My Writing Process

“The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.” ― Terry Pratchett

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Last month, I discovered two new to me terms related to writing. These established terms are Plotter and Pantser.

A plotter is someone who plans out the specific details of their story/novel, while a pantser is someone who does the minimum–f any– planning. With that said, every writer undergoes their process when they develop a story. They can either fall in the distinct category of a plotter or pantser or much like me, a unique mixture of both.

I am considered somewhat of a planster, which, from my readings on the topics of plotter vs pantser, vaguely defines my method of writing. Often I start a book on a whim, a simple idea that pops up in my mind and I write until I hit a roadblock. This is the point where I tend to flesh out the full details of the story. However, my planning is not rigid and has room for change or redirection of the storyline.

My planning process consists of me going back and looking at my theme, characters, setting, conflict, resolution or lack thereof and important events. There are other things I flesh out as well that I will not be talking about in this post.

THEME Generally, my books have multiple themes. Almost always, the Romance/love theme is the most prevalent in my works. My current work comprises a mixture of themes–Love, coming of age, good vs evil, and prejudice just to name a few. The themes of my story evolve as I write. At that point, I refine each theme by reflecting on the underlying cause for each feeling being brought forward in my characters.

CHARACTERS I bring my characters to life first in my mind, but I build the more intricate details of each character after I start the writing process. Though I may know the general personality of each persona, I go deeper into their minds by examining all the reasons behind their actions, thoughts, and feelings. My dynamic characters are influenced by their surroundings, interactions, past trauma, and more. I delve into the deepest parts of their emotions and actions to bring about realistic and relatable characters.

SETTING The settings in my work are vague when I begin writing. However, when I stop and re-evaluate my progress, I think up a more elaborate scene. Invariably I will create a new world, as this makes writing the background much easier. Researching a place you’ve never been is a difficult task that I try to avoid for fear of inaccuracy. With that being said, I love complex settings and spend countless time fleshing out the mechanics of the scene. Let’s just say, my current work in progress possesses many new languages waiting for exploration and a complex government to tangle with.

CONFLICT When I start a project, I don’t always possess a distinct idea of what the central conflict will be. I may have more minor conflicts that will be weaved into the story on hand, but the ultimate struggle may be explicitly unidentified. In my planning phase, I fine-tune the dispute that will introduce the story to its climax. This offers me the chance to analyse how I consider the conflict panning out. Consequently, creating the resolution or even a cliffhanger if I plan to make the story a series. When I was younger, I would allow the story to haul me along for the ride, rather than plan out the conflict. As I grew older, I became more… controlling, if you will, about how my stories end.

Nevertheless, I do still, in some of my works allow the story to take me where it wants to go. I find that in the case of free writing, I am more likely to complete a project I started. When I force a plot to go in a specified direction, I meet up on numerous roadblocks that make it harder to complete a project.

IMPORTANT EVENTS Significant events are the smaller plot lines that lead up to the conflict/resolution. In some ways, when I start writing I already have an idea of all the more minor scenarios that will be interlaced throughout the tale. I then go back during my outlining stage to ensure these events are conducive to the advancement of the plot. On the odd occasion, they are not contributory, and I have to remove entire chapters but more often than not, I do not have to eliminate anything.

The system I employ may not be what everyone else uses, but it works for me. It stimulates my creative progress and keeps me not only motivated, but also filled with many ideas that assist me in completing my books. By a loose definition, I am a planster, but I personally do not go by a label. My methods are eccentric at times and often irresolute. I am a writer. I am unique. I am solely me.