February 2019 - Question of the Month
By MayaR-31
You have a spark of inspiration and decide to turn that kernel of an idea into a story. What kind or writer are you? A pantsers or a planner?
Pantsers fly by the seat of their pants, writing as they go without knowing where the story is going to take them. It's about trusting your creativity and being willing to scrap ideas if they don't work. Famous Pantsers include Margaret Atwood and Stephen King, who reckons that, "plotting and the spontaneity of real creation aren't compatible."
Planners outline and plan the structure of their story, sometimes doing story boards or chapter outlines and character profiles before starting the formal writing process. Famous planners include John Grisham and J.K. Rowling. Grisham said, "I don't start a novel until I have lived with the story for awhile to the point of actually writing an outline and after a number of books I've learned that the more time I spend on the outline the easier the book is to write."
I'm probably somewhere in between – a Planster. I need to know where I am going, so I determine my story's ending and a few points along the way but have no idea how I segue between them. I find a basic timeline and post-it notes with ideas is a great way to organise my thoughts. Then I can move the notes around if things head off in a different direction, which often happens when characters develop a life of their own and don't cooperate.
What works for you? Any tips on organising your writing?
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