Plotting, Pantsing, or Plantsing

When you're a writer among other writers, you'll get asked this question: "Are you a plotter or a pantser?"

The term "plantser" is used as a hybrid of plotter and pantser (described as such here). This is me to a T.

My writing style for three of my four manuscripts (the exception being the one that was a retelling) is this: I start writing. I get in a page or two or ten--maybe a first chapter. In that time, I've introduced my main character, the situation, the genre, and hinted at the major plot with the inciting incident.

Then I stop, and write a rough outline. Because I need some sort of guide to keep me on track. If I don't, what ends up happening is fourteen or fifteen versions of the story going in various directions. That was the story of my second complete manuscript, which was actually the first manuscript I ever started--in high school--and continued through college and have worked on for twenty years. I never outlined. I kept restarting and going a different direction, taking bits from previous manuscripts. I finally finished a complete draft once I wrote a detailed outline for all three books for that series.

So I write a few pages, then write a rough outline. A rough outline for me can be one word or one sentence of what will happen in that chapter. It's a guide, and just like my story, can be revised on the way. I'm about 2/3 of the way through my current manuscript and have recognized that a character arc is going a different direction, so I need to change what happens in the next few chapters. Also, things have happened that cause me to add to it. Since it is YA, I tend to write shorter chapters than in my adult manuscripts, so my original outline had twelve chapters, and now I'm up to twenty-three. I'll probably make it twenty-four for a nice even number.

I'll also use the outline to make notes as I go, especially if I introduce a character or plot point that needs some foreshadowing, I'll go back to an earlier chapter in the outline and make myself a note to mention it there. My problem in that second manuscript is I would go back and revise at that point, and it took forever to complete a draft. I did the same in my first manuscript. Now, I make notes but keep writing where I am at so as not to lose momentum. I complete first drafts much faster now, and then take more time revising based on notes.

This is what plantsing looks like for me--a rough guide of where I am heading, but plenty of creative wiggle room to let the muse take over.

Critique Partners

What is a critique partner?

A CP reads your manuscript and critiques, offering feedback on what works and what doesn't, some suggestions for changes, or places to expand, and may ask questions to help clarify what you are trying to write. As someone who worldbuilds in her head (and has since an early age when I had four imaginary friends in kindergarten) it's easy to think that the reader sees what I'm seeing, when I may not have conveyed that as clearly. A CP can also do line edits (correcting grammar/punctuation).

The way my CP and I work is that we often trade off a chapter or two. I read and critique hers, she reads and critiques mine. We use Microsoft Word and track changes.

I did not have a CP for my first manuscript, but I did hire an editor. The editor helped me to see my common grammatical errors and overused metaphors, along with tightening my sentence structure and working on passive voice. Nonetheless, that manuscript is on a shelf right now, but it was a good learning experience.

Currently, I have three CP's reading through my latest manuscript, but I entered the first chapter into the critique portion of Cascade Writers, where I had six others looking at my manuscript. It was incredibly helpful to have that may eyes on my first pages, to make sure I was starting in the right place, and using the right voice for that age group and genre. The problem with my first manuscript (among many, but this was the chief one) is that I didn't start in the right place, and I didn't have a critique partner helping me to understand that.

So if you don't have a critique partner, find one! The Twitter community #ontheporch is a great place to find other readers and critique partners for your age group and genre. It is also a supportive community who offer tips and encouragement, and sometimes have had agents or authors host tweetchats for you to ask your questions and seek advice.