I’m a devout Puzzler (basically a Chaos Pantser). It’s a misconception that Pantsers don’t need structure. Often, while my Plotter brethren are creating plot outlines, I’m meticulously forging a sandbox populated with complex characters and a detailed world. There is a lot of research and ideating before so sit down to write. Then I’m playing in a sandbox with rules built in to provide guardrails for my story. Further, once I get the skeleton of the story written organically I have to figure out the structure of the story and often use a storyboard to add scaffolding to the wild rumpus of the draft. I still contend that forcing organic writers to plot can hurt their development, but as pros who teach this stuff it’s an important conversation to have and I’m glad you’re talking about it.
Yes... fully agree. I used (many years ago) to jump in a book with one chapter figured out and then it was 'anything goes'. It takes years to whip that kind of story into something that makes sense - endless rewrites. I don't do that anymore, life's too short. I don't outline to death either - just a rough outline: this happens, then that, and maybe we go there afterwards ... brief sketches of character arcs, a half-baked timeline. It's a 'guide rope', and inevitably I will stray, but I can come back to it if I get stuck. It works.
Probably a dumb question but will you be signing copies at Thrillerdelphia?
I’m a devout Puzzler (basically a Chaos Pantser). It’s a misconception that Pantsers don’t need structure. Often, while my Plotter brethren are creating plot outlines, I’m meticulously forging a sandbox populated with complex characters and a detailed world. There is a lot of research and ideating before so sit down to write. Then I’m playing in a sandbox with rules built in to provide guardrails for my story. Further, once I get the skeleton of the story written organically I have to figure out the structure of the story and often use a storyboard to add scaffolding to the wild rumpus of the draft. I still contend that forcing organic writers to plot can hurt their development, but as pros who teach this stuff it’s an important conversation to have and I’m glad you’re talking about it.
Yes... fully agree. I used (many years ago) to jump in a book with one chapter figured out and then it was 'anything goes'. It takes years to whip that kind of story into something that makes sense - endless rewrites. I don't do that anymore, life's too short. I don't outline to death either - just a rough outline: this happens, then that, and maybe we go there afterwards ... brief sketches of character arcs, a half-baked timeline. It's a 'guide rope', and inevitably I will stray, but I can come back to it if I get stuck. It works.