Thursday, October 29, 2009

Pick Your Poison

One of the most asked questions that writers get has to be are you a plotter or a pantser? If you haven't been asked that yet, wait a minute and you will be.

What I'm curious about is this: besides your general approach to writing, what do you prefer - fresh writing or revisions?

I'm wondering if there's a correlation between the two. Do plotters like fresh writing better and pantsers favor revising?

So - who are you (plotter/pantser) and what do you prefer (fresh writing/revisions)?

12 comments:

  1. My process changes from book to book, but I usually have some mix of plotting and pantsing. That said, I prefer fresh writing to revising because when new words come out, it's like reading a story to myself. =o)

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  2. Pantser. I know the beginning and the end and that's it. All the stuff in between is always a surprise. And I love the fresh writing because it's all free written so the story always surprises me as I go :)

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  3. I'm a plotter and I like revisions better. Hmm...I see a correlation. :)

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  4. I am a panster who wants to be a plotter. That means I plot and then I write whatever comes out anyway! I think I like fresh writing better, but revisions can be fun to. Sometimes a revision can lead to some really exciting changes!

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  5. i'm a little bit of both. i have to know what direction i'm going in so i usually do a loose outline, but if i plot out the whole story then by the time i'm done i'm over it. i usually just write the bare bones of a two page synopsis (which also helps to show me if my characters don't have enough conflict) then i write, sometime the synopsis will change, sometimes not. I HATE revisions. I'm working on them now for the GH and am DYING, so to help keep my sanity i'm doing two versions of nano this year. Version one? FINISH revising my MS in enough time to at least overnight it to RWA by Dec 2. Version 2? Nano itself. All these revisions are driving me crazy and are really wrecking havoc on the muse so i NEED to write something new for the sake of my sanity.

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  6. I'm a planter...or a plotster. I plant the seed of the book then fly by the seat of pants with the details. Like my current WIP (yeah it changed from The "F" Word) I know the gist of the plot, but the details come to me as I write it. My ideas strike for a funny line or a new scene every time I talk to my mother. She thinks we're still writing the Women's Fiction novel, bu oh no...no, no, no, this has become so much more ;-)

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  7. I'm not sure. I'm just happy to consider myself a writer at this point.
    I pantsed my first 2, and plotted my current one.

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  8. All I know is that I don't like revisions. At least, I don't like line editing. I'm not opposed to adding scenes or something.

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  9. I'm a plotter, but only because a deadline requires it. If I had all the time in the world to write a book, I'd definitely be a pantser because believe it or not, I have this rather impulsive personality.

    I prefer editing to fresh writing. That's when I layer and make the words sound right and "pretty" up the scene. Sort of like adding frosting to the cake!

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  10. Plotter who is trying the pansting thing. Kinda.

    There is a point where I hate it all and dream of a new story and a bright shiny blank page.

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  11. Ditto Danielle. I wish I could be more plotter, but pantsing just seems more organic for me. Sometimes I'm better off if I really don't know how a story is going to end.

    I guess I actually do prefer revisions, though. I do better when I already have a framework to build on and make improvements.

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  12. I like the writing a lot better, but I don't dread revisions.

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