#pantser

[writerpolls]

Writers: are you more of an architect or a gardener?*

More architect

More gardener

Equal in both tendencies

Depends entirely on the specific piece I’m working on

See results / not a writer / bald

Voting ended onFeb 16, 2025

*In writing terms, an architect is someone who plots out, plans, and outlines things before drafting. A gardener is someone who takes an initial idea and then just writes, seeing how the idea grows without specific plans.

Some people use the terms “plotter” and “pantser” (as in, going by the seat of their pants) for these writing styles, but I prefer architect and gardener.

[i-dreaminwords]

Occupational hazard of a discovery writer who is unwilling to incapable of outlining

[subplotsideshow]

As an elder writer who's flip-flopped between pantser and plotter over the years, I'd like to give some advice to the youngins that may seem very obvious, but I definitely wish I'd been given as a young, inexperienced writer.

You don't need to fill out that entire character sheet.

As a young writer, I'd spend hours completing these character sheets that I was told would somehow make my characters "feel real". I'd spend hours researching to answer the "What is their favourite genre of music?" question or finding the perfectly quirky hobby that would somehow make my character human, even though these fun facts would only be mentioned in passing. But, by the time I had completed the sheets for every single one of my characters, I would be so burnt out that I wouldn't want to continue the project.

Through the years, I've perfected my own "character sheet" with the bare necessities to actually get writing, because that should be the goal of these damn character sheets. And, if a character mentions their favourite music genre, it's quickly thrown in a notes document so I can return to actually writing. You only need to do what you need to do to get writing. Anything else is optional. So, if you don't have the energy, time or patience for optional, skip it.

[jm-sanders]

Comparison is the death of great ideas.

"But they did it better than me, how can my work possibly compare?"

No, they did it their way.

Now do it your way.

[nicawritesandwhines]

“SJM writes on vibes only.”

Tell me you don’t know what a pantser is without telling me you don’t know what a pantser is.

But yeah, let’s hear from her directly then:

Are you a planner (outline, etc.) or do you “pants” it?

When I’m writing just for the hell of it, I’m a total pantser. I usually have a pretty thorough idea in my head of the major plot points of the story, but I make up a lot of stuff spur of the moment, too. However, when it comes to working on the THRONE OF GLASS series, I actually need to submit pretty detailed outlines before I even begin writing (which can be both useful and immensely frustrating). So I guess you could say I’m BOTH, though I think my default setting is a Pantser.

Link to the interview: https://bookandlatte.com/2012/11/sarah-j-maas-how-i-write.html

Regardless of the type of writer Sarah is, she already made clear in interviews that she needs to deliver to BB a clear and detailed outline for her future books. This requires planning and plotting. When she mentioned that her plan didn’t changed, that’s what’s she is referring to. What she meant that “Rhysand just showed up on page” is very typical of pantser writers, and coming from another fellow pantser, it can be a very magical experience. So stop downgrading Sarah’s writing just because you’re ignorant of the process.

[chimso-writes]

Hate all those ridiculously long character profile questions? Already tired of filling them out for your six main characters? Wondering how the fuck your characters' "favorite color" is going to matter anyways? Don't worry bud, I gotcha.

Firstly, write down the basics. Don't worry, it's not complicated. This is just to ground your character so they won't end up changing personalities in chapter six.

Name

Appearance

Personality (strengths + flaws)

Backstory

Goals

Quirks (optional)

Arc (how they start to how they have grown)

Then ask yourself this question:

What would this character do in this scene?

One thing that makes me hate a story is when the characters just do what the plot needs them to do. Often the characters lack depth and the story ends up being lackluster and predictable. Answering this question in each scene helps you add depth to the character, progress the plot forward and make conflict. The plot needs them to get information and quietly leave the tavern? Nope, your character starts a fight. Boom, conflict. What happens next?

Hope this helps!

[starfruitjams]

A Chaos Goblin's Guide to Actually Finishing Stories (Writing Tips for Overthinkers)

Writing tips time? Writing tips time!

This is for those lovely creative folks that struggle not for a lack of ideas, but for an absolute overabundance.

Do you have stacks of concepts, OCs and fantastic worlds gathering dust all over the place? Do you feel crippling guilt whenever you pick a WIP instead of another? Do you overthink which story could actually be the best, or just struggle to start writing?

Here is a bunch of advice from a very ADHD writer who, thanks to 6 years of ghostwriting, had to learn a bunch of stuff about starting (and finishing) projects real quick. No work = no food was a very effective motivation.

Of course, this is very personal, but comes from a fellow chaos goblin that somehow made it through (now I am in academia, and it is kind of the same, just with more theory and slightly less ghosts). 1. Come to terms with the fact that there is no perfect story. Your other ideas are not better or more interesting -- it will be the execution that makes the difference. The best story is the written one. Put the others aside and think that it is a "later", not a goodbye forever. 2. Once you set the world and have a general idea of the characters, begin writing. You don't need to have the full story planned at this point. Just step "inside" your character and drop them in a random scene. It could be something super mundane, like waking up, cooking, and getting ready for their day. The world and its relations will emerge through the action.

Example: Your main character is 22 years old college drop out Sofia. Your world is a massive, empty cruise ship, navigating in the liminal space between life and death. Drop your character into the world. What does Sofia do? She may panic, check the room for clues, and then worry about important things, like food and water. This is already the story.

3. At this point, the world should have become much more "material". It is usually when I switch to hyperfocus. I need to know how my story ends (and get frustrated at myself when I am too slow). This is when I outline the broader, major story beats, as they can be "grounded" in the world.

Example: You decided that the ship is haunted by ghosts, but also inhabited by other 5 living humans, all coming from different time periods. Their values may clash, but they will have to find a way to collaborate to escape. 4. Now you can begin the (slightly more) detailed outline. Break it down into smaller milestones as you go.

Example: Milestone 1: Sofia meets the first survivor. Milestone 2: They discover the ship's impossible geography together. Milestone 3: The ghosts appear with a deadly ultimatum. 5. Back to writing! Step back into Sofia and start connecting the dots between your milestones. Where could she meet her first companion? Maybe she explores a mysterious library, or heads to the dining hall looking for food—and discovers she's not the only one who had that idea. Let the scenes unfold, using your milestones as guideposts, not rigid checkpoints. 6. Let characters emerge. You might have a fully planned cast, some vague idea, or even meet the inhabitants of your world as you explore it. Ghost number 6 might actually turn up to be Sofia's new love interest (let's get some drama going)! 7. Don't sleep on character studies! I love them. They are a wonderful way to explore your world. You can write snippets (that you might not use) from different points of view, to help you understand the characters better and get a "feel" for how they are as people, not plot devices. You can also post those as extra bits for your fans. 8. Remember that you can always edit! Nothing is set in stone, not even fan fiction (readers of serial/archival publications know that they are reading first drafts, so they will understand if you revise in real time). After all, as you explore and engage with your world, you might find that things you thought were trivial are instead absolutely crucial. Example: That vintage phone Sofia had on her desk? Sure, you wrote it for atmosphere -- but it could be the perfect means for her to talk with the other side. What a genius of foreshadowing you are! (not aha). I love it when "it clicks". For me, the plot "weaving" is a continuous back and forth. 9. Set up for your writing :) To keep yourself in the zone, you have to make the zone. Make a playlist of (non-distracting) ambient music, get yourself cosy. Make it match the story you picked for that extra focus.

This started as a comment to a post in one of my communities, but people found it helpful. So here it is, for the world to enjoy. A complete guide to goblin writing.

Am I a plotter? Am I a pantser? Don't know, babes, but this is how I gaslight my ADHD brain to obsess over my current WIP. Know thyself, so you can bait yourself! Edit: Grammar. Because yes, real-time revising, woo!

[tiger-manya]

There are two types of writers.

The first one meticulously architects a grand building. But the building has a fatal engineering flaw. The collapse causes mass casualties and millions in damages. You are found guilty of negligence and are forbidden to ever work in the field again.

The second one lovingly tends to a lush garden. It grows. And grows. And grows. And grows. You are declared missing. The body is never found.