There are three kinds of writers…

So… You Want to Write a Novel

If you’re reading this, it’s safe to say you have contemplated writing a novel at some point in your life. Maybe, even, on a regular basis for most of your life (like me). Perhaps you’ve dabbled in a story, writing on bursts of inspiration, and then quickly getting stuck and abandoning the project altogether. I am here to tell you, there is a better way!

Writing a novel is an adventure, it is a journey, and, depending on your personality, there will be a number of planning steps involved. So let’s start there… at the beginning. Where do we begin? How do we begin?

Have you heard of the terms “pantser”, “plotter”, or “plantser”?

PANTSER

A “pantser” is someone who prefers to write their story flying by the seat of their pants, as the saying goes. Essentially, the author prefers to write based on their own intuition without making many actionable plans along the way. This is often a fun and exciting way to brainstorm those great ideas when a story idea POPS into your head. Letting your ideas flow as they come can be exciting, exhilarating, and a successful way to write a story.

A few famous pantsers you might recognize are Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid’s Tale), Stephen King, and David Morrell (Rambo) (Gates, 2016). It’s not to say that these authors don’t have their own style or system to follow, they likely have a very strategic way that they write their novels, but in essence, you probably won’t find them sitting down plotting their novel cover to cover.

PLOTTER

A plotter, on the other hand, is someone who plots every stage of their book. Being a plotter myself, I have found this is the only way for me to successfully complete a project. However, many people find plotting to be a frustrating process and it doesn’t work for them (hence, why some authors are “pantsers”). 

Find out how I plot my story HERE.

Famous plotters include J.K. Rowling and John Grisham (Gates, 2016). 

There are a number of ways to plot or outline your novel.
Personally, I love to use the Save the Cat Write’s a Novel system.

If you want to try your hand at plotting and confused on where to begin, order this book now and read it cover to cover, highlight, and take notes. Even if you don’t love how the Save the Cat outline works, you will, undoubtedly, learn SOMETHING from this book that can be applied to your story.

PLANTSER

Maybe you are neither a pantser nor a plotter. Maybe, you are somewhere in between. Perhaps you need a light outline of your novel so your characters don’t go too far off the plot, while also not planning too many things so that you are allowed the most creativity.

So… Which one are you?

Let me know in the comments below!

References

Gates, K. (2016, September 18). What Are Plotters And Pantsers? Hint: J.K. Rowling Is One And Stephen King Is The Other. AmReading. http://www.amreading.com/2016/09/18/what-are-plotters-and-pantsers-hint-j-k-rowling-is-one-and-stephen-king-is-the-other/.