Often I am asked if I decide what I'm going to write before I do, or will I let the story flow as I get inspiration. In the end, like many things, this depends. I must say, it differs for everyone. The way that works for one doesn't work for everyone, thus neither way is the best or completely wrong.
Let's discuss what both terms mean. Firstly, plotting requires planning. Whether this is about knowing the plot of a story, and/or the character, someone who is plotting, won't go into their story blind. Plotting involves having general knowledge about the direction the story will go in, and most likely how the story will end. Not every single idea is fixed, and most times, the story changes as we continue to write it. So, something we thought would happen originally, might change as the story progresses. Most of the work as a plotter involves imagining how the novel can play out, who is introduced when, and whether your story will be plot-driven, or character-driven. Plotting is useful to avoid writer's block, in some cases. Plotters can create subplots that serve to enhance the overall plot, and help continue the story.
Now here's the thing about plotting. It can start feeling like a chore. Coming up with an outline from the beginning to the end can steal from the fun of writing whatever you think of. Further, if you are stuck somewhere, then changing one scene may require rewriting everything else that follows. This can really drag out (you really need to have patience for this).
On the other hand, "pantsing" is about taking a single idea and turning it into an entire story. Basically, it's about testing your creativity and how far you can go without having to think too much about what you will write. This can be difficult for people to do when they cannot write whatever comes to mind. Often, writing this way requires writing with the flow. This can become an issue when you end up with plot holes or a story that has stretched out far too long without anything happening (or a short story with too many things happening).
Most often, if I start with pantsing, it becomes a draft. Later it turns into plotting when I write edited drafts. I'm more likely to get stuck when I decide to write a story based on a single idea without discussing what it is. With plotting, the most I do is knowing what my beginning and ending will be, and the rest just comes with the flow.
I have noticed, pantsing comes more naturally to me when writing the first draft. If I plan a story out too much, I genuinely start hating it and will end up leaving it uncompleted. Most times, I enjoy plotting out changes I will make and scenes to add for the second and third draft (and the seven hundred more drafts that will follow) This way, I can fix any plot holes, strengthen character voice and work on anything else that requires attention.
The best thing you can do for yourself is try whatever way feels more natural. Don't necessarily indulge in books on "How to Plot a Novel" or something like that, because if it is not something you're into, the truth is, you're not going to be good at it. And turns out, most of these books can be biased and lead you toward one way over the other. Do what feels right for you.
I hope you enjoyed this post on plotting versus pantsing, and as always, thank you for reading. Make sure to check out our Instagram account @dreaming.in.ink!
~ Fiza
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