Writing Bloody- Plotter or Pantster

Last week’s question was: How do you write and why do you think it works for you?

I am a total pantster and write very similarly to our very own Kathy Palm (see below). I write all my ideas and thoughts down, then try to connect the dots. This works for me, but I do see the value in having a complete outline. I know the top writers do this…but I just can’t. I’ve tried to outline, but I get frustrated with the confines of what I’ve sketched out.

I do brainstorm and “outline” in my head, if that counts. I mean, I do think about where the story is going and who the characters are. It’s not all a mystery when I begin writing, but there’s nothing formal written down. Two of our very own Midnighters have shared how they write:

          Faith McKay 

• I make an outline, where I write down everything I know, fast and messy, and then organize that the best I can. This often contains bits of dialogue, maybe whole scenes. Organizing it is a lot like putting together a puzzle. It usually comes out to be somewhere between 5-10k. I work from there.

  Kathy Palm 

• I too write down everything the characters tell me… dialogue, world building, scenes. I tend to know basically where the story is headed, but don’t have a definite outline. I end up with notebooks full of disconnected thoughts and strangeness. There are always loose papers flying about. Somehow I get a book out of the mess. *shrug*

  Here at The Midnight Society, we all write different types of stories and formulate our stories different ways. Together we work. Remember, it’s not how you write but that you write. Make sure it’s always for yourself and ALWAYS Write Bloody!