Christian Speculative Fiction discussion

Since we are all eagerly writing our novel for NaNoWriMo without any distractions (Ha! Completely distracted over here), I thought I would post a fun question.

Are you a plotter (one who plans, outlines, and plots a novel before writing) or a seater (one who flies by the seat of your pants; you don't know what you're going to write before you write it)?

I am a plotter for novels and a seater for short stories! How about you?

I tend to be a seater. My brain works best if I let the story unfold on its own and follow along for the ride. That's not to say I don't have to go back at times and rework something, just that I prefer to let the characters write themselves rather than fit them into predetermined molds. In the four books I've written so far, I usually have an idea of the end by about the middle of the book, but how the characters get there is still to be determined by their words and actions.

Seater. I have a very basic idea of where I am going but I rarely know how I'm getting there. The book I'm writing for the NaNo is worse than usual but I am having a blast getting there. This book is gonna be awesome!

Plotter, defintely. I don't know how you seaters manage it. Yes, there's character autonomy—my guys often break out of the mold and do their own thing!—but there has to be a mold, an overall plan. For me, that's part of the fun!

I've only written one so far and I had a hard time outlining the book before starting. I knew, generally, what each act would focus on, but had no idea how any of it would play out. Really had no idea what the characters would face until I wrote it. And I'm glad I did it that way.

But for my next book, I feel like I need a better grasp of the overall plot. I'll probably do some better mapping, only because it's a more complex story.

I'm kind of half and half. I have a very vague idea of where I want each chapter to go, but I'll often change it as I'm writing it. I feel like this is not such a great method, which is why I try to do a lot of editing.

I was a seater for my first book, but I found so many plot holes that it took me years to get the story right. I'm still a seater for my short stories since the ideas come to me as one piece. I'm not sure how one would plot a story of fewer than 10,000 words. I understand the appeal of being a seater.

Still, once you try writing an outline, creating a list of character motivations, and start drawing floor plans of your settings, I feel like there is no going back. My descriptions are much better. My focus while writing is not on plot, but on interesting characters and interactions. I also find that I can make much more complicated plots that have twists and pull in random things from the beginning of the book. I could never go back to being a seater for anything close to a novel length. Even plotting in one's mind can't hold the level of world building and setting development pages of notes can do. I especially have no idea how one can stay consistent in a series without notes! Maybe I'm just spacier than average. It is possible.

For trivia, famous writers argue for either side:

Arthur C. Clark and John Grisham are plotters.

Tom Clancy and Agatha Christy were seaters.

How about both which makes me a plantsers: Writers that fly by the seat of their pants AND carefully plot their stories.

I'm a straight up pantser (or seater as you're calling it). I really wish I could outline and plot, but I fail every time I try. I just have to write what comes. I do have a very vague idea of where I'm going, but it tends to change. Nothing goes against my love of organization more than the fact that I can't outline. Writing by the seat of your pants definitely comes with it's own set of problems. But...it is what it is. Somehow I'm on my third book and people seem to like what I write. So I guess it works...as much as it stresses me out at times.

I saw this picture and I thought it matched our discussion perfectly!

Lara wrote: "I saw this picture and I thought it matched our discussion perfectly!

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Haha! Me! Making it up as I go... Thank God it somehow works out.

LOL! Yes. I'm making it up as I go ... and what an adventure.

I am watching a Masterclass (best Christmas present ever!). R.L. Stine, the author of the Goosebumps Series, is totally a plotter: outline, character sketches, and everything.

Margratte Atwood, the author of A Handmaiden's Tale, is a seater. She does tons of research, but only as she goes. Once she finishes a draft, she researches some more to make it as accurate as possible.