When I was a teacher I used to plan like mad. I would create whole unit plans that would cover 4 or 5 weeks of work, then break that down into a weekly

If you’ve frequented the writing community for any length of time, you probably have. Almost everyone in the community identifies themselves with one or the other of these writing’ personalities.’…

“Are you a planner or a pantser?” This is a frequently asked question in the writing world. On the surface, it’s a simple matter of inquiring whether you create a detailed plan before you write or you throw caution to the muse and fly by the seat of your pants. Naturally, once the process is proclaimed, the writer develops a need to defend it with unwavering loyalty. The level of passion and conviction generated can often rival other critical life … Read More »

If you cut my wrist, I’d bleed pantser all over you. Which, for anyone that knows me in real life, is about as ironic as you can get. I’m hyper organised. I have lists of lists and spreadsheets to make even the hardiest of geeks weep. I’m so extreme my wife has to schedule in […]

Getting Started Writing a Novel A completely unscientific poll we did suggested that getting started is one of the biggest obstacles for novel writers (of course, there’s a bias towards procrastinators who are reading about writing and completing polls rather than getting on with it, but we’ll gloss over that for now). Now, ‘getting started’…

If you’ve frequented the writing community for any length of time, you probably have. Almost everyone in the community identifies themselves with one or the other of these writing’ personalities.’…

In many writing communities, there are two common approaches to writing a novel.

They say that all writers come in two flavors only: planners and pantsers. For those who aren’t familiar with the term, a “pantser” is a writer who writes from the “seat of his or her pants.” In ot…

If you’ve frequented the writing community for any length of time, you probably have. Almost everyone in the community identifies themselves with one or the other of these writing’ personalities.’…

Is it possible to plot a novel when you are a pantser? Yes, it is!

Whether or not to plan your story's big points from the outset—and what you can do instead.

NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) has been around for nearly twenty years now and if you have been a writer for any length of time, I’m sure you’ll have at least heard about it. I’ve noticed…

If you’ve frequented the writing community for any length of time, you probably have. Almost everyone in the community identifies themselves with one or the other of these writing’ personalities.’…

We all have very different styles when it comes to planning a trip. Here are the arguments from opposite ends of the spectrum: the Planner & the Panster!

It's NaNoWriMo season, time to choose a side! Or have you heard the perennial debate about planning vs. pantsing? And what the heck is "pantsing"?

Guys! Guys! Guys! Guess what’s coming? Can you guess? It’s NaNoWriMo! What is a NaNoWriMo? NaNoWriMo seems to be the only time of the year that I can really write, and I mean more than …

If you’ve frequented the writing community for any length of time, you probably have. Almost everyone in the community identifies themselves with one or the other of these writing’ personalities.’…

If you’ve frequented the writing community for any length of time, you probably have. Almost everyone in the community identifies themselves with one or the other of these writing’ personalities.’…

We all have very different styles when it comes to planning a trip. Here are the arguments from opposite ends of the spectrum: the Planner & the Panster!

Life's too short to gallop down false trails, dead ends, and black holes. We have too many other stories to tell. Map your plot instead!

In many writing communities, there are two common approaches to writing a novel.

Those of you who are super organised and planning to take part in NaNoWriMo have probably already spent October planning for the novel you are going to write next month. However, if any of you are like me, you will have had numerous good intentions throughout October. You may have read various blog posts, shared prepping tips, perhaps even had a conversation with other indie authors about what you are going to write. But you may not have actually done any planning. So, here are my tips for planning for NaNo. The takeaway here is even if you don't have time to physically write down answers for each point, if you at least start thinking about them you will have a good idea of what direction to write in when you are trying to hit your 1667 words per day goal. I'm going to run through these questions with my NaNo project which is The Gaia Solution, book three in The Gaia Collection series. The Basics What is your novel about? My NaNo project is the third book in The Gaia Collection. Where is the story set? The Gaia Solution is set in my dystopian future but this time we are travelling across the ocean to a new country. Who are the characters? The main characters from book one - Kira, Jed, Martha, Ruth, Dina & Max plus new characters from book two - Zac and Artem. What's the problem? **spoilers** I know but you don't yet - I can't give everything away! How is the protagonist introduced? Oooh, I'm very excited about the opening scenes that I've planned. What do you want people to know? I want them to feel the desperation from the situation my MCs are in plus **spoilers** What is the inciting event? **spoilers** hehe My Characters What problems do the characters have? They're in a different country and **spoilers** How will your characters fail? They're going to make a huge mistake and it will be difficult to overcome the consequences. What responsibilities will the character take? They're going to be responsible for the rest of humanity. How will they overcome these problems? They need to trust each other. Will your characters rage or cry? Both, possibly at the same time. Do your characters share their failure? I'm fairly sure everyone will witness the failure but I haven't written it yet so I don't know what will happen. Think about the ending How does the core problem get resolved? I'm not sure, I think we might have to utterly fail before we can succeed. What is the ultimate showdown? New Corporation will have to clash with The Resistance in some way. How do your protagonists hope to win? I do not know... How do they fail? They won't fail - this much I do know, throughout the series the books have been hopeful dystopia so there will be hope. How is the conflict resolved for the ending? I do not know... How do the protagonists change? They will have to adapt to new situations and new loss, it's going to be interesting to see how they write themselves. What have they learnt? **spoilers** Plotting What is the character arc? I have several characters so I'm really going to have to look closely at each character arc in order for maximum effect. What are the major plot points? I wish I could tell you but some of it is conjecture and most of it is **spoilers** but I can tell you this much, it's already making me cry... Three plot points at the beginning: I've got a tragic event, the fallout and meeting the New Resistance. Three plot points in the middle: Unexpected situation, a sobering discovery and getting ready for the fight. Three plot point at the end: The big fight, the fallout and the result - I cannot say anymore! And all of this is subject to change because you know - it's NaNoWriMo, first draft palooza and who knows what will happen halfway through November while we strive to hit our 1667 daily word target. I wish you all the very best of luck this November. Remember to horde your snacks and set up a caffeine drip. Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find all her books on Amazon. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.

If you’ve frequented the writing community for any length of time, you probably have. Almost everyone in the community identifies themselves with one or the other of these writing’ personalities.’…

And so yes, I did it! Well, at least I succeed in NaNoWriMo. I wrote just over 50.000 words in the month of November, which turned out to be my entire story. What I didn’t succeed in doing is keeping you guys posted. The truth is that, between work and social commitments and NaNo itself,

Strengthen the way you FINISH YOUR NOVEL. The Pantser Planner is a Fast, Easy, and Straight-to-the-point story outline designed to map out your story without being overwhelmed with unnecessary details. Focus on the core elements of your Plot, Character Journey, and Settings, ensuring a fast and effective outlining experience. No matter what genre you write, Pantser Planner has a flexible structure that allows you to customize your outline to fit the unique requirements of your story. Get an outline that captures your idea and provides clarity for an engaging narrative. From experienced writers who understand what it means to get the first draft DONE! ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧INCLUDES✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ — STORY ESSENTIALS(GUIDED) — SCENES — THEME — CHARACTER OUTLINE(GUIDED) — NEEDS — WANTS — GOALS — MORE! — PLOT STRUCTURE — VISUAL GRAPHS — GUIDED — MORE! — HELPFUL SHEETS — 100 CHARACTER WANTS — UNIVERSAL GOALS AND WANTS — MORE! — 3 PAGES FOR NOTES, EXTRA, DRAWINGS, AND IDEAS ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧By the end...✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ — Finish your novel — Learn what outlining method works best for you — Learn the Key Story Elements necessary in every great story ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧HOW TO USE✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ — BY ITS SELF — ALONG WITH A OUTLINING METHOD YOU ALREADY USE — A STARTING POINT FOR CREATING YOUR OWN OUTLINES — AT THE MIDDLE OR END OF YOUR FIRST DRAFT(don't worry if you already started writing;) ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧HIGHLIGHTS✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ — Edit Instantly (without any apps) straight on your computer — Easy to use — Guided — Key Essentials to Good Storytelling — Character development — Plot structure — Instant delivery upon purchase — Easy to use(for all ages and skill sets) — This is a PDF so you can use it digitally with notability, good notes, or the software of your choice — Buy one keep forever. Use for all your novel or short story outlines — Print! Use in a clipboard, or binder, or use binder clips — low-risk HIGHVALUE purchase. (No matter what stage of outlining you are on —beginner or pro— you can use this as a guide, to finding the right style suitable for you.) TERMS OF USE These files are for your personal use only. Do not copy, distribute, alter, or sell. By purchasing this item you agree to these terms. For more in-depth pantser-friendly writer downloads please check out my shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/WritersPenByKendra?ref=l2-about-shopname

Sarah Zama Author and Coach – Official website

Sarah Zama Author and Coach – Official website

There must be a reason why Dual Timelines have always been popular and have become even more so lately. I think that’s because the way the two timelines connect is just like the way we connect to the…

Sarah Zama Author and Coach – Official website

Pantser writing challenges that arise when you write without a plan can cause writer's block and other writing problems. Find simple solutions.

Inspired by my love for Nanowrimo, this Novel Writing Planner contains key story planning pages to write that book. From building dynamic characters to plotting their journey, this story writing kit will help you stay organized, track your writing stats, and write that story out of your head. Whether you are a pantser, planner, or plantser this author planner is the workbook for you. ♡ WHAT'S INCLUDED 81 Printable Pages Total (1 PDF File - US Letter, Fillable) • 1 Front Cover • 6 Dividers & 6 Quotes • 5 Writing Schedule Planning Pages • 12 Monthly Word Count Tracker (Sunday Start) • 15 Character Profile Worksheets • 9 World Building Pages • 23 Plot Organizing Pages • 4 "Extra" Pages (editing tracker, playlist, etc) ♡ ALSO IN THE SHOP • The digital planner version of this workbook is available in the shop at https://etsy.me/3m7Euuk ♡ DOWNLOADING • These are instant digital downloads. So you won't be receiving anything in the mail. But you will receive an email with your download. • Once you purchase you'll be taken to a page where you can download instantly. • Download them as many times as you like by going to You > Purchases and reviews ♡ PRINTING • You can print as many as you need and fill them in by hand. Colors may vary according to your printer. ♡ TERMS OF USE • These files are for your personal use only. They may not be sold, copied, distributed, shared or altered in any way. Feel free to message me if you have any questions!

I don’t plot. I don’t outline. I don’t even do character sketches. And the irony with that … I’m a planner with everything else in my life. I’ve never met a project, a trip, a day that I didn’t pla…

Are you a planner or a pantser? Do you know what that even means? Read on to determine your writing method and how to write more.