There’s a lot of talk about writing fiction these days, and Kindle has made self-publishing a respectable option for people like me and you, who otherwise wouldn’t have the patience to write, submit, cry, resubmit, drink lots of wine to console ourselves, etc. the way “traditional” authors do. I’ve recently rekindled my romance with fiction writing, which has been harder than I expected it to be.
Normally, I’ll just get an idea, sit down, and write. There’s no planning, no outlines, just writing. The story develops as I write, with little or no thought about what comes next until it’s actually on the page. This is called “pantsing,” or writing by the seat of one’s pants. This is what I do, or have done, until very recently.
Plotting is the opposite of pantsing. It involves logical, planned-out events in your story, and is probably more efficient than pantsing because it can help avoid writing yourself into a corner or running out of ideas before you finish. Plotting is the practical twin, always knowing what comes next and in what order the story will play out.
Pantsing is the rebellious twin who refuses to bow down to authority and give up her secrets until she’s good and ready. Some could argue that she’s the lazy twin who can’t be bothered to plan ahead, but I like the first description better, because it makes me feel better about my methods!
I think that plotters have a slight advantage because there’s no lost time worrying about what bit to add in next or wondering what to do with the odd character that was introduced early on, but who needs to be done away with later in order to make the story “tidy.”
I’m trying to be a plotter. Or, at least, that is my plan. I am plotting to plot, but not in the book I am currently working on, at least not fully. So, I guess you could say that I’m pantsing the plotting in order to get through the first book, so that I can then plot the subsequent books and make life easier for myself.
Did you get all that? 
I’ve looked around, and found some really good, and some really awful, basic outlines for story-writing. You can find a few here, and also here.
So, tell me, are you a plotter or a pantser? No judgement here, lol, just asking! Feel free to share your tips in the comment section below!
