tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18688033.post522833057321888142..comments2023-10-28T05:33:15.060-05:00Comments on The Writing Playground: The Perils of PantsersMarilyn Puetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16073134550080890157noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18688033.post-75848191125766230212009-04-29T00:19:00.000-05:002009-04-29T00:19:00.000-05:00ROFL! This is me, too! Particularly the part abo...ROFL! This is me, too! Particularly the part about getting bored with the story after plotting. :( To me, plotting is a total buzz kill. Then, because I'm bored, I end up changing my mind about scenes 15,002 times, which creates waaaay more work than I'm in the mood for, so more than likely, I end up back-burnering the story. It's a vicious cycle of unproductivity! <br /><br />Then again...if I don't at least look a *little* ahead, I end up in the toolies with a lot of work required to get me out, too. <br /><br />So...this means I've gotta walk the tightrope between the two to get it just right. I've unfortunatley, yet to do this. :(Sallyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10949698821407607319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18688033.post-34574641033815479962009-04-28T14:48:00.000-05:002009-04-28T14:48:00.000-05:00I have much info on Elvis impersonators :-). And ...I have much info on Elvis impersonators :-). And I think you just described my writing process...using wonderfully funny metaphors that I really needed this afternoon. <br /><br />Can we plan a Playfriend trip the giant yam? I'm now hungry :-( <br /><br />InstigatorKira Sinclair - AKA Instigatorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14274056066229852126noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18688033.post-27625552754782757872009-04-28T13:58:00.000-05:002009-04-28T13:58:00.000-05:00I think I'm still trying to figure out what I am. ...I think I'm still trying to figure out what I am. I'm beginning to believe I should be more pantster because I had a detailed chapter by chapter outline of the book I sent to Special Edition. And for a while I felt like Maven Linda -- the book was done. So next time I'll have some things I want to happen and then figure out how and when and where they'll happen once I start writing.<br /><br />I love sweet taters and would love some of those recipes. ::grin::Playground Monitorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07444337591281145863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18688033.post-7220107732338755122009-04-28T10:16:00.000-05:002009-04-28T10:16:00.000-05:00My home town was the site for the Georgia Sweet Po...My home town was the site for the Georgia Sweet Potato Festival. Sorry, I know a zillion different ways to cook sweet taters, but I can't help with your research questions. But..if your hero needs assistance with a recipe... ; ) <br /><br />Great post BTW. I'm still trying to find my way so at this point I'm a little of both. I need the structure of a plotter but the freedom of a pantser. Maybe one day I'll figure it out. : )Sherry Werthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03411488573654323096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18688033.post-11903603237851025392009-04-28T09:52:00.000-05:002009-04-28T09:52:00.000-05:00I plot and I pant... I tried this outlining method...I plot and I pant... I tried this outlining method, very laborious, a few years ago based on a writing book. That got the job done, but I ignored my muse and the characters in my efforts to shape the story. Now I have a loose outline, flexible like SP, and use index cards. Often new ideas occur whilst showering--don't ask, I don't understand it either! I run around with post-its and index cards during first draft all the way through revision. One good thing about revision is I can skip around if I am stuck on a scene. And I plan to do exactly that today as I've battled one bit of a scene for 3 hours and I am still stuck.<br /><br />Cut? Leave it alone? Who knows? But sitting in a chair for three hours and working on the same 10 sentences or third of a page is not working right now.<br /><br />Perhaps a nice shower will set me free.Christinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05383099148014297450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18688033.post-38488928155534301322009-04-28T09:04:00.000-05:002009-04-28T09:04:00.000-05:00AMEN! Can I get a hallelujah? This is SO me. It'...AMEN! Can I get a hallelujah? This is SO me. It's painful, but it's the only way I roll. Like Maven Linda said, if I plot it out first, I've told the story and am no longer interested.<br /><br />I have a hard time with synopses for my editor for this very reason -- but now that we both know I won't follow it and that it really doesn't resemble the final book in any way, I'm managing to work around that little hurdle.<br /><br />Word verif: shape. Hmm, this seems quite Freudian somehow....Lynn Raye Harrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05823590040842807378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18688033.post-78666791189296728832009-04-28T08:39:00.000-05:002009-04-28T08:39:00.000-05:00I'm a plotter. I'm a flexible one, though, if that...I'm a plotter. I'm a flexible one, though, if that makes any sense. My outlines aren't necessarily what you'd expect - I decide that in this chapter, they kiss and end up fighting, but I don't set where or how it comes about. That way, if my characters end up pushing me towards the exit of the world's largest ball of string, that's fine. As long as they kiss, then end up fighting there.<br /><br />Just keeps me on track...allows me enough slack to be creative without roaming off.Andrea Laurence AKA Smarty Pantshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13518751514879244662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18688033.post-46858068029884453692009-04-28T08:28:00.000-05:002009-04-28T08:28:00.000-05:00Now I'm suddenly curious who the country’s leading...Now I'm suddenly curious who the country’s leading expert on exceptionally large yams actually is...Darling Geekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13002333890667857720noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18688033.post-23660417192303301982009-04-28T04:56:00.000-05:002009-04-28T04:56:00.000-05:00Ah, the frustrating, exciting world of a Panster! ...Ah, the frustrating, exciting world of a Panster! I live there. I know it well. I'm always setting up crucial plot details without researching them first, only to later find out that these little details are hard to deal with, almost impossible to accomplish, and they cause a lot of trouble all along the way.<br /><br />Take the newest book, BURN. The crucial plot detail is bombs onboard a cruise ship. Do you have any freaking idea how hard it is to get something like that past ship security?????? But the whole plot turns on that happening, so, by golly, there has to be a way. Somehow. Even though ship security is very, very good and all bags are x-rayed. Somehow, it has to work out, which means tons and tons of research and complicating the plot by adding in extra people that you hadn't intended to write about, but now they have to have a scene or two, which means you have to account for them later, and on and on and on.<br /><br />On the other hand, if I plotted the book out beforehand, to me the story would already have been told and there wouldn't be any point in writing the book.<br /><br />The devil truly is in the details, but it's a great feeling when it all works out in the end.Maven Lindahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01191207825985417403noreply@blogger.com