Plotter vs. Pantser

If you’ve spent time talking to writers or researching your favorite authors, you’ve probably heard about their writing process. Some writers—plotters—need a plan in place before they start writing. Others sit down with a basic concept and see where the story takes them—pantsers. Then there are those who are a combination of both. Check out the difference between these writing styles to see which fits your writing personality.  

Plotter

Plotters need a plan. It’s as simple as that. Before writing, they want to have things planned out. Prewriting is a critical part of their process. This is when they meet the characters, explore the world they’re living in, and find out the journey they’ll take. If you are someone who needs an outline when you’re writing, then you can probably call yourself a plotter. Knowing the details of the story can help you avoid being stuck later. That’s not to say that you’ll never face writer’s block, but you’ll have a map to get you back on track.

Pantser

Pantsers take a completely different approach to writing. They go with the flow—letting the characters guide them. Pantsers often have the concept of the story and their protagonist. However, they don’t usually need a plan. When they write, they dive in and see what happens and feels right. This freedom gives them the chance to experiment with the story. If you let your feelings and impulses guide you—and cringe at the thought of an outline—you can call yourself a pantser.

Our Style

We would describe ourselves as plotters with a tiny splash of pantser. Before we sit down to start a new project, we have to have a clear roadmap. Knowing the characters and the main plot points is a must for us. We love a good outline and anytime we try to write without one…let’s just say it doesn’t go well. We have our main outline with the big plot points as well as an outline for each chapter. Outlines keep us on track and make it easier to sit down and write. We can pick a scene we haven’t written yet and tackle it. That being said, we like to leave a little wiggle room. Some of our favorite characters came from letting the scene play out as we wrote. They weren’t a part of our original outline or even the chapter outline, but we let the characters take us where they wanted. We need our map, but we like exploring unmarked spots as well.

No two writers are the same and their process is going to be unique to them. Even though we write together, we still have our own preferences. If you know what works for you, great! If you haven’t found the right formula, try new things. Most importantly, remember to have fun and enjoy the journey.