In writing, we talk about pantsers vs. plotters. A pantser writes with only a basic idea of where they are going, while a plotter makes a detailed plan before they even start writing. I am somewhere in between, making me a “plantser”. I usually know the beginning, end, and several important plot points in between, but not exactly how I will get from point to point. My old writing partner used to refer to my middle section as “miracle happens here”.
I got to wondering if writers follow the same organizational scheme for life as they do for their writing. Do pantsers just go with the flow, while plotters make a detailed To-do list for their life?
This question came to mind because I am in a place in life where I feel I really need to make time to sit down and plan out certain things. I need to start a meal plan if I want to eat better. A marketing plan for when I re-release my book. A blog plan to focus what I write about. I know that if I get these plans in place, I will follow them, because I follow plans well. But I haven’t brought myself to actually do the lists yet.
Is this because of the same creative process that makes me a plantser? Or is it a form of procrastination because I really don’t want to do these things?
So what say you, fellow scribners? Do you find you plot or pants your way through life, according to your creative process style?
I gave outline a college try, and then I couldn’t write. So I gotta start out being a pantser, then fill in the holes with guidelines of what I need to do. I do other plans well – like my meal plan, my scheduling for the PWC and other trips, but I gotta start my books as a pantser. 🙂