When I started writing the word “pantsing” was completely new to me. I’d see discussion about it in writing forums and not know exactly what they were talking about. In case that is the same for you, I thought I’d start this post out by giving you a definition of pantsing. Pantsing is writing by the seat of your pants. That means you have no outline. You are making the story up as you go along.
I used to be a strict pantser. I thought it was the only way to write really artistic literature. If you are writing an outline first you are somehow a less qualified writer. I used to be very silly.
The years have passed. I’ve grown up a bit (just a little bit) and now I think that both plotting and pantsing have their places. Writing one way or the other doesn’t make you a better writer. They are just different ways of organizing your book. The funny part about all of this was that I also realized that I was never really a true pantser. I’ve always had an idea about how my book was going to end. I start with the end in mind. Even though back then I didn’t really write a true outline, I was outlining and organizing in my head the whole time.
The Pros and Cons of Pantsing
Pantsing can be a ton of fun. It makes writing a story as much as an adventure for the writing as it does for the reader. You have the freedom to go wherever the characters take you. You can end up with a completely unique and unexpected story.
There are a few cons to pantsing though. Because you don’t know where the story is going, it can make for a lot of unnecessary scenes and extra words that need to be cleaned up later. Pantsing can make your writing process take longer and is difficult to pull off if you’re on a tight writing schedule.
Famous Pantsers:
Stephen King, Margaret Atwood, Peirce Brown, Ray Bradbury, Nora Roberts, Dean Koontz, Haruki Murakami
The Pros and Cons of Plotting
When you plot or outline a novel you know right where you’re going. Outliners take some time to lay out the plot and figure out each scene in advance. Then they get to writing the novel.
The pros to plotting are that you have less editing to do in the end because you have fewer scenes that go nowhere. The fact that you know what is going to happen helps you write faster. There isn’t as much time staring at a blank screen. Plotting can help you work out complicated twists in your story.
The cons of plotting are that it may seem less creative and more restrictive. It can damper the imaginative spark of writing.
Famous Plotters
JK Rowling, James Patterson, John Grisham, E.L. Stein, Arthur Miller, Sylvia Plath, Joseph Heller
What are you?
There are some people who argue that pantsing is superior to plotting. Stephen King has famously said, “Outlines are the last resource of bad fiction writers who wish to God they were writing masters’ theses.”
Whether to plot or pants is a controversial topic among writers with pantsers often sitting high on their horses calling plotters hacks. I don’t think that is the case. There is nothing wrong with working out a plot before sitting down and writing the book. It can be a good idea, especially for new writers.
I do a combination of plotting and pantsing. I write a loose outline sometimes. Even when I don’t write an outline at all for a book I know how the book is going to end.
There is nothing wrong with plotting or pantsing. I sugguest trying both methods out to see what works for you.