On Plotting, Pantsing & Premise
By Judy Penz Sheluk
As a pantser (someone who writes without an outline,
outside of a rough idea of where the story might be going), I’ve always envied
plotters (someone who actually knows where the story is going before they begin
to write it).
outside of a rough idea of where the story might be going), I’ve always envied
plotters (someone who actually knows where the story is going before they begin
to write it).
To put it in real-world terms, the pantser is the
equivalent of someone who gets in the car and drives, looking for signs along
the way to get to their ultimate destination. It can be a lot of fun, because
you’re open to discovering all sorts of unexpected people and places along the
way. But you can also get stuck in a town you don’t want to visit (sometimes
called Writer’s Block) or get completely off track with nothing much to show
for the experience (also known as the blank page).
equivalent of someone who gets in the car and drives, looking for signs along
the way to get to their ultimate destination. It can be a lot of fun, because
you’re open to discovering all sorts of unexpected people and places along the
way. But you can also get stuck in a town you don’t want to visit (sometimes
called Writer’s Block) or get completely off track with nothing much to show
for the experience (also known as the blank page).
The plotter, on the other hand, is armed with a GPS
(and probably a paper road map as a backup). Maybe a little less adventurous
than the pantser, but far more likely to reach their destination without
incident—though I expect that even the most diligent plotters make the
occasional U-turn as their story unfolds.
(and probably a paper road map as a backup). Maybe a little less adventurous
than the pantser, but far more likely to reach their destination without
incident—though I expect that even the most diligent plotters make the
occasional U-turn as their story unfolds.
Even pantsers, though, have to start with a premise. When
I started writing The Hanged Man’s Noose,
the first book in my Glass Dolphin mystery series, I had a single idea: What if
a big city developer came to a small town with plans to build a mega-box store
on the town’s historic Main Street? I’d seen firsthand how big box development
could hurt small independent shops, but would someone be willing to kill over
it? In real life, I certainly hope not, but in my fictional town of Lount’s
Landing, you betcha.
I started writing The Hanged Man’s Noose,
the first book in my Glass Dolphin mystery series, I had a single idea: What if
a big city developer came to a small town with plans to build a mega-box store
on the town’s historic Main Street? I’d seen firsthand how big box development
could hurt small independent shops, but would someone be willing to kill over
it? In real life, I certainly hope not, but in my fictional town of Lount’s
Landing, you betcha.
The idea for Skeletons
in the Attic, the first book in my Marketville mystery series, came to me
while I waited with my husband, Mike, in our lawyer’s office. In fact, the
opening scenes of the book are culled directly from that experience. [Let that
be your takeaway from this: everything that happens in a writer’s life may end
up in one of their stories.]
in the Attic, the first book in my Marketville mystery series, came to me
while I waited with my husband, Mike, in our lawyer’s office. In fact, the
opening scenes of the book are culled directly from that experience. [Let that
be your takeaway from this: everything that happens in a writer’s life may end
up in one of their stories.]
As for the premise, I started thinking: What if I was
there to inherit something? A house? A house I didn’t know existed? What would
the catch be (there’s always a catch)? By the time our lawyer arrived, late
from court, I knew I had my story. Or at least, the beginning of a story.
there to inherit something? A house? A house I didn’t know existed? What would
the catch be (there’s always a catch)? By the time our lawyer arrived, late
from court, I knew I had my story. Or at least, the beginning of a story.
My most recent novel, A Hole in One, book two in the Glass Dolphin mystery series, is
scheduled for release Spring 2018. While I’m not going to spoil “the launch”
with a lot of details, suffice it to say that I’m a golfer with a wicked
imagination.
scheduled for release Spring 2018. While I’m not going to spoil “the launch”
with a lot of details, suffice it to say that I’m a golfer with a wicked
imagination.
Will I ever become I plotter instead of a pantser? Maybe one
day. For now, I’m happy to take a premise and see where it leads me. After
all, enjoying the journey is the greatest part of being a writer, no matter how
you get there.
day. For now, I’m happy to take a premise and see where it leads me. After
all, enjoying the journey is the greatest part of being a writer, no matter how
you get there.
