Writing Forum

I used to be a pantser and loathed the idea of sitting down to write an actual outline of my plot. Writing it all out in detail felt like I was writing it in stone and who knew where my whim would take me when I got to the actual moment? On top of that, I myself could never bring myself to specifically detail every little thing that was to happen. Plus, my idea of outlining was based on what we had to learn in high school English. "First you have a thesis, then you come up with three points and for each point you back it up with TWO supporting points...etc..." UGH. I felt like Id be murdering my story, not fleshing it out.

But not too long ago had the privilege of a published author who mentored me, and she helped me see the value of at least writing out what I saw happening in a loose chapter by chapter format - nothing complicated, nothing detailed. Just what do you imagine would happen next? Before I knew it, I was able to get a more clear picture of what was going on in my head. So Ive been pretty much sold on the plotting. As long as I dont have to sit there and think of EVERY little detail at EVERY single moment.

The only thing Im having difficulty with the plotting is my ending...but its also the same problem I was havign when I was pantsing...I hadnt a clue. Via pantsing, I was putting faith that 1) Id know the end when I saw it and 2) Id know what should happen. Turns out when I tried to lay out what I was thinking in a plotline form, I was seriously deficient in a satisfying ending. Plotting has only given me a LOOSE configuration and i still hope that when I reach that part Ill have a better idea of what I want to do...and that maybe Ill come up with a better idea than the rough scene I sketched out. But the upshot of that is that I now have a GOAL to work towards, and an light at the end of the tunnel. For someone who has a tremendous amount of difficulty finishing any writing project, this was a far better thing than pantsing ever gave me.

Good luck!!