Most writers are pant’sers.
most Pant’sers struggle with writer’s block.
Most pant’sers have trouble finishing their books.
Jerry Jenkins thinks most writers are planners or pant’ser. I’ve got to say that at some level, any experienced writer is a combination of both.
My oft-repeated phrase of “plan your work, then work your plan” sums up writing a novel. I won’t sit down to write a book unless I’ve planned it partially out. And lately, I’ve gotten a system that works VERY well.
Because what happens is – if you can’t see the story…
If you can’t see the scene…
if you don’t know how the scene fits into the story…
then you won’t be able to write it.
I don’t like writer’s block. I don’t like being stumped. I like to sit down, do 2 days of rudimentary planning, then I like to sit down and blast out 2000 words a day and complete the script or book in 3 weeks.
If you’re a pant’ser, no worries. Because I was one too. My first story – a star trek novel – was started in 1976. I never finished it.
I tried it again 20 years later. I never finished it.
I started it again a few months ago. It’s almost finished.
Plan. If you know where the book is going, it’s easy to get there.
