Spend any time on social media with your favorite authors these days, and you’ll come across a number of terms the average reader doesn’t understand. Like any field, there’s a bit of lingo involved that can confuse a person on the outside looking in. Always a reader first, I enjoy sharing some of that insider knowledge with other readers. I mean, we read because we love books, right? And not just the story or the characters—we love the literary world, whether we understand it or not.
I had someone ask me the other day what it meant when their favorite author claimed to be a “total pantser.” I can explain, in a nutshell, for those of you who’ve asked the same question.
Many authors consider themselves “plotters,” or someone who plots out their novel before they begin writing. In general, plotters have an outline that falls somewhere on the spectrum from a general outline with a loose structure and character bios, to well-organized, detailed outlines with personality typed character sheets and a fully structured plan from start to finish. I’m in quite a few author groups online, and I’ll tell you, the true plotter is a rare bird.
A bit more common is the “pantser,” or an author who writes “by the seat of their pants.” The most organized that the majority of pantsers get is to work up character bios and a rough synopsis for the beginning and ending, but are completely at the mercy of the process. Typically, an idea for the story comes, and pantsers flesh it out little by little. More often than not, the writing process happens by following a whole lot of rabbit trails.
Occasionally, an author will claim to be a plantser. I’d say this is the most common writing style, but perhaps that’s just my own tendency to walk the line between extremes. The plantser is more organized than a total pantser, but not as rigid and detailed as a complete plotter. Make sense?
So… how does this relate to inspy romance, other than the obvious?
Well, I think it’s safe to say we’re all plantsers in our own ways. Whether you’re a writer, reader, doctor, teacher, stay-home parent, or any other identifier, life never goes as planned. And few people ever fall completely to one side or the other on any issue. Not only that but as Christians, we must allow the author and finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2) to drive the plot of our lives as well as form our character according to His will.
The New Living Translation of Proverbs 16:9 says, “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” And 1 Corinthians 10: 31 says, “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Then there’s James 4:15, “What you ought to say is, ‘If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.'”
Finding that sweet spot between plotting out life and flying by the seat of our pants certainly isn’t easy, and there’s nothing wrong with either side. But I wonder. Is your life your own, being plotted and planned and structured, or are you living by your whims and whatever life throws at you? Or have you found that happy medium where your plans surrender to His will, even when circumstances are out of your hands?
I’ll be honest. I’m a pantser all the way. But with the start of a whole new year, I’m finding He is calling me to become a better plantser—and not just in my writing. I’m ready to add more structure and discipline while surrendering my whims and desires to whatever it is He’s asking of me. In everything—what I write, what I read, as a substitute teacher, a mom, a friend, a wife. It feels like I’m standing on the precipice of something new and beautiful. A lot like the feeling I get when an idea for a new story sparks.
I sure can’t wait to see where He takes me! How about you?
**One random commenter will receive a copy of my first novel, What Could Be, which deals with a young woman learning to let go of her carefully plotted life and surrender to His will.**
Hi Jaycee,
Thanks for your post. I do get upset when my plans get changed, but I have to remember that God is in control and has the better plan.
So true and certainly not easy.
Jaycee, thanks for the great post. In life, I’m a middle of the road. I like to have a little structure, but not too much. And it’s good to think about God when we make our plans. In writing I don’t plot. I thought for a number of years that I wasn’t able to sell a book to a publisher because I didn’t plot. Like Valerie, I tried to do the plot thing, but it just doesn’t work for me. When I wrote for Love Inspired we had to turn in a synopsis with our proposal, and that was the hardest part of the writing process. Being indie frees me from that torturous process.
Yes! That’s the second biggest draw to indie for me as well. The first being that I don’t like being told what to do and how to do it when I believe the formula to be inadequate or contrary to my mission. 😬
I am all for whatever way you amazing writers get these stories to publication, lol, as long as I get the benefit of continuing to read your books, i am one happy camper!!
LOL, thank you, Paula!
What a great post! I’m a newbie to novel writing, a long-time reader with a strong background in theater. Acting has a great analog to the plotter/pantser balance. A script serves as a fixed “plot” (not to be confused with the plot of the script’s story) for the actor. Yet every performance is a seat-of-the-pants presentation. A skilled actor is one who knows the script, who can bring a wealth of creativity to the process of bringing it to life AND who listens to the director whose job it is to lead the actors to a consistent and satisfying final result. That’s probably a good example of plantsing. The true pantser in the acting world is the improv actor. Oddly enough, even improv has a structure, a set of skills and rules that bound the craziness. Like the classical vs. jazz distinction in music, even jazz has patterns and structure. I think the successful pantser is one who has internalized an understanding of what needs to hold true (honesty, consequences, the value of faithfulness, community) and proceeds to “riff” on those to tell a story that captures the reader’s mind and heart.
Excellent comparison! I thoroughly agree. And now I miss theater.
From your explanation, I’m a plantser. I know what things I need to do on any given day, but whether that really happens or not is not always in my control! There are days I know certain things need to get done, and a monkey wrench is thrown in that I didn’t expect! So, something else doesn’t get done, but what really needed to get taken of, was! I learned along time ago to be set on certain things falling into place, cause it was subject to change!!
Amen, girl, amen!
I’m probably a planster too. I have an idea of how I want things to go but they inevitably rarely work that way. Thanks for sharing!
Life rarely goes the way we plan, right?!
Want to make God laugh? Make plans.
I’m a plantser, but I fall more onto the side of plotter. My first novel was a complete mesh of ideas and a bear to edit, so I have refined my process to include a lot more prewriting. The more I know about the characters and their motivations, the easier it is to figure out what needs to actually happen — plot has always been the hardest for me. And though I love to edit other author’s works, I hate editing my own, so I try to get as clean of a first draft as I can.
Oooh, yeah. Self-edits are definitely a bear. I like the idea of prewriting. What does that look like for you?
I started my career trying to plot, but that doesn’t work for me, no matter how much I wanted it to! Now I get to know my setting and my characters, then just start writing. It’s a bit of a messy process, but it works for me.
When messy works, we go with it! Clearly, you know what you’re doing. LOL!
I’ve tried it all in my writing process, but I’m currently tackling a new series with a pretty structured plan for each of the books in the series. That’s new for me. Within each book, I’ve planned the characters and the basic premise/conflict, but pantsing the plot as I go along.
That’s about where I’m at with the novel I’m working on as well. 🙂
I had heard of Plotter and pantser but like the sound of a plantser. I have friends (outside of reading) who I would say are plotters. They have to have everything done a certain way and take pains to make sure everything is in its place and totally organised. (I actually think sometimes being so organised or trying to be can also cause issues because when things are not done exactly the way they want they tend to stress out.) I have a friend who has this issue. Has to have everything in order and comes to my place and wants to reorganise my cupboards etc cos they are not in an order to her liking. I have things how I want. I want my breakfast cereal to be next to the honey I put on it. I also have the other things I use more often in the one spot. It makes sense to me but in her mind its not logical.
In life Pantsters can be the same by just doing whatever happens without plans can cause things to be missed etc.
But being a planster where you plan the important things (like appointments, bills etc) keeps you on tract but being able to also be flexible and change if you need to is a more realistic way to live. I am definitely not a Plotter. I have set things that have to be done at certain times or days (appointments etc) but also am flexible to decided on the day what I need to do depending on how I feel, weather etc. (ok didn’t mean to write a novel)
LOL! I love that you said your piece. I grew up needing everything to be just-so, but after becoming a mom I lived mostly hanging on for dear life. I think I’m finally starting to swing back to somewhere in the middle. As the phrase goes, “you do you,” right? We all know what will best serve our needs! No shame there.
Yep. I am also untidy. Which my friend struggles with a bit. She wants to organise my stuff. She’s a mum with a couple of kids so things are not always perfect and it stresses her out. I think somewhere in the middle is better in many ways. So you can enjoy things but still able to put things away out of sight but if its not alphabetical its ok too. Sometimes we need to give up a little control to be able to enjoy things. (I admit when things are tidy I feel better but there is tidy and there is tidy)