One of the most common questions people ask me about being an author is, “Do you know the entire plot before you start writing a book?” It’s a great question, and while I wish I could say that YES, I know EXACTLY where the story is going before I write a single word, the truth is that I usually have no idea.
And you know what? That’s okay!
While of course it would be much easier to map out the entire plot ahead of time, I simply don’t have the patience to do that, so I don’t. Instead I come up with an interesting premise and some central characters, then make up everything as I go. I always jot down some key things I want to happen along the way, but in my experience I rarely look at them until I’m done with the first draft (and I don’t end up adding many of them). In the literary world this approach makes me a “pantser” as opposed to a “plotter,” because I fly by the seat of my pants.
There are three reasons I believe I’m a pantser:
- When I’m inspired to work on a book, I want to WRITE, not plan. It’s kind of like when I decide I want to go for a run, I just want to run. I don’t want to think about the route I'm going to take.
- I figure that if I want to know what happens next in the story, my readers will too.
- I’ve seen first-hand what can happen when I listen to my characters and take the story in a direction I never imagined at the outset—and it is very fun.
Are you a pantser or a plotter? People work in different ways, and there is no magic formula for the creative process. The key is to find what approach works for you, and go with it!
-Maria
Maria Murnane writes bestselling novels about life, love and friendship. Have questions? You can find her at www.mariamurnane.com.
