Embrace Your Writing Style: The Journey of Plotters, Pantsers, and Plantsers

As writers, we often find ourselves pondering the age-old question: should I be a plotter or a pantser? Or perhaps, like many others, you’ve come to embrace your inner plantser. In this extensive blog post, we shall delve into the world of plotters, pantsers, and their hybrid counterparts – the plantsers. We shall explore guidelines for each approach, common mistakes to avoid, key takeaways, and inspirational quotes from renowned authors who have navigated these writing styles.

Plotters are writers who meticulously outline their stories before diving into the actual writing process. They thrive on structure and organisation, believing that a well-planned road map can lead to a smoother writing journey. On the other hand, pantsers, or seat-of-their-pants writers, eschew outlining in favour of letting their creativity flow freely as they write. They believe that planning stifles their imagination and creative process. Plantsers, as you might have guessed, are a blend of both plotters and pantsers – combining the benefits of each approach to create a unique writing style tailored to individual needs.

Being a plotter, pantser, or plantser isn’t just about how you plan a book, it’s about how you think, how you handle uncertainty, and how you keep yourself writing all the way to “The End.” Once you understand your natural lean, you can stop fighting your process and start working with it.

Guidelines for plotters (the architects)

Plotters like maps. They outline before they draft – anything from a loose beat sheet to a detailed scene-by-scene plan.

“An outline is just a tool to help you get where you’re going, not the destination itself.” – Jodi Picoult, Plotter

Typical traits:

• Enjoy structure, cause-and-effect, and knowing the ending before you get there.
• Spend more time before drafting, less time in major structural rewrites later.
• Often write cleaner first drafts with stronger pacing and fewer dangling threads.

If you identify as a plotter or aspire to be one, here are some guidelines which should help you navigate your writing journey:

1. Start with a clear idea of your story’s premise and main characters.
2. Create an outline that includes major plot points, character arcs, and key scenes.
3. Set specific goals for each writing session based on your outline.
4. Be flexible – don’t be afraid to deviate from your plan if inspiration strikes or a better idea presents itself.
5. Utilise tools like spreadsheets, story mapping software, or even handwritten notes to help you organise and visualise your plot.
6. Establish a writing routine that allows for consistent progress on both planning and actual writing.
7. Don’t forget the importance of character development – create detailed profiles for each character to ensure they remain consistent throughout the story.
8. Lastly, remember that outlining is not a one-time event; it can (and should) evolve as your story takes shape.

Jeffery Deaver is a strong example, advocating outlines as the most efficient way to shape an emotionally engaging novel.

Guidelines for pantsers (the discovery writers)

Pantsers write “by the seat of their pants,” discovering the story as they go. They may start with a character, a situation, or an image, and figure out the plot while drafting.

“The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.” – Terry Pratchett, Pantser

Typical traits:

• Thrive on surprise and the feeling of finding the story.
• Often produce vivid, voicey, character-driven pages, then fix structure later.
• Expect to spend more time in revision, cutting detours and tightening.

For those who identify as pantsers or are considering adopting this approach, here are some guidelines to help you embrace the freedom of writing without an outline:

1. Start with a single idea or concept that excites and inspires you.
2. Allow your creativity to flow freely by writing without constraints or expectations.
3. Embrace spontaneity – let your characters lead the story, and be prepared for unexpected twists and turns.
4. Establish a consistent writing routine that encourages regular progress on your manuscript.
5. Take advantage of free-writing exercises, timed writing sessions, or other techniques to help you stay focused and productive without an outline.
6. Don’t shy away from researching as needed – pantsers can still benefit from factual information and inspiration gathered during the writing process.
7. Be open to receiving feedback from beta readers or critique partners who can provide valuable insights into your story’s structure, pacing, and character development.
8. Lastly, remember that even if you’re a pantser, it’s essential to revise and edit your work meticulously to ensure the final product is polished and engaging for readers.

Stephen King’s famous line captures this mindset: “Stories are found things, like fossils in the ground… Stories are relics, part of an undiscovered, pre-existing world.”

Guidelines for plantsers (the hybrid)

The plantser sits in the middle: a hybrid who wants both a spine and spontaneity. They might sketch the major tent poles (inciting incident, midpoint, climax) and then discovery-write between them.

“I think the plotting and the writing are very much intertwined for me.” – Neil Gaiman, Plantster

Typical traits:

• Use a minimal outline or “map of big rocks,” then improvise the path.
• Keep a rolling or evolving outline, updating it every few thousand words.
• Adjust method mid-draft if they get stuck, borrowing freely from both camps.

A plantser approach often looks like: six core beats on one page plus a short preview of the next 3 – 5 scenes, then draft, then update.

If you find yourself drawn to the middle ground between plotting and pantsing, here are some guidelines tailored specifically to plantsers:

1. Start with a rough outline that includes key story elements like setting, main characters, and major plot points.
2. Allow for flexibility in your planning process – be prepared to modify or discard parts of the outline as you write if inspiration strikes or a better idea presents itself.
3. Combine structured writing sessions focused on outlining with spontaneous writing sessions that let your creativity flow freely.
4. Utilise tools like mind maps, index cards, or digital story mapping software to help visualise and organise your plot while still leaving room for improvisation.
5. Establish a consistent writing routine that balances planning and actual writing time.
6. Don’t forget the importance of character development – create detailed profiles for each character to ensure they remain consistent throughout the story, even if their arcs evolve during the writing process.
7. Lastly, remember that as a plantser, you can learn from both plotters and pantsers by adapting elements of their approaches based on your individual needs and preferences.

Practical guidelines for choosing and using your style

1. Match the method to your brain

Notice how you naturally think about story:

• If you love frameworks, lists, and seeing the whole arc, lean towards plotter or plantser.
• If scenes come alive only once you’re in them, lean pantser or plantser.

Try a short story twice: once from an outline, once from a single starting image, and compare not just quality, but your energy.

2. Decide when you want to feel lost

Both approaches involve discovery; the difference is when you do the wandering:

• Plotter: wander in the outline phase, then draft with more clarity.
• Pantser: wander in the draft, then wrangle it in revision.
• Plantser: a bit of wandering up front, a bit mid-draft, guided by touch-points.

Pick where you’d rather pay the confusion cost: before or after the first draft.

3. Use the “Minimum Viable Plan” test

Ask yourself: What’s the least planning I need to feel safe starting?

• Plotter: maybe a full beat sheet plus character arcs.
• Pantser: maybe just a protagonist, a problem, and a rough sense of ending.
• Plantser: six major beats, then a rolling outline for the next few scenes.

If you’re procrastinating in planning forever, you’ve crossed your minimum. If you’re constantly stalling in the draft, you’re probably under it.

4. Let genre and stakes influence how much you plan

• Complex plots (mystery, heist, political thriller) usually benefit from more deliberate plotting.
• Voice- or character-driven stories can often bear more discovery.
• Tight deadlines or contracted work push you toward plotting or plantser workflows that reduce massive rewrites.

Low-stakes passion projects are a great place to experiment with pantsing; big, intricate projects may reward a sturdier structure.

5. Build in check-in points

Whatever your style, schedule moments to step back:

• Every 10 – 20k words, ask: What is this story actually about now?
• Update your outline (plotter/plantser) or sketch a quick road map of what’s emerged so far (pantser).

This keeps discovery aligned with a sense of direction instead of drifting forever.

10 Common mistakes to avoid

Regardless of whether you’re a plotter, pantser, or plantser, there are some common pitfalls that writers should avoid:

1. Treating “plotter vs pantser” as a personality cult: Some communities romanticise discovery writing as more “authentic,” while others treat outlining as more “professional.” This just boxes you in. Avoid it by: treating these labels as tools, not identities. Borrow, blend, and switch as needed.
2. Over-plotting until drafting feels like transcription: If your outline is so detailed that every beat and line of dialogue feels pre-decided, you can drain the joy and spontaneity from the draft. Avoid it by: leaving intentional gaps – “mystery zones” where you know the purpose of a scene but not the exact way it unfolds.
3. Pantsing without any guardrails: Going in with no sense of conflict, stakes, or endpoint often leads to sagging middles and abandoned drafts. Avoid it by: giving yourself at least a starting disruption, or a sense of the central problem, or even a feeling for how the protagonist might be changed at the end. That’s still pantsing; it’s just pantsing with a compass.
4. Refusing to change methods when stuck: A plotter clinging to a dead outline or a pantser clinging to “I don’t outline” while every draft collapses are making the same mistake: protecting identity over story. Avoid it by: using small, temporary experiments, like if you as a plotter are stuck? Free-write three exploratory scenes with no outline. Or as a pantser feeling lost? Outline just the next three chapters.
5. Confusing process with quality: A beautiful outline doesn’t guarantee a strong novel; a chaotic, painful drafting process can still produce a great book. Avoid it by: measuring a method by asking, do I finish more often? Are my revisions more manageable? Does the work feel more alive? – If the answer is yes, it’s working – regardless of label.
6. Over-planning: Don’t let your outline become so rigid that it stifles creativity and spontaneity.
7. Under-planning: Ensure you have enough structure to guide your writing without sacrificing the benefits of a free-flowing process.
8. Ignoring feedback: Be open to receiving constructive criticism from beta readers, critique partners, or editing professionals.
9. Neglecting character development: Remember that well-developed characters are essential for engaging readers and driving the story forward.
10. Procrastination: Establish a consistent writing routine and stick to it, avoiding the temptation to put off planning or actual writing sessions.

5 Key takeaways

1. You’re on a spectrum, not in a box: Most writers are some shade of plantser: part architect, part gardener.
2. Discovery is inevitable; only its timing changes: Plotters discover in the outline; pantsers discover in the draft; plantsers split the difference.
3. The right amount of planning is personal: Your “minimum viable plan” may be a one-line premise or a 20-page outline.
4. Genre, deadlines, and project complexity should nudge your choice: More moving parts and higher stakes often call for more structure.
5. The best method is the one that gets you to a finished manuscript you can revise: Readers never see your process; they only see whether the story works.

Conclusion

In practice, many writers outline just enough to feel safe and then write just loosely enough to stay surprised. That’s plantser country. You might outline Act One, pants your way through Act Two, then outline again when you feel the fog rolling in.

There’s freedom in accepting that you can be an architect in the morning and a gardener in the afternoon, meaning that some books will demand more scaffolding and others will grow like wildflowers the moment you put them in the soil.

Your job isn’t to be a perfect plotter or a pure pantser. Your job is to find the process that keeps you coming back to the page – curious, committed, and willing to discover what the story wants to be.

Remember that no matter which method you choose, consistency, dedication, and a willingness to learn from both successes and failures are essential ingredients for crafting a compelling story that resonates with readers.

So embrace your writing style, keep learning, and never stop growing as an author – happy writing!