I am writing and publishing a serial "on the fly" and it is certainly a different challenge than writing a novel in private.
But I don't believe anyone is a complete "plotter" or "pantser." Having a story idea is plotting in your head and writing fiction is "pantsing." I think how much of each we do depends on what we are writing and the length. And personal preference.
Ha, yes, I received the CC newsletter just after sending out mine. Despite having just written this newsletter I 100% agree that the terms are generally unhelpful.
I found my way here because of that Counter Craft post...
I won't rehash the plotter/pantser stuff here, but did want to pipe up for this article in particular. There seems to be a theme lurking in the SubStacks lately! Love the idea of "just-in-time" plotting -- not sure I could pull it off, but it seems like a good exercise for growing your storytelling muscles if nothing else!
As for the section on editing your work after it's published -- I've always loved that idea. But, as you point out, it has its downsides. Then again, if nobody did it ever, I wouldn't have my "Han Shot First!" t-shirt...
Ha, that is definitely an apt example of when tinkering-after-publishing can go wrong. :) Despite it being on the surface a small moment, it undermined a big part of how audiences had perceived a character for the previous two decades. Risky move!
I like your ideas on just in time plotting. It feels like a very natural or fractal way of building up the story. It seems reminiscent of Randy Ingermanson’s snowflake method.
Thanks for the pointers and about creating things like red-herrings and hints at what's to come later in the story. I'm currently writing as I publish one of my stories because the other one is already completely written. I'm a plotter and use the Save the Cat beat sheets to plot a story but as I write, I incorporate arcs and sometimes come out with some great stuff that wasn't a part of the story at inception.
I am writing and publishing a serial "on the fly" and it is certainly a different challenge than writing a novel in private.
But I don't believe anyone is a complete "plotter" or "pantser." Having a story idea is plotting in your head and writing fiction is "pantsing." I think how much of each we do depends on what we are writing and the length. And personal preference.
On a related note:
The new Counter Craft newsletter [ https://countercraft.substack.com/p/plotter-pantser-scribbler-scribe ] was about the terms pantser and plotters, and it appears that Lincoln and I agree that there are too many ridiculous terms like Pantser and Dribble in writing. 🤣
Ha, yes, I received the CC newsletter just after sending out mine. Despite having just written this newsletter I 100% agree that the terms are generally unhelpful.
I found my way here because of that Counter Craft post...
I won't rehash the plotter/pantser stuff here, but did want to pipe up for this article in particular. There seems to be a theme lurking in the SubStacks lately! Love the idea of "just-in-time" plotting -- not sure I could pull it off, but it seems like a good exercise for growing your storytelling muscles if nothing else!
As for the section on editing your work after it's published -- I've always loved that idea. But, as you point out, it has its downsides. Then again, if nobody did it ever, I wouldn't have my "Han Shot First!" t-shirt...
~Graham
Ha, that is definitely an apt example of when tinkering-after-publishing can go wrong. :) Despite it being on the surface a small moment, it undermined a big part of how audiences had perceived a character for the previous two decades. Risky move!
I like your ideas on just in time plotting. It feels like a very natural or fractal way of building up the story. It seems reminiscent of Randy Ingermanson’s snowflake method.
Thanks for the pointers and about creating things like red-herrings and hints at what's to come later in the story. I'm currently writing as I publish one of my stories because the other one is already completely written. I'm a plotter and use the Save the Cat beat sheets to plot a story but as I write, I incorporate arcs and sometimes come out with some great stuff that wasn't a part of the story at inception.
It's always the stuff that comes along in the middle of writing that is the best material, in my experience. :)