Plotter vs. Pantser

Often, I'm asked if I'm a plotter or a pantser. To which I always respond with: "both".

When I come up with an idea, I always grab my notebook and fill out the form that I created inside of it.

I write down the gist of the story with any major parts that I want to happen and I use sticky notes for any additional notes that I'm not quite ready to commit to; I know, an author with commitment issues - yowza!

In this aspect, I'm a plotter; however, when I sit down and actually write, I don't always stick with the story line that I had initially planned out.

Now, when I say I'm planning things out, I don't just mean the story. I have ideas set in stone of what my characters look like and what their personalities are like, in addition to random details like the outfit they will wear on the day they find their best friend dead.

Pretty hardcore, right?

But then some parts of the story will come as a shock to me and I won't know it until I've started typing. Something triggers in my brain that says, "Hey, this would be a good plot twist," and my characters are all like, "dude, you've already killed my aunt, paralyzed my daughter, and given my boyfriend mono... can you stop now?"

Honestly, I can't tell you how many times I've sat down to work on my story and I'll send a message to my peer group, saying, "Holy shit... I just killed off my main character," and then I proceed to do a shot of tequila.

Writing is such an amazing escape for me because, despite what the readers think, it's just as exciting to be behind the keyboard as it is to be behind the pages of the finished product.

So, to summarize, I'm a closet pantser and an open plotter; I will advertise what I KNOW I want to happen, and then share with my small group what is actually happening. I'm like a mad scientist; MUAHAHA! Sorry...

When you sit down to write, do you take the time to plan out every detail beforehand?

Thanks for stopping by to hear me ramble!

-A. Lynn