One of the largest splits among fiction writers is whether they outline prior to writing, or simply sit down and start. The former are referred to—not surprisingly—as “planners,” whereas the latter are known as “pantsters”—those who write “by the seat of their pants.”
Reedsy provides great advice on how to outline a novel, and I’ve used many of their suggestions without knowing it. Planners also acknowledge the need for research. I mentioned this in a previous post when I reflected the on Importance of Research when writing Twin Worlds, Take Hart and Diaspora. But my approach isn’t shared by every novel writer.
Are you a natural planner?
I would argue that even the most dyed-in-the-wool pantster has to start with something, perhaps only a mental outline of where he or she wants the character to go. On the other hand, even planners who plan to the nth degree often leave the flexibility for their story to go in different directions than they had planned.
Darynda Jones generally has three outlines for her work which she calls the skeleton key, the outline and the detailed outline. Her detailed outline is between forty and sixty pages. Other authors would not only balk at that, saying it would limit their creativity. But even Jones talks about the need for flexibility: “And just for the record, I don’t stick to this outline 100%! I add and take away scenes and story threads as needed. I’m always coming up with fresh twists I didn’t see coming as I write, so I incorporate those. Having an outline does not in any way inhibit creativity. Just the opposite, IMHO.”
How I do it
My method of outlining uses the Hiveword platform. Hiveword provides a system to help me organize plotlines, scenes, characters settings and chapters. Before I go to Hiveword, I put together scenes using PowerPoint with one scene per slide. That doesn’t require a great deal of work: I simply put in the scene title, perhaps something as simple as “scene 34”, then in the body of the PowerPoint I write a sentence or two about what’s going on. After getting all the scenes together, I used the slide sorter function to move the slides around to make the story coherent.
What Hiveword’s structure allows me to do is to develop backstories of the characters, and the place to fill in story lines, settings, and themes, then print out a detailed outline using what I enter into the program. Here’s what a sample page looks like for a scene in Diaspora:
12) Scene 12
Chapter: Chapter 9
Setting: Ambassador Hotel and Suites
Characters: Alia, Charles, Mitchell
Plotlines: Mitchell Street, Alia Monteiro
Bailey calls to invite Street to meet with the chief of staff, Monteiro
Street meets with her and find her hard driving and somewhat naïve but competent enough. She outlines what they plan, and he vetoes or at least pours water on most of the plans. If you want me, you have to accept how I do business.
Maybe we don’t want to do it that way.
Maybe we can call it quits now. Thank you for your assistance and the offer. And I will bill you for the short time I’ve worked for you.
The general wants to meet with people in the Matomban diaspora.
I get it, and he may be confronted with people who may not be his best friends.
Smiles The general doesn’t believe such people exist.
Well, I don’t have that luxury. And I don’t think the general does either Let me do the job properly, but feel free to consult with general first, since I know he’ll want to listen to your opinion.
Let me know. Street doesn’t respond to her flirts.
On the way home, he gets a call from the state department who want to speak with him the next day.
Sure, after a morning sail. I think it’s going to be great tomorrow.
Much of what I do using PowerPoint and Hiveword is contained within the software program Scrivener, which many writers swear by. They also note however, that the learning curve with Scrivener can be really tough, so I haven’t chosen to use it—yet.
So when NaNoWriMo asks now if I am an pantster or a planner, I say “yes.” NaNo now calls that a “plantster,” a combination or planner and pantster, which is pretty much what I am.
What are you?
