like who am i to know what kate is going to do when (insert drama here) happens. i am so glad to know that it is because i am a pantzer and and i can love myself that way. thanks!
There’s a third choice: a hybrid plotter/pantzer. That’s what I am! Some stories, I plot out in advance (like, say, if I’m trying to sell a book on proposal)and there are some I write purely by the seat of my pants. THE DEVIL INSIDE was one of the latter. I just started writing to see if I could get the urban fantasy snark voice going, and once I started writing, I couldn’t be bothered to stop to plot. But I hadn’t sold it yet when I wrote it, so I felt free to pants it.
I am THE plotter. I have visio flowcharts. Color coded. Story boards. Graphs. It’s awesome to behold.
I firmly beleive all you so-called pantzers are in deep, deep denial.
Deep.
I have to line up in the hybrid column. I usually start with the germ of an idea, a character or three, and a vague sense of “go that direction.” My Muse gets all giggly and excited. When she starts whispering in my ear, it’s off to the races. But sometimes…*sigh*…I turn psychic. SOMETHING BIG(tm) is going to happen and I have to get the characters, and the plot, to the right place at the right time. And that’s when I turn plotter.
That said, there are times a character who is so strong and compelling crops up, and demands a story that I have to turn plotter from the get go. Even so, it’s usually a bare bones outline so my minx of a muse can fill in the blanks.
Ultimately, it’s a matter of finding the right mix that keeps words appearing on the monitor.
I have no choice but to be a plotter. I have fixed deadlines throughout the year, and if I don’t plot for them in between each, horrible, ghastly things happen. It’s better just to plot
Pure pantzing for me. The characters evolve as I write them, and the plot evolves out of the characters, and they’re all intricately tied together. In fact, sometimes a random item that just pops up in a scene becomes an integral part of the plot, and that’s not the sort of thing that would happen if I was trying to plan the whole thing out before I started writing.
Writing wouldn’t be any fun if I knew what was going to happen. At the same time, I love re-writing – the poetic side of me comes out and gets all caught up in playing with words and sentence structure, and making things flow. That, and adding depth and highlighting the symbols and playing up the foreshadowing.
So – Pantzer all the way, unless the story gets to convoluted at some point and I need an outline to keep it all straight in my head.
In the past, I’ve only written short stories. I come up with a final scene and torture my characters until I get them to that point.
Now, I’m embarking on the great adventure of novel writing (oh my lord, it’s daunting!) and in order to keep myself on track, I need to plot, plot and plot some more. If I don’t, I’ll run off on tangents that have nothing to do with the story or character arcs and I’ve wasted goodly portions of time and brain space.
To those who can write such intriguing stories by the seat of their pants, I salute you.
I lean toward plotter. The times I was a pantzer was when I wrote two novels for NaNoWriMo. But I still ended up plotting them and doing significant rewrites as the stories and characters developed more, often taking new and surprising turns.
Both here. I’m a pantzer when the original idea hits, then stop around chapter three or four to pull out the white board and Post-its.
But I’ve learned that I love having the synopsis done before writing the book. Trying to compress a book into a synopsis is a pain in the ass.
I am a pantzer by heart, but starting to foray into that dark world of plotting. I have found a new love in Post-It notes digital, due to a post Rachel Vincent made on her blog. I don’t know which I like better, but plotting has made some things much easier!
Terrific post, Keri!
Like you, I’m a pantzer who then had to do synopses before writing the book. (My editor at the time happily told me the synopses could be anywhere from 10 to 75 pages. I had to pick my eyeballs up off the floor.) Thus began my “Let’s Write The Manuscript And the Synopsis Simultaneously” portion of my career.
That didn’t last long. Now, for continuing series, I’m firmly in the “Write the Synopsis Before Anything Else” camp. Sometimes, I even break down the synopsis into a chapter outline. Usually, these are one-paragraph descriptions that say things like: “Jesse gets attacked by a demon. They fight. She wins.” Of course, at the time, I have no idea **how** the fight starts or progresses, let alone how she wins. But that leaves me with plenty of room for the surprise of discovery that I love, love, love as a writer.
But man — those synopses? A total bitch to write.
Ack. #17 was me. Note to self: LOG IN BEFORE COMMENTING!!!
I was a pantzer. Just the thought of knowing what comes next just drove me nuts. Then not knowing what to write was even worse. Then I plotted half the next story and I wrote a novel in record time (for me anyway). So I guess I’m a hybrid.
I am very in between on the matter. I like to start much like Keri does, with an idea or a scene, but I can only allow myself to go so far into the story without hashing out some of the major details. My outlines then tend to be fairly detailed which makes it very easy to follow along with, yet this still allows for minor tweaks and the right words to be inserted. After all, my characters tend to do what they want, much like my muse. So change is never completely out of the question. Nothing is set in stone until it is officially in print (or so I’ve heard).
I’m a “Pantzer”…with only one exception.
The original story I did was a full on “Pantzer”…(unpublished) I went back to it and on revaluation of it, at an “older” state of mind(18 then…pushing 40 now)saw it with different eyes.
What at one time would have been a stand alone, now became one of a potential series. One of which is being down backwards.
So, though I knew where these characters needed to end up…I really didn’t know them. They had to show me, who they really were.
They were not the MAIN characters of 1st story…but minors that have now florished to life.
But that 1st story…and all those since, were most certainly “Pantzers” and I can truly say came to a life of their own. I’ve had characters I’ve written in as minor…suddenly become key figures…that yes, surprised even me.
I like it that way.
I’m mostly a pantzer. I write out a short outline for the plot of the story. Usually about five to ten sentences on who the bad guy is and what his/her aim is. Everything else is up in the air.
I am sure enough in my writing that writing wouldn’t be any fun for me if I sat and planned it all from the beginning. I also know that I wouldn’t put any energy into writing that way either.
Pantzer, all the way. The story I’m currently working on right now came about from something I saw a flash of in my head – and it turns out, once I got around to writing it, what I “saw” is at the end of the story. I had that and two character names, that was it.
I have been known to sit down after a chapter or two in and jot down these vague, partial ideas. I always refer to them as hits; certain things that I want to happen at certain times. Otherwise, I have no idea what’s about to come down the pipeline.
I’ve found that I thoroughly love that about writing.
I’m kind of more of a pantzer than a plotter. I like to have a very basic outline. I don’t like writing completely off the cuff though. I did that for my first two novels and revisions were kind of rough. For my third novel I outlined extensively and didn’t enjoy writing it as much as the first two until the middle where I moved away from my outline because the story changed. The novel I’m working on now is outlined very very basically and I’m finding I wish I had a slightly better outline but not by much as my ideas have changed as I’ve written.
So, pantzer
I hate outlining in general and hate synopsis writing a hell of a lot.
I’m usually at my best when I’m pantzing–that’s when I often get the flow going and have that same joy of discovery. But it’s not the only way I work. I think rather than plotting (because plot arcs are far sketchier for me than a true plotter), I think I’m a shaper. I have a very general idea of where I want things to go and how we’ll probably get there. Maybe.
I’m working on a project right now where my editor would like an outline, but doesn’t want a chapter-by-chapter–just the general shape of the thing. (Eg. “By about a quarter of the way through the novel, X should have happened…”) I’ve never been asked for this type of outline before, and I’ll admit, I’m having a bit of trouble pinning it down on paper!
I tend to plot more so than I wing it, but only to a point.
I have a vague idea of where I am going and where I would like to eventually end up, and I have a generalized notion of what the next three chapters will deal with, but not necessarily the HOW.
And a lot of times, I surprise even myself. One time, when I let the story shape itself, it ended up going in a direction that turned the previous 90,000 words I’d already written on its ear — but in a good way — and that would never have happened had I insisted on slavishly following an outline.
In another case, I started working on a story that had one planned POV character, and as I finished the first chapter, I realized I needed a second POV in order to tell the story right. I’m about a third of the way through that one right now, and I have five distinct POVs where I originally had outlined just one. Ambitious? Perhaps, but the needs of the story should always outweigh any personal preferences.
P.S. I agree with Toni Andrews: I don’t think that TRUE pantzing actually exists. Self-alleged panzters may not write down long lists or graphs or outlines, but they’ve got them in their head somewhere.
At some point along the line, a “pantzer” HAS to have plotted SOMETHING, whether in their head or on paper. If there is no clear cut idea from the start what they are doing or they have no goal in mind, how can they tell whether or not they are reaching that goal or if they’re meandering along and turning out disconnected, unreadable drivel?
A painter usually has a clear idea of what he wants to do with his canvas before he even takes out his brushes. Sure it might end up a little different than he originally imagined, but that’s the creative process for you. Now, those kinds of artists that just throw paint at a canvas and call it art, regardless of how messy or uninterpretable it is? Those are the pantzers who start writing without some kind of plan, and if anything comes out it, they will have a LOT of editing and revision to look forward to to make things readable (not to mention salable).
Call it what you want, but I believe, much like the Kinsey scale, that there is a continuum between plotting and winging, and no one person is 100% plotting or 100% winging it. There are no absolutes, as there’s ALWAYS a middle ground somewhere.
I think I’m a pantzer who strives to be a plotter. I brainstorm to a point in order to get basic things figured out. I TELL myself that I should figure more of it out, but then my muse starts saying, “No, NOW. I want to work NOW. Hurry because this dialogue is only going to be said once and you better be ready for it…” and then my muse keeps going until I’ve reached the end of my brainstorming. And then it’s just this, “Well crap. Now what?” I scream for my muse, but all I hear are echoes in my head for a while. And when I finally make myself do another bout of brainstorming she finally deigns to show herself once more. It’s a vicious cycle.
Toni, your plotter mecca sounds intense. Got pix posted somewhere?
I have this how-to writing book where the author mentions that his office walls are plastered by gigantic whiteboards on which he plots out his stories.
And I had to wonder, for a 90K-120K-word novel, who needs that much room to plot things?
Jessa, I probably should. I teach some workshops but, oddly, haven’t put one together on plotting.
If you want to take an excellent course on plotting, check this out:
http://discoveringstorymagic.com/
They do online courses several times a year, but try to get to one of their live workshops if you have the chance. It’s life changing!
I hate outlining…I can do it, but it drives me nuts, and I run into the problem of agents and such wanting a synopsis and going…but what if the character changes their minds? Even with a completed book sometimes I get a sudden character push after I’ve sent out the first outline and now something has changed between sending partials and fulls…and…argh. Heh. I know why agents and contests want the synopsis, but I sure wish it was easier to come up with.
Jana
I believe most agents and editors understand the synopsis isn’t carved in stone. Heck, they’re not shy about making enormous changes to your manuscript, are they?
Everything is subject to alteration, so don’t sweat the synopsis for that reason. (There are plenty of others…)
I’m a pantzer. Wow, as an aspiring writer I’m learning a lot from this blog. Thank you.
I’m a pantzer from the top of my head to the soles of my feet. Sometimes I’ll have an idea of where I want to go but I enjoy trying to figure out how to get there. I also like throwing obstacles at myself just to see if I can work around them. The only problem is, I suppose, is that when I get to a dulldrum (as I am now), I’m not sure where to go to get started again. It’s like someone hit the brakes in my brain and is pointing out quite fervently that there’s just no way to get there from here. Usually I can backtrack and get a running start in a new direction, though, and that’s helpful, too. I enjoy being a pantzer.
I’m a pantser who’s accidentally making her way into plotting terrain.
It’s all the fault of my character’s making movies of each scene in my head. They’ll only let me get so far ahead in the story as far as plotting, then it’s off to the keyboard for ME to catch up with THEM. Go figure. I like it anyway, keeps in the sense of adventure and gives me the mystery I need to go on.
Hi Keri – great blog.
I’d love to be a pantzer – it always seems so much cooler to approach life with a devil-may-care, nothing-fazes-me attitude, but when I tried this, I wrote drivel! None of my characters had growth, the piece was full of dialogue that was chit-chat, and the writing took control of me and squashed the single HEA I had.
So, now I plot a little. I haven’t tried detailed character profiles or anything (maybe I chould, a CP recently picked up a inadvertent change in hair colour!), but I do need to have some structures in place. Maybe I’m a plantzer?
I have to outline. Yes, it might be sketchy, and the ending suck, but without it I wont finish the first draft. ( I have several partly written drafts to prove it).
Total plotter here. There are two things I absolutely without fail have to have before writing word one on a new story: Title and outline. More often than not the title Inspires the story, and from that I write an outline.
Then I write.
I’m so totally a pantzer! Wouldn’t know an outline if it hit me in the head.
I’ve recently started writing. I was daydreaming one day while driving to meet my husband at Applebee’s (I don’t recommend daydreaming while driving) and all of a sudden I had the strangest idea for a story. Since then, and that was about a year ago, I’ve had about 10 or so ideas for stories. I’m not one of those people who can sit at a computer screen and start typing away. I have to hand write all of my stories in a notebook and then I transfer them to the computer.
But anyhoo, yes pantzer here. Who needs an outline anyway right? Right?
I am a plotter. In fact, I just posted a blog about being a plotter, so I will not repeat myself here.
This is the first time I’ve been to your site. I found your post on pantzing versus plotting to be very interesting. I will check out more of your posts.
[...] I’m feeling this story. And this way of writing (no outline, just pantzn!), which just sort of allows the scenes to unfold, instead of me forcing them to). Huh.Anyway, my [...]