Wholesome Rage: Planting is Writing Too

New article on my philosophy on planning, how I approach it, and why I recommend it.

Comments

[Rao the Red Sun]

This was a really good read. I knew about planning and pantsing from listening to Brandon Sanderson et. al., but I hadn't thought of the mid-ground as planting until now. It's nice to have a word for (approximately) how I go about things.

[iisaw]

That quote from E. L. Doctorow is the absolute best! (Mainly because it validates my own method.)

I often find that, once I have a strong grasp of my characters' personalities, that some scenes practically write themselves... and they don't always fit in with my outline. I have never been able to force the characters in a plot-convenient direction without the scene becoming awkward and unbelievable. So when unexpected detours appear in my headlights, I take them and start recalculating the rout to my destination.

I do disagree somewhat with your thoughts on theme, though you didn't use that exact word. It takes a much better writer than I (or, evidently, the vast majority of published authors) to concentrate on theme without getting heavy-handed and often turning the characters into automatons, woodenly walking the paces of the theme. As Samuel B. Mayor famously said, "If you have a message, use Western Union."

You're absolutely right about the importance of planning the ending, however. IMHO, many professionals can't write a satisfying ending. This may be why mysteries are so popular; the requirements of the genre guarantee a tidy and usually satisfying ending.

I love your rope bridge metaphor:

Without a strong ending to tie the character ideas off to, you’re not going to know what their arc should be, or what it should represent.

Nice double meaning of arc, there!

The plank bit is great as well. After trying writing for myself, I now notice that there are often gaps in books when I feel some action should have been. I suspect the author couldn't find a plank to fit, and so "jumped over the gap". Following the bridge metaphor, an occasional missing plank won't prevent you from getting across... but two in a row is dodgy, and more than that is untenable. Not that I blame the authors over much for the occasional missing or wobbly plank; being a professional writer (particularly in genre) is all about schedules, production, and sales... not perfection of the craft.

And the bit near the end... yes! If I am bored by my words (even on a fifth re-read), I can't expect my readers to be interested. I am often accused of having a very fast pace in my works, and that's because I cut out anything non-critical that doesn't engage me on the third editing pass.

All-in-all a good and useful article! Thank you!