Although I’d done a lot of writing in my life—from marketing documents (newsletters, flyers, brochures) to essays, press releases, and journaling—I’d never done much creative writing before May 2021, when I was nudged (OK, shoved) into early retirement. Once I got into the groove, I realized how much I needed to learn.
I joined a writer’s group, and I started following a few writing forums on Facebook. Yup. Who knew novel-writing education and encouragement could be found in the same place where I see friends’ Christmas decorations and save Keto recipes I won’t ever try? One of the things I learned there was this: There are two camps most writers fall into when embarking on their book crafting journey: Plotters and Pantsers.
Plotters create good old-fashioned outlines (remember those from English class?) before ever putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). They benefit from the linear thinking that allows them to plot out the action of the book: How does the story begin? What will happen to the protagonist? Where will the primary conflict come from? How will readers know the story is coming to an end? What happens in Chapter one, then Chapter two, and so on . . . Plotters also thrive on making detailed notes about the characters: What does my heroine look like? Where does she come from? What motivates her? How will she grow, or not, through the conflict in the story? Plotters want to see on paper where they’re going before they start writing.
Pantsers are cut from a different cloth. They are people who can sit at their computers and just write. They may not know where the story is going, but they have something to say, or a character in mind, and they just go with the flow. In truth, they’re flying by the seat of their pants. Hence the name pantser. As the writing continues, the plot reveals itself to the author; the characters materialize on screen in ways the writer didn’t necessarily plan.
Naturally, when I learned these terms I wondered, Which am I? The truth is, I’m a bit of both. Since I barely remember writing my first book (especially since it started as a long journal entry and only years later transformed into an actual work of fiction), I hesitate to look at that process as an accurate reflection of my approach to writing. However, this past year, as I’ve worked on my second book, I can share more.
It began with the germ of an idea, a general sense of the main characters, and an inkling of how their paths would cross. I thought about what “the point” of the book would be: lessons learned, themes explored, how the characters might change and what that would mean. But then I was stuck. The details of how to go from those gauzy gray ideas to actual chapters in a book was beyond me. I read a few “How to Write a Novel” books, and I started to do an outline. But . . . I quickly learned that wasn’t going to work for me. I’m just not that linear, and I wanted to write! I was impatient. (Anyone who knows me well is not surprised by this revelation.)
I shifted to character development. As suggested in one of those How To books, I snagged a few photos from Google that helped me visualize my main characters. Then I extrapolated what I “knew” about them. I impersonated a Plotter and wrote Character Outlines for each of my three leads. Once I had a solid sense of who they were, I just started writing. I told the story as I imagined they would, and I’ll be damned if they didn’t write the story for me! (OK, slight exaggeration, but I felt like they were telling me where the story should go and how each character would react in each situation.) I’m almost done with the first draft of this second novel now, and I can honestly say, I was surprised more than a few times at where the story went and how the characters emerged from their circumstances.
In the end, I’m probably 75% Pantser, but I embrace the 25% Plotter that helped me get there. We’ll see if this process holds true for book number three, whenever I get to that. Until then, one chapter at a time . . .
Made with love by structure & heart studios
"Forks & Knives" was born as part of a long journal entry, a cathartic release. In 2003, despite being happily married to my second husband, insomnia visited me regularly. My brain pushed and pulled, working through hurtful and confusing memories that defined the rocky journey of my first marriage and its ultimate demise. The finished document sat inside my computer, unread, for seventeen years.
When I retired in 2021, I revisited the document, hesitantly. “Is this worth reworking into a novel? Would anyone care about this?” I asked my best friend, my husband Stephen, to read it. Bonus for me: He taught American literature for more than twenty-five years (!), so I knew I could trust his opinion. Happily, he confirmed, “Yes, it’s good. You should work on it.” Then he introduced me to Brian Kaufman (www.authorbriankaufman.com) and Penpointers, the Northern Colorado writer’s group that Stephen had belonged to years before I met him. Over the next year and a half, my self-focused monologue transformed into a work of fiction that would appeal to people outside my immediate circle of friends and family. At least that’s my hope.
Whenever I mention what this book is about, I'm invariably met with, "Yeah, my mom was a drinker," or "My son was sober for a while, but . . ." There are millions of stories like mine out there -- people who have loved/lived with alcoholics/addicts and struggled to hold on through the pain. But there are ways we can help and support those we love without losing ourselves. This novel alone can't help those still working through those dark days, but maybe some of the resources here can play a role.
