Pantser VS. Plotter
Reading How to books lately I have discovered that writers can fall into two categories. the plotter or the pantser. The plotter carefully plots, sometimes in great detial, thier novel before they start writing. The panster writes by the seat of thier pants. I am a pantser for sure.
I have realized about myself that I have plenty of ideas, or premises, for novels but when I start writing I don't know how the story will go. I have no clue what the ending will be. I think that is whay I keep starting novels and not finishing them , Once I get through the first third I have writtern all I know about what I planned to put in the book. And that is where I become lost as to where to take the story and at what pace.
In Come Back to Me , my current WIP which is stuck at chapter 10, I like the beginning. I have the hero rush to the hospital because the heroine has been in a car accident. I wrote how he felt when he got to the hospital and how he felt when he first saw her. And how she felt when she woke up and saw him. And how she felt about having amnesia and not remembering the last three years. Once he leaves the hospital I start to lose my way in the story.
I introduce some supporting characters and tell some backstory. Then it is time to throw the hero and heroine together again. From that point on all they seem to do is fight. And half the time she is either plotting to run away from him or crying. WTF? I wrote it and I even I am thinking WTF! this novel is meant to be romantic suspense.
But I wouldn't call what I have written too romantic so far!
So today I read a website that was talking about How to write a novel and it said to write a 5-20 page synopsis. That threw me for a loop.
I write a one page summary of the story, one page on each main character, and a few lines setting and who the supporting characters are- and thats it before I get started.
To write even 5 pages on what my story is about seems impossible. I could 5 pages on the backstory of my characters - maybe. But on what the novel will cover? I haven't ever tried that cause I don't know ahead of time what will happen. So I think I will try writing a 5 page synopsis on Come Back to Me and see if that helps to get the story back on track.
I don't think I'll ever be a plotter but I do think this panster needs some kind of kick start.
I have realized about myself that I have plenty of ideas, or premises, for novels but when I start writing I don't know how the story will go. I have no clue what the ending will be. I think that is whay I keep starting novels and not finishing them , Once I get through the first third I have writtern all I know about what I planned to put in the book. And that is where I become lost as to where to take the story and at what pace.
In Come Back to Me , my current WIP which is stuck at chapter 10, I like the beginning. I have the hero rush to the hospital because the heroine has been in a car accident. I wrote how he felt when he got to the hospital and how he felt when he first saw her. And how she felt when she woke up and saw him. And how she felt about having amnesia and not remembering the last three years. Once he leaves the hospital I start to lose my way in the story.
I introduce some supporting characters and tell some backstory. Then it is time to throw the hero and heroine together again. From that point on all they seem to do is fight. And half the time she is either plotting to run away from him or crying. WTF? I wrote it and I even I am thinking WTF! this novel is meant to be romantic suspense.
But I wouldn't call what I have written too romantic so far!
So today I read a website that was talking about How to write a novel and it said to write a 5-20 page synopsis. That threw me for a loop.
I write a one page summary of the story, one page on each main character, and a few lines setting and who the supporting characters are- and thats it before I get started.
To write even 5 pages on what my story is about seems impossible. I could 5 pages on the backstory of my characters - maybe. But on what the novel will cover? I haven't ever tried that cause I don't know ahead of time what will happen. So I think I will try writing a 5 page synopsis on Come Back to Me and see if that helps to get the story back on track.
I don't think I'll ever be a plotter but I do think this panster needs some kind of kick start.
posted by RomanceWriter @ 9:39 PM
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