Plotter or Pantser? New Writers May Want to Give Each a Try

I spent yesterday morning with the Chesapeake Romance Writers. The speaker for the expected workshop fell through, so after a long business meeting several of us spent an hour or two just writing. I joined in and felt happy to watch my word count grow.

I am working on my first novel, a contemporary romance tentatively titled, "Dancing Under the Stars." A couple of members of our group are participating in National Novel Writing Month, or NaNo for short. It's an event that takes place every November. NaNo challenges writers to produce a draft of a 50,000 word novel between November 1st and 30th.

I admire those making the effort, but I am not ready to work at that frenetic a pace. I have been working for a couple of months and so far have a synopsis plus about 11,000 words written.

I've learned that I still really don't know myself as a writer. For example, there are two general types of writers: plotters and pantsers. Plotters plot and pantsers write by the seat of their pants, preferring to let the characters take over and even surprise them. I thought I was a pantser. Then in September I participated in a workshop by Andrea Jackson called, "Taming the Dreaded Synopis."

I really didn't dread a synopsis because I'm such a new author I've never tried to write one. But I could tell from the reaction of the other members of the group that the term "dread" was not at all exaggerated, so I paid as careful attention to Andrea's advice as everyone else did.

Apparently, many authors write the book first, then the synopsis. Contests, publishing houses and potential agents often want to see first and last chapters and a synopsis. In the past, when I've tried to write a novel, I've often gotten a few chapters in and then stopped, stuck because I couldn't figure out where my novel needed to go. I decided to use Andrea's technique to write a synopsis first to use as a general guideline for where my book should go.

I am glad I did! Now I have names, main characters, background information, and a basic outline of the novel. If my characters take the story in another direction, so be it, but I no longer have the worry of getting stuck because I can't tell where the story is heading. I feel confident that I can take the plot from beginning to end.

I also read advice in The Everything Guide to Writing a Romance Novel that novelists should shake things up for themselves once in a while. If they feel they write best or most easily at home, they should take their writing out on the road, or if they feel they must leave home and go elsewhere to write, they should try writing at home, just to see what happens.

I thought this was stupid advice until I tried it. I am a homebody and thought I would write most easily in the comforts of my own home. But after trying the book's advice, I find I am most productive at the local Barnes and Noble bookstore.

A novelist friend is highly prolific. She says she thinks it's because she still writes her books out longhand. She carries notebooks everywhere she goes and writes her novels constantly throughout the day as time and opportunity present themselves. While I prefer to type, I plan to bring my Kindle HDX, for which I purchased word processing software, and my keyboard with me when I'm out and about more often. I plan to grab every decent opportunity to produce "Dancing Under the Stars" in a timely manner despite my day job and hectic schedule.