Plotters vs Pantsers: Considerations When Planning Your Novel by Kristyn Miller
For a lot of writers, planning out a novel or series can be a bit daunting and—perhaps—even limiting. Why plot every minute detail when instead you can go with what feels natural as the story and characters develop? On the other side of the spectrum, you have writers that enjoy the planning stages of a manuscript. Planning comes easily and naturally to these writers, to the point that they can get so caught up in the details that they never actually get around to writing the story.
Anyone who’s spent time talking to other writers is all too familiar with this stylistic divide. Some call it plotters versus pantsers; others call it the Architect and the Gardener. Like anything, it’s more of a sliding scale than two clear-cut sides of an argument. And most authors agree that there are merits to both methods. But there are also plenty of pitfalls that come with both methods, and working to better understand your personal planning style can only improve your writing.
Am I a Pantser or a Plotter?
Identifying which style you favor is an easy step toward figuring out some of the strengths and weaknesses in your writing. Chances are you don’t lean into one method completely—most writers fall somewhere in the middle—but it’s still worth identifying which style you’re closer to so that you can more easily spot your plot’s shortcomings.
If you’re a pantser, that means you keep your planning to a minimum. You’d much rather jump into the story to get a feel for the world or the characters, and figure out the details along the way. Which isn’t to say you don’t plan at all—plenty of pantsers will plan things like major plot points and important locations in the setting before they ever start to write. You might also find great enjoyment in planning out your characters and their backgrounds because pantser-style storytelling often ends up being character-driven. But pantsers don’t get caught up in all the minutiae of what’s going to happen along the way. In short, pantsers go with the flow, following where the story takes them.
If you’re a plotter, you try to plan everything out before you get around to writing. That means not only getting your major plot points down on paper, but all the specifics of what happens in between those points, the details of your subplots, the growth of each of your characters, and the ultimate fates of everyone involved. You probably have countless journals or documents specific to different aspects of your story, and before you ever start on that first chapter, there’s a good chance you already have tens of thousands of words written in notes alone. Of course, not every plotter is going to get caught up in the same details. Someone plotting a single-volume contemporary romance will likely have less to plot than someone working on a five-volume high fantasy series. In short, plotters want to know exactly what they’re doing before they begin.
Lean into Your Strengths
Again, most writers know that both styles have their strengths. Both plotters and pantsers have historically produced highly successful work. Just look at George R.R. Martin and J.R.R. Tolkien. Both authors have had lasting impact on the high fantasy genre, helping shape genre trends in decades that followed. But Martin is famously a pantser, and Tolkien was a plotter. Looking at their respective works, you can start to identify where some of their stylistic strengths come into play.
Pantsers find their greatest strength in the natural progression of their story. Because they aren’t obligated to make all the tiny pieces “fit,” they can let their characters and plot develop in a very organic way, which lends a great deal of believability to their writing. If you’re a pantser, it’s important that you center your story around well-developed and interesting characters, because they will likely be one of the biggest draws for your future readers. The popularity of the A Song of Ice and Fire series, for example, is very wrapped up in the large cast of interesting and engaging characters. If you removed those characters but kept the same story, it probably wouldn’t be half as successful.
Plotters, on the other hand, write exceptionally strong resolutions. Their stories tend to end on a satisfying note because the reader is able to look back and see how everything—including seemingly innocuous or mundane details—was leading up to that point. If you’re a plotter, focus on building a well-paced plot that stays relatively on-course. Because of your compulsion to plan, it should come naturally to weave in subplots and details that will all come together before the end. Lord of the Rings has a relatively simple plot interwoven with detailed world-building (some would argue too detailed—more on that later). The satisfying resolution of that plot has drawn people back to the story time and time again.
Be Aware of Your Weaknesses
With the examples of Martin and Tolkien, some of the shortcomings of these respective styles should already be glaringly obvious. Popular as they are, both A Song of Ice and Fire and Lord of the Rings have issues.
Because pantsers “go with the flow” of their developing story, they often get sidetracked and accidentally create subplots or false clues that they later forget about and abandon entirely. For that reason, they’re notorious for writing endings that leave the reader completely unsatisfied. Game of Thrones, which was adapted from A Song of Ice and Fire, had a horrible ending because many of the things that were foreshadowed didn’t end up being relevant, and many of the things that actually happened weren’t foreshadowed at all (which very likely might have been more an issue of bad writing than pantsing, but we won’t know for certain until Martin finishes the series himself). The easiest solution, if you’re a pantser, is to keep detailed notes as you work—essentially, planning on-the-go—which you can reference when writing your resolution and when going through various stages of edits. If you drop a hint or start a subplot, jot it down somewhere with a reminder to go back and ensure it’s resolved later. And, when you go through to edit, keep in mind how everything unfolds at the end, so that you can add in foreshadowing where necessary.
Another shortcoming for pantsers is losing track of where you’re going entirely. Because you’re more inclined to jump right in on a project with minimal planning, you might not be 100% certain where you’re headed or what the ultimate goal of your story is. And while there’s nothing explicitly wrong with that—again, it can lead to very organic plots and wonderfully character-driven stories—it can also leave you feeling a bit aimless because there’s not really an end in sight. To help avoid this, set clear goals and perhaps, at minimum, a tone or message you want the story to finish on. Track your progress along the way, and regularly reassess where you’re heading, but don’t lose motivation just because you haven’t established a finish line for yourself.
Conversely, if you’re a plotter, chances are you’re tempted to stick to the plan from start to finish. That means that no matter how you end up writing the characters or how you alter details along the way, you feel compelled to stick to the plan overall. And while this can lead to satisfying endings, it also means that sometimes you’re forcing puzzle pieces to go where they don’t quite fit. Your characters are likely a bit different on paper than they are in your notes. Little quirks come out, you fall into the rhythm of writing their dialogue, and overall they feel just a little more “alive” than they probably did in the planning phases. When you then turn around and write them to take a certain action or make a certain decision for the sole sake of suiting the plot, you might be doing them a disservice. Pause, consider whether that action still feels believable, and then reframe the plot slightly if necessary. Forcing characters into situations that don’t feel natural both creates glaring plot-holes and weakens the believability of the characters in the long run.
For another weakness, let’s turn to Lord of the Rings again. One of the biggest criticisms of the novel is that it gets too caught-up in the world-building. Tolkien was meticulous in planning his world. He built entire histories and cultures and languages, all of which lend a great deal of depth to his world. As a plotter, it’s important to remember that not every detail in your notes needs to find its way to the page. In fact, sometimes less is more with world-building. While it can be helpful to have all the complexities of your story in your head, try to weave that information in only as-needed, and only where believable. Ask yourself questions like “why would this character be sharing this information now?” and avoid bland exposition whenever possible. And remember, this doesn’t just apply to fantasy—readers don’t want an info-dump on the history of the family farm in your southern contemporary romance any more than they want three pages describing the landscapes of the Shire in Lord of the Rings.
Planning is Ongoing
While we often think of planning as happening before we begin a project, when it comes to writing, the planning never really ends. No matter how much or little we plot things out when we first sit down to write a novel, the real challenge comes with editing. Consider taking your editing in planned phases. Do separate read-throughs to focus on things like character, plot, themes, tone, and consistency, and adjust your editing plans according to your own strengths and weaknesses.
If you’re a pantser, plan for entire phases of edits centered around fixing plot holes and tying up loose ends. If you’re a plotter, pay special attention to issues like character believability and exposition. Above all, always be open to outside critique. A fresh pair of eyes will often spot issues with your manuscript that you’re unaware of, and that feedback can help you plan the next round of edits to further strengthen your writing.
Writing a novel is a huge undertaking. People talk all the time about their book ideas that they never get around to writing because they can’t quite push past that planning phase. So if you’re planning a novel—whether you’re a plotter or a pantser—you’re already on the right track. Learning your strengths and weaknesses is an ongoing process for every writer, whether you’re working on your first novel or you have ten already under your belt. Most importantly, keep writing. There’s no getting better unless you practice.
About the Author:
Kristyn J. Miller is a professional copywriter and an up-and-coming historical fantasy author with a passion for Germanic mythology. Her critical essay “Swords, Serpents, and Symbolic Imagery: Examining the Sigemund Passage in Beowulf” received second place in the Gene Kanjo Prize for Literary Criticism, as well as departmental honors from her alma mater. She runs a blog focusing on Germanic linguistics, culture, and literature. Kristyn graduated magna cum laude from University of Redlands with a degree in Literature and History, with an emphasis on Anglo-Saxon and Nordic epic literature.
Learn more about Kristyn on her website or from her guest appearance on Keeping Up with Joe!
