Plotting in Pants

Plotter or pantser, that is the question...

Okay, well I suppose the first question really is: What are plotters and pantsers?

Plotters are the prepared people in our world. They know exactly where they want their book to go and start the process by creating an outline. This all takes place before they even start writing.

                                   

Pantsers are a free spirited bunch, jumping in front of computer and working magic with their fingers. They've really no idea where the story is going to take them, but that's the fun of it! No plans, no destinations, just words, words, words!

                                       

Any of this sound familiar to you? Are you a pantser or a plotter? Or maybe you fall in the grey area in-between. I like to call this location Plotting in Pants (PiP).

As I've developed my writing, I've figured out the best method for me. In my first book (which I rarely mention to anyone out of sheer embarrassment), I was a hard core pantser. I wrote without a plan... And it was a disaster.

Albeit at this time I was learning how the whole writing thing worked. It was a dark period in my life where I thought adverbs were like salt on fries, to be used generously.

                                    

Not so much.

Because I know you're an understanding reader, I'll share the horrible first line of that book with you: "The bone-chilling water was absolutely excruciating." And what was my character doing? Jumping into a pool. An indoor pool. How cold could it seriously be? Not bone-chilling, for goodness' sake.

Ahem. Moving on.

So after that blunder, I thought I'd give plotting a go. For my next book, Bound, I plotted about half and then pants-ed (is that a word?) the rest. It went okay, but I wasn't entirely happy with the results.

Now for my third book, and current work in progress, I am making use of the my PiP method. I have outlined my entire book, only the outline isn't a prison, but more of a guide. I can't begin to tell you how helpful it's been when I've gotten stuck or forgotten where I want my story to go.

                                   

Which happens more often than I'd like to mention.

But, in the end, your writing process is entirely up to you. Different methods work for different people. As you grow and experience through creating your books, you'll find the right groove.

                                  

The important thing, as always, is to write.

To NaNo or Not NaNo

July was Camp NaNoWriMo. Writers set a goal and fight to accomplish it before the end of the month.

I spent July pushing toward a goal of 40,000 words in my current WIP. And did I meet it? You bet! Though I went through some serious ups and downs, illustrated by my handy chart below.

During the 31 days of literary abandon, I went through a plethora of emotions:

Determination. July 1st. 40,000 words. Psh, I could totally do this.

                                     

Pride. I'm ahead by 2,000 words. Say whaaat?

                             

Laziness. Yeah, I'm so not writing today. Or... for, you know, four days in a row...

                             

Panic. Needing to catch up ASAP!

                                        

Awesomeness. Keeping a steady pace. You know that's right.

                                           

And, at the end. Pure and utter accomplishment. I couldn't believe I actually wrote 40,000 words!

                               

So, would I recommend Camp NaNoWriMo (or just NaNoWriMo) to writers? Absolutely! Before July, I'd been struggling for months to get myself to write. Camp NaNo gave me the push I needed. I also got to connect with some really supportive writers.

And, okay, getting this certificate at the end was pretty awesome.

Also celebrating with a round of mini golf was great too.

The next time NaNo comes around, I'd heartily suggest that you hop on the writing wagon. It's an awesome experience. The only thing you'll regret is looking back and not participating.

Congratulations to everyone who entered and persevered!

When You Hate Writing

I love being a writer.

Making up characters, worlds, and plots. Having a blog, Facebook, and Twitter where I can connect with other authors. Reading book after book and not getting tired of it. But, sometimes?

Sometimes I really hate writing.

                                                

It's exhausting. The words won't come out right. I'm not sure where the plot goes next.

The above sentences sum up my Saturday and Sunday. The words wouldn't come, and I didn't feel like forcing them. But I had to write. I had a word count goal to meet! So I developed a plan of attack to combat my slump. I did the following:

    1.  A form of physical activity. I'm lucky enough to have a pool so I went swimming. Or more like almost-drowning. Terrible swimmer over here.

                                 

    2.  Fueled up. I ate an awesome, healthy snack. No grabbing the chips and chocolate. Resist!

    3.  Went somewhere new. Usually I'll write in my room or on my front porch, but this weekend I sat on my back porch in a lounge chair overlooking the pool.

    4.  Writing sprints! I put myself on a timer. 15 minute writing sprint and then a 30 minute break. And of course I'd announce the sprints on Twitter. Had to hold myself accountable via the World Wide Web.

By the end of all this, I found myself writing for enjoyment. The 15 minute sprint became 20 minutes, then 25, then 30. My imagination swept me away and immersed me in the world of my WIP. It just took some...encouragement... to get there.

All For Naught

I'm behind on my CampNaNoWriMo word count. That's what happens when you take a three day break.

Woops.

I planned to do some serious catching up last night to the tune of 2k. Did I write that much? Totally. Does it sound good? For a rough draft, yeah. Am I going to keep it? No.

The direction I was trying to take the plot in made no sense. I had my characters trying to get off a train without being seen. They decided to wait until it was moving to crawl out an escape hatch. I got them on top of the train (after a heart-pounding almost fall, of course). Then what? They were stuck! I literally wrote myself into a corner.

                                   

Hello, delete button. Cue throwing self on floor, chucking laptop at wall, and stuffing chocolate in my face. Okay, not really. I wouldn't have minded the chocolate though.

Deleting those 2,000 words wouldn't have been a big deal during a normal month. But July isn't a normal month. It's Camp NaNoWriMo. I have to earn my t-shirt!

At first I wanted to do this:

                                    

But then I realized writing my characters on top of that train had some positives.

  1. I learned where I did not want the plot to go.
  2. I leaned action movies that have characters leaping off moving trains made no sense. (When did they ever?)
  3. Finally, I learned the best direction to take the plot. No daring stunt acts involved.

Sometimes writing in the wrong direction is exactly the thing writers need to get themselves going in the right one. Even if it's totally aggravating and sucks up three hours of your life.

                                  

Trust me.

So worth it.

On a super exciting side-note, my gift card giveaway ended today. The lucky winner is Michelle. Michelle, keep an eye on your email. You'll be getting the gift card shortly.

A HUGE thank you to everyone who participated. Consider connecting with me on other social media. I'll be having more contests in the upcoming months!