Who Wins the War of Plotters Vs. Pantsers?

Every month or two, I see another article touting the winner of the tug-o-war between plotters and pantsers.

In those give and take war of words, both sides make persuasive arguments. I find it interesting how the pantser and plotter strategies work until they don’t. That undermines consistency, frustrating both groups.

This post is about using the best techniques of plotters and pantsers.

Pantsers Free-write by the Seat of Their Pants

As a prior dyed-in-the-wool pantser, I still have a deep affection and appreciation for free-writing.

It’s exhilarating to let the words flow without the restraint of genre conventions, key scenes, and story beats. More than one famous writer touts pantsing as the only way to write. However, as many pantsers will admit (at least in private), they often pay for their free-write during the editing process.

Some famous pantsers attribute their prowess to talent, but my research* suggests there are other factors at play.

Plotters Outline Their Plots before Writing Scenes

To plotters, whether they start with the story’s beginning, middle, or ending, matters less than creating an outline of the entire story.

Novice writers may think authors create books one story beat after another. However, few writers ever complete a novel that way. Instead, they often get ideas and insights in random order, and if not careful, may get caught up in organizing instead of writing.

Like a puzzle, successful plotters gather up their creative thoughts and reassemble them into a logical story structure, and outlining the entire novel becomes a reality.

Plantsers Combine the best of Pantsers & Plotters

The problems I experienced as a pantser forced me to look at the techniques of plotters, and that’s when I realized that outlining a plot creates issues, too.

So I borrow from the best of the plotter and pantser techniques and now think of myself as a plantser. That means the writer adopts and adapts the best of what top writers already figured out. For example, you’re encouraged to free-write when it makes sense and to outline when that’s the logical choice.

Bottom line, plantsers focus on writing for their target readers.

• First, to satisfy the audience’s desire for the familiar story structure.
• Second, to surprise and delight fans with freshened twists.

After all, readers have the final vote whether your book exceeds their expectations.

What’s in Your Writer’s Toolbox?

Based on my past articles about story structure, you may think I only recommend plotting and outlining before you write scenes.

I’m focused on your goal to write a book readers will love. That’s why I recommend the steps that help you gather and organize the details found in most bestselling novels. However, without a roadmap, writers get lost. The detours of too much information delay your forward progress.

I can’t wave a magic wand and embed the writing process into your brain, and that’s why using the writing system’s roadmap helps you arrive at your desired destination and exceed readers’ expectations.

*My research included many authors and screenwriters, including (but not limited to) Margaret Atwood, David Baldacci, Frank L. Baum, James Scott Bell, Dan Brown, Raymond Chandler, Agatha Christie, Lee Child, Mary Higgins Clark, Ann Cleeves, Michael Connelly, William Wallace Cook (aka John Milton Edwards), Lester Dent (aka Kenneth Robeson), Arthur Conan Doyle, Ian Fleming, Neil Gaiman, Gillian Flynn, Erle Stanley Gardner, Frank Gruber, Dashiell Hammett, Robert A. Heinlein, Stephen King, Steven Konkoly, Dean Koontz, Chris Lang, Elmore Leonard, A. G. Riddle, Dorothy L. Sayers, Sidney Sheldon, Blake Snyder, Mickey Spillane, Dwight V. Swain, John Truby, Kurt Vonnegut.

---

---