Writers: Think it's possible to be both a Pantser and a Planner?

Hey! :)

I think so - and I'm the perfect example XD

I have the basic idea of what the story is and what the beginning, middle and ending will be, but I make up the rest of it. In the first draft, I'll make up a chain of events that happen and connect the beginning, middle and end logically. As I get onto the second, third, forth, etc, I start to have an idea of the actual plot, depending on what works.

I can't actually sit down before writing and plan out a story. I have the characters and all, but I need to write to learn how the story unfolds. As I start writing this way, too, the story and characters develop and become better than they actually were.

[citation needed]

I've come across many writers who describe themselves as pantsers or discovery writers, and many who describe themselves as plotters or outliners, but I've never known anyone say you have to be one or the other, or that there can be no middle ground between the two.

You could call me a mix of both. I write mainly fantasy, which needs a lot of worldbuilding, so I generally do a lot of that before I start writing. I usually have some ideas about the characters and plot, because they determine which parts of the world the reader gets to see, and therefore which parts need to be built in detail. But it works the other way too, because the rules of the world influence which stories are interesting or even possible.

Although I work out the rules in a lot of detail, I generally don't work out the plot in as much detail. I have five or ten key points that I want the plot to pass through, or for characters to develop. Once I start writing, I figure out in more detail how I'm going to get the story to the next key point - sometimes by writing it down, but usually just in my head. But I generally don't know how I'm going to get to the key point after that until I've reached the one that's coming up next.

You can't plan every minute detail of a story. Every writer free-writes something that they didn't plan on including in their story. Even if it's writing in the color of the wall paper (doesn't matter how infinitesimal the detail) So yes, I think all writers are both pantsers and planners.

I plan out the story down to every scene, at times, but end up free-writing details, dialogue, and new ideas/directions that came to me while writing.

Similarly, I've started off with only a conception of characters, theme, and story in my mind and discovery wrote the first draft. While I was writing, I'd plan based on what I wrote in previous chapters. Similarly, when I finished draft 1, it would then serve as a detailed outline and I'd go back and rework it using that draft for this purpose.

1. Proper passed 2. Without doubt correct mind dominant. Three. I like the creating and planning part greater than the precise writing. BQ: now not so much. I know i'm proper brain dominant although. I experience painting and drawing and track and different forms of art so much, but I've not ever liked or been good at math and science and more "logical" matters. So the dominant hand phase doesn't match up for me. Exciting query.

I think some people do fall more into the middle, and it may even be dependent on the story. I know someone like that who needs to outline one story but doesn't on another story.

For me, I'm at the far end of the spectrum. I'm an organic writer. I can't outline. I've tried, and it doesn't work for me at all.

When I wrote a story, I know exactly where it's going, but have absolutely no idea how it's going to get there.

Does that cover it?

Absolutely.

You're talking to one.

~Dr. B.~