Plotter enjoyment

[Ihe]

I've been getting back on the writing horse lately--for the umpteenth time, and have noticed I'm plotting a lot more than I used to. I am currently working on a big convoluted story that would be nigh impossible to pants, so it's only natural to lean towards long-term planning.

Now, I've discovered I quite enjoy in-depth-outlining--almost obsessively so--but this enjoyment (and motivation) diminishes when I sit down to actually write the story and fill in the gaps. The element of the unknown is mostly gone, and I guess the reader in me loses some interest during the writing process. Has anyone that's wavered between plotting/pantsing felt this shift in mood? Can you really separate your inner reader from your inner writer? Would it even be advisable to do so?

 

[Foxbat]

It looks to me that with your plotting, you suffer from the same malaise as those who obsessively build worlds for their stories but then have trouble getting the actual writing done.

Me, I prefer to just think of an idea and go with a minimum amount of plotting. I think this helps keep it fresh.

Cast the story off the leash and let it run. It can be a risky strategy and I've had my fair share of dead ends doing this but, sometimes, you'll be surprised where it can lead you

 

[Venusian Broon]

I have to say I enjoy all elements of being a plotter. I can be jumping for joy at reaching a scene I've been dying to write for ages, but also in the scenes that are much less defined I enjoy seeing where it will go - they are my 'touch of pantser' chapters - and I relish them too. And I love worldbuilding and being consistent. So I've got all the bases covered

Would your motivation dip if you realised, having pantser'ed 60,000 words, that actually you need to radically change everything, so essentially having to start again?

I personally don't get the pantser, 'it has to be fresh' thing, for me it seems like a recipe for dead ends and intractable plot holes, unfinished manuscripts, and plots running out of steam...but, hey, I'm not a pantser and everyone needs to find their own way that works best for them. Whatever gets you through the draft.

 

[Phyrebrat]

I have struggled in exactly the same way as you, having plotted something and lost any sense of interest or intrigue, thereby leaving the wip to rot.

For three times I did that, until I was lucky enough to realise something was fundamentally wrong with the story that would require it being written in a totally different way. That time, I just made sure I had my destinations-on-the-way sorted, and discovery wrote the rest.

I think it's about walking that thin line between having the direction but not the road map.

Plot points on a graph are like this in that respect; they are just points in time and/or space that mean little until they're all joined up.

Plot the plot points, write the line.

pH

 

[Ihe]

Thing is, I was originally more of a pantser in my early days, and as time's gone by, I've seen the importance of outlining more and more, but the main thing is that it seems I don't have as much "fun" actually writing the scenes as I used to. Before, I would discover the story almost like a reader would. But that did give me more headaches with plot holes and dead ends. Knowing where the story is going makes the process a bit more boring. Is pantsing really more "fun" than plotting or do you think it could be something else dampening my writing enjoyment?

 

[Jo Zebedee]

What is this thing plotting of which you speak?

 

[HareBrain]

I find it's a balancing act. Plotting does diminish the joy of creative discovery (though not remove it, because unexpected things happen), but I find what reduces that effect is to have a few waypoint scenes through the plotted story (usually, but not always, mini-climaxes) that you're really keen to write for whatever reason. The other benefit of having such scenes is that they're likely to make the final story interesting to others too.

 

[The Big Peat]

As someone moving from pantsing to planning I have to say, no, I don't miss that thrill of discovery. For me it shifts, less from "That's what happens!" to "That's how it happens!".

Besides... I still find plenty of times that scenes that made sense when I was planning don't make sense when writing. Worst of both worlds!

 

[SciFrac]

I love plotting. I can't focus for more than a few minutes if I don't know what to write. So, plot is the road-map, but maintaining tension, mystery, witty dialogue, and engaging world details requires far more effort. That process keeps me interested. But the real fun is editing!

 

[Ihe]

But the real fun is editing!

Ogh, you're like, so cra-cra.

 

[Steve Harrison]

I've been getting back on the writing horse lately--for the umpteenth time, and have noticed I'm plotting a lot more than I used to. I am currently working on a big convoluted story that would be nigh impossible to pants, so it's only natural to lean towards long-term planning.

Now, I've discovered I quite enjoy in-depth-outlining--almost obsessively so--but this enjoyment (and motivation) diminishes when I sit down to actually write the story and fill in the gaps. The element of the unknown is mostly gone, and I guess the reader in me loses some interest during the writing process. Has anyone that's wavered between plotting/pantsing felt this shift in mood? Can you really separate your inner reader from your inner writer? Would it even be advisable to do so?

The entire key to writing, in my opinion, is finding your own comfortable way of working, so there are no definitive answers to your questions.

I used to have similar issues when plotting stories and then being unable to be spontaneous as I slavishly followed my map. These days I loosely plot in my head (I never write anything down), so that I have major incidents and usually the ending. This allows me to work towards them, but also allows a great deal of freedom regarding the route(s). And I sometimes stumble across a better destination...

 

[The Big Peat]

Question - is the enjoyment gone right away, or is it gone when you reach the later chapters?

 

[Ihe]

The enjoyment isn't gone, otherwise I wouldn't bother. It's just diminished compared to my pantser days. Now my greater enjoyment comes from outlining, rather than writing. I'll have to try to ease up on the control-freak act a bit and see how it goes .

 

[Venusian Broon]

I suppose the thing to remember is that, unless you are extremely lucky, no matter how you write a complete draft, pantser or plotter, there are just going to be moments when it's frustrating or you are going to be low energy. It's finding the will power or solutions to get past these moments.

Cause I tend to have a chapter by chapter outline of what I want to write, I felt I had some really 'exciting' chapters for me to write near the end (as I also feel much more comfortable to write from chapter 1 and take them sequentially from there) so there was always something 'to look forward' pulling me onwards.

Also the closer you get to the end, I find that there is more energy and excitement to reach a complete state.

 

[The Big Peat]

The enjoyment isn't gone, otherwise I wouldn't bother. It's just diminished compared to my pantser days. Now my greater enjoyment comes from outlining, rather than writing. I'll have to try to ease up on the control-freak act a bit and see how it goes .

Could be you get it back by outlining a little, writing a little, etc.etc.

Could be you need to pants more. Hell, could be once you get used to things, you break through the barrier and still enjoy writing on a big outline. Maybe not likely but possible.

 

[HareBrain]

I'm just at the start of the plotting stage for book 3 of my main series. I was dreading this, because I recently reached the end of book 2 with only a vague idea (and only in the biggest arcs) of what might happen next, and I worried that I'd find myself hamstrung several times over. But my subconscious clearly got a team together and pulled some all-nighters -- or the coffee in the local Waterstones tea-rooms is particularly good -- because this morning it all started to fall into place, everyone's arcs meshed, and I've worked out several of the exciting waypoints I mentioned above. It's easily the most coherent plan I've ever had for a book at this early stage.

Whether this will mean less enjoyment when I come to write it, I'm not sure. But somehow I don't think so, and I think (to repeat myself above) it is because of these scenes and revelations I particularly want to write.

Also the closer you get to the end, I find that there is more energy and excitement to reach a complete state.

I found that with book 1, but the opposite with book 2, because I didn't feel the first couple of attempts at the ending did the rest of the book justice. Once I found the key that pulled the thing together, then yes. For me, that was a good example of when to listen to that niggling doubt.

 

[tinkerdan]

Pants-ers and plotters are two sides to the same mad coin.

Pantsers have the outline in their head.
Plotters have the outline on whatever surface was available.

Really though the outline should not be more involved than something that could be kept in your head.
It's like a to-do list--you know what needs to be done, but you use the to-do list to keep you on-track.

You really shouldn't try to make the outline too rich in detail because that's writing and you're not doing writing you're doing outlining.

An outline doesn't contain the characterizations of the main character and most likely not even the tone of the narrator. To me those are the most exciting part of writing and are what you do, when you write.

So if your outline is discouraging you from writing; maybe it's not really an outline. You might be coloring outside the outline.

If your outline is finished--you need to hunt for the voice that's going to weave the whole mess into a story. Maybe you just need to figure out how you are going to tell the story.

Also...whether I Pants or Plot a story, I know how it ends and I have a fair idea how it starts and I just have to work out the journey that touches on the main points of the outline(the one in my head or on the wall). You might need to be flexible in the sense that much of your outline might look like someones version of the three act story and your writing might not always look so cut and dry within that. If you try to restrict yourself too much then that will discourage you.

You should try to be open to the idea that there will still be some surprises along the way as you get to know the narrative voice and the characters better--things happen. If your outline is preventing those from happening...it could damage the story.

It could still be good if your story never deviates from the outline; however that might be what makes it so difficult to get started. There is more than one way to stifle creativity; however there is one sure way to strengthen it and that's to get started writing.

 

[Dan Jones]

But my subconscious clearly got a team together and pulled some all-nighters -- or the coffee in the local Waterstones tea-rooms is particularly good -- because this morning it all started to fall into place, everyone's arcs meshed, and I've worked out several of the exciting waypoints I mentioned above.

This is, for me, the most exciting part of the entire creative process. That sweet Eureka moment where you realise all the things you want to include can in fact be woven together into a coherent whole, and suddenly you have a workable plan. Before that, it's all just a ball of threads. Once I have that lovely moment of realisation, it certainly gives me a truckload more confidence to proceed with the manuscript, safe in the knowledge that all my subplots and threads can be tied up neatly.

There will be discovery along the way, for sure, but knowing you have that anchor and you're not simply plunging into the cave without a lamp, is a great comfort. It also means that I can take a break from the work - of several weeks if necessary - and return without being lost.

 

[Ihe]

That sweet Eureka moment where you realise all the things you want to include can in fact be woven together into a coherent whole, and suddenly you have a workable plan.

Those moments are indeed sweet, and even while plotting you can still get them sometimes (usually on more minor plot threads, but sweet all the same). I guess I'm at an early stage of the story. Earlier stages are usually less flexible as one sets up the foundation of the plot there, and there aren't that many threads to play off of each other and give those Eureka moments yet. Maybe once I reach the true middle part the discoveries will increase and take me back to my hardcore pantser days.

 

[Dan Jones]

Those moments are indeed sweet, and even while plotting you can still get them sometimes

Ah, perhaps I wasn't clear. I meant having these moments when you're plotting. For me, that's the sweet feeling; to know that the big book you're about to start has been given a green light by your subconscious.

For my current WIP I had a big, tangled ball of ideas, concepts, set pieces and characters, and a very very rough idea of the overall plot arc. But it took a lot of thinking time (and some "non-thinking" time, too) for me to arrange a plan where it all worked together in a coherent manner. And that was the sweet moment.