Melissa Charles author

Ah, outlining. How you are so controversial!

There are three kinds of authors: The Plotter, The Pantser and The Plantser.

Fear not, I will explain these terms.

The Plotter: these folks write a dedicated outline, to one degree or another. Some have a rough map of big plot points, like a one page synopsis that covers where things begin and end, with points of interest along the way. Others have a more in-depth view. And yet others know EVERYTHING, and their outline is what I’d personally consider closer to a first draft.

The Pantser: these folks have a vague idea of what’s going on, but the journey is a process of writing to discover what’s happening. They have the shadowy path ahead of them and are wearing a headlamp. They discover the details as they go, and the destination is prone to changing.

Pantsers, despite the term, tend to plan things, (at least the ones I know)… but in their heads. They daydream about scenes, or dialogue, but they haven’t written it down anywhere. There’s still things to discover as they go, and that’s what keeps them motivated: discovering what the heck happens next.

The Plantser: halfway between the Planner and the Pantser. They may have a few things worked out, more than the Pantser, but not as clearly as the Planner.

Here’s the thing: THERE IS NO WRONG WAY TO OUTLINE. Only what works or doesn’t for you or this particular novel.

For myself, it completely depends on what the genre of the work is. I’ve discovered that for the paranormal mystery, I needed to plot. Had to. It was the only way I’d be able to get clues clueing, sleuths sleuthing, and an ending that landed in a way that I was happy with. Plus, because I’d set my novel in a contemporary real world setting, I needed to do a metric crap tonne of research. When I’m writing fantasy/horror, I’m utilizing magic/fantasy systems of my own devising. Setting my own rules for the world, if you will. So if I need there to be a monster, there’s a monster. Communication blackout? Got it. I don’t have to make it plausible for today’s world, but within context of the novel.

Which is both easier and harder, to be honest. Cause once I set a rule, I have to follow it… or explain how and why there’s a bend or break of the rule. Forgetting what I said in chapter three and saying something different in chapter thirty WILL get you called out by readers. And you don’t want that. Trust me.

No matter if you’re a Plotter, Pantser or Plantser, having some idea of where you want this writing journey to go is important, imo. It keeps you from meandering all over hill and dale, lost in the fog.

For me, outlining is plot focused. Events that happen.

But characters… that’s what makes the novel come alive.

And I’ll talk about that in the next post.