Pantsing = Writing without a plan or outline/letting the story unfold as you write.
Plotting = Writing with an outline or organized plan.
I have written many books and short stories. I have only written and loosely followed an outline with a few of them. Which I guess makes me more of a pantser. What are the benefits of each way to write? Let’s go over it.
The biggest benefit of pantsing is it takes the pressure off. You are not limited to a plan or outline. You can ebb and flow, go wild or off your main character. That said, it is easier to get stuck in this form of writing. You are going along, happily writing when all of a sudden your character gets stuck in a jam or worse doing the same thing over and over again. For me, this is when plotting comes to the rescue.
I should backup and explain an outline. An outline can be any form of plan for your written work. This can be a written description for each chapter, plot notecards, or even a timeline with main events. I’ve used all of these at different times in my literary career. In fact I had three whiteboards of notes for the last book in my series.
Plotting can be great if you tend to stray, get bored, or lose ambition. It’s much easier to follow a pre-written plan. Also, just because you write an outline, doesn’t mean you have to follow it to a T. You can take it as more of a suggestion, add more chapters in between, or throw it out halfway if your work takes a different direction.
What type of work for which writing method?
Pantsing is most often used for writing fiction. Which makes sense. Most of the time when I write fiction, I don’t even know what’s going to happen next. Plotting is stereotypically used more often in non-fiction writing. However, when I get stuck in either type, I do tend to utilize some kind of plan to help me out.
Either way, writing is supposed to be an enjoyable experience. If you’d rather not write at all than write out an outline, there is no rule saying you have to use one. Alternatively if you can’t write without one that doesn’t make you less of a fiction writer.
These are just two of the most common terms when it comes to writing. Which one are you or do you think would be easier? Let me know below. Thank you for learning with me today. See you next week!
The Sides to a Story 
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