How do you write? Do you plot? Do you sit down a write? These are a few questions writers get asked all the time. You may ask “Teresa” where do you fall? It’s a good question considering how I write. I’d say I’m a Pantser, because I don’t plot out my stories. I have two that are kind of in outline form, but that’s not the norm. The non-fiction, now blog, was broken ing to sections so I could have questions to start off chapters and to help our friends that are willing to add to the story. But I’m sure you can see how that is different than my normal writing since traditionally a non- fiction needs direction. One of the Boys is also in outline form, sort of, since I needed a screenplay for my MFA. However when I originally started writing it I didn’t have it plotted – or did I.
This I guess is the question, since many of my stories come alive before they go to paper (I dream them up – literally) am I a true Pantser or a plotter? If a story sticks with me when I wake I write it down whether or not I have the whole story arc. This is truly my rough draft or at least the first of many. I have notecards but I don’t use them to plot. I have character info on them so I can refer back to information that I may need in later chapters or books to smooth him/her out. Is this plotting or good record keeping?
I was reading up on Pantsers today and it felt like that’s more my kind out writing, I let the story go where it needs to go, all the twist and turns that it may take through the different rough drafts. Plus I get off track, create side stories, do research in the middle of edits, and have moments where nothing wants to happen. During those times it’s like my characters and the story itself want to be on vacation. And not always at the best of times, which sucks. Then there are times when all I want to do is put words to paper, again not always at the best of times. Being a Pantser writer is a crazy, nerve raking way to work, live… Everything, because you never know when the muse will be with you. Some days I really want to bang my head against a wall, and the only thing that stops me (besides Flyboy) is the knowledge that if I did it I’d give myself a migraine and that ladies & gents is a pain I try to avoid.
So what are you a plotter or Pantser? How do you deal with you muse?
I guess you could say this is another reason I called the blog wicked cool flight, I never know where my muse will take me. 
May 17th, 2012 at 6:52 pm
Depends. On the little works I just go completely by the seat of my pants, letting whatever happens happens. For the big works, I find it easiest to write out a scene list. Then when it’s time to write, I can more easily focus on the scene at hand. It’s simpler for me when I know where the scene is going to end before hand, not that I have much clue how it’s going to get there. So I guess it’s plotting the macro, pantsing the micro.
May 17th, 2012 at 11:46 pm
I wish I could do both. For me it’s all craziness from my brain with no help.