Don't De-Pants my Plot and Don't Plot my Pants!

At writing conferences and workshops, they often talk about two types of writers. There is the “pantser” and the “plotter”. The “puntser” (not a real word but leave it to a room of writers to make one up) is the writer that flies by the seat of their pants with their story. They just write, allowing the story to take them along for the journey. A “plotter” has an outlined plot with specific points to hit and takes the story on their journey with them to meet those predestined milestones.

I am somewhere in-between. Not sure of the term for that, but don’t de-pants my plot and don’t plot my pants! When I sit down to write a story, I have a general outline. Who the major characters are. Where the story will take place. Big milestones that will happen. Who/what the antagonists are.

However, I am open to the story and characters taking me on a different journey. This is the thing about stories, they take on a life of their own. There are times I have sat down thinking this is what is going to happen. This is who the love interest is. This is how it will end. But the story arches its knowing brow and smirks, “Nope, I have a different idea.” Oh, that pesky story!

There are a few examples from both my first novel Finding Home and my second novel In the Hello and in the Goodbye (both are in the editing phase in preparation to go out to Literary Agents and Publishes late spring/early summer). I can give you a few glimpses in how the vegan sausage is made without spoiling either book for you.

In Finding Home, a smalltown steamy romance, a character named Todd pops up. There was never a Todd in my outline. He was merely a bartender that was a throwaway character simply to add to the charm and well…character of the village our lead, Elle, found herself pulled back to. However, Todd the snarky rascal that he is had other ideas. Soon he became one of the supporting characters in Elle’s newly formed friend group. In the second book of the series called Coming Home, which the first draft of is almost complete, he becomes a more prevalent character and in the last book of the series, which is outlined and not yet “pantsed,” he will be the male lead.

If I hadn’t been open to the character and the story leading me just a little bit off the map I had created, I would have missed out on the wonderful story of Todd Krueger (don’t let the name fool you folks, he’s a sweetheart of a tall sexy Prince Harry look-a-like). What a joy it will be to write his story this summer and complete my smalltown romance series called the Home Series.

My second novel, In the Hello and the Goodbye, a second chance romance about Evie Johnson, a hospital social worker, and Colm Gallagher, a special education teacher, has several twists and turns in their love story that changed as the story unfolded. Again, I started with a general outline, but their characters jumped off the typed page guiding me to tell their sweet, a little steamy, hopeful, and sometimes sad story. Those plot points I won’t share ‘til my second baby is out in the world. There may some writing exercises, though, where I’ll introduce this couple to the world, whetting your appetite for their sumptuous love story.

So, I’ve given you a peak behind the curtain. There aren’t just two kinds of writers. There are three. Your “plotter”, your “pantser,” and me…something in-between.

Pinkies up!