Pantsing

I’m a pantser as an author. I don’t create detailed outlines about the plot before I start writing, or spend much time figuring out what kind of world I’m setting my books in. I do research when it’s needed and solve problems when they occur. My brain simply refuses to come up with anything interesting unless there’s something tangible for it to work on, so I just start writing and figure things out as I go.

I don’t go in completely blindly though. I need a premise and a good beginning, which might change later. I decide beforehand how long a book I’m going to write, how many chapters it’ll be, and how many words per chapter, all of which might change too. I know the ending I’m aiming at, usually a happily ever after or a crime solved. I know the basic structure—usually four or five short acts—and I aim at the end of the closest one at a time, where there is a twist of some kind. A random body might show up that’ll prompt me to a new direction. It’s worked more or less well for me for over thirty books.

However, as a series progress, some more planning tends to take place. The continuing backstory often influences the plot. I have a notion of which recurring characters will show up, the direction where the lives of main characters are heading, and what should happen in the lives of the minor characters. I don’t write things down beforehand, but somehow everything seems to fit. And surprises still happen.

Occasionally, the lack of planning results in the plot heading to a direction that won’t work. I then need to backtrack and rewrite, occasionally large patches even. In general, writing the way I write requires constant tweaking and rewriting. The first draft is also second, third and fifth.

And occasionally the story stalls completely. This happens almost every time, so I’ve learned to live with it. I’ll give it time, and the solution will come to me. Another rewrite might happen at this point.

Every now and then, however, I start a writing project without any plans whatsoever. Most often it’s because I’ve come up with an excellent opening line and I want to see where it leads. More often than not, it doesn’t lead to more than a couple of thousand words and an unfinished short story. But I have a side project in making that started as an opening line and which is now half a book with a clear idea of two more.

This weekend, an opening line prompted me to start a short story that practically writes itself. In fact, it’s going so well, that it can no longer be called a short story, and it’ll likely end up being a novelette. It’s nothing live I’ve written before—an isekai time loop story in a manner of Japanese light novels and mangas—which makes it so fun. I’ll very likely finish it too. Whether it’ll ever be published is another issue entirely, but at least I’ve tried something new—and gotten the opening line off my chest.