Q&A with Amy Gregory discussion

Okay, so I have figured out without a doubt that I'm a total pantser! If you're an author, what is your style?

You mean, do you organize your plot and plan etc, or do you write by the seat of your pants? Definitely a bit of both.

I totally have to wing it! I wrote the first two books in the series in a couple weeks time each, then spent a few months editing and editing and editing... the third book, coughs, I um, tried to plot it out and I totally blanked out! The story just would not come to me! So I started over and just started writing. I'd edit as I went, a paragraph at a time, then a chapter at a time and start to finish it was done in three months. So ... here's to being unorganized! LMAO :)

I write exactly the same way. I just sit down and start writing. Anytime I try to plan, my mind shuts off. If while writing an idea for later in the story comes to me, I add it to the bottom of the page until I get to where I want to add it, then I just add it in.

Dana wrote: "I write exactly the same way. I just sit down and start writing. Anytime I try to plan, my mind shuts off. If while writing an idea for later in the story comes to me, I add it to the bottom of the..."

OMG! We are so the same! I have people look at me like I'm crazy, but then well... (I admit it!)

I hadn't thought to jot stuff out like that. I'll think of a conversation and write it down, or a piece of their history and so on. I just jot notes down in a spiral notebook and come back to them as I get to that section of the story... That's as about as "organized" as I can be. It just doesn't work the other way lol.

I always start out with the best intentions of trying to plan, then my imagination takes over and I have to follow that to see what happens.

David wrote: "I always start out with the best intentions of trying to plan, then my imagination takes over and I have to follow that to see what happens."

I know! And my imagination is a scarrrry place! LMAO! :)

Y'all know I live my entire life flying by the seat of my pants, why would my writing being any different? LOL I have the mystery and the characters and sit down and type. I have the last sentence before I have the first and I write the pinnacle scene first and build the rest of the book from there. Why? I have NO idea, it just works LOL

OK. So you're all mostly pansters. I'm the opposite. Before I start, I plan a plot outline, create a template for each character - their likes, dislikes, background, what they wear, where they live and who with, their relationships and the rest. I do any research and then write a chapter outline. I don't always stick to the plan, but I'm a crime writer and my plots can be quite complicated, and I find if I haven't figured out how it's all going to fit together before I start, it gets a bit muddily. I don't always stick to the plan, though.

Katie wrote: "Y'all know I live my entire life flying by the seat of my pants, why would my writing being any different? LOL I have the mystery and the characters and sit down and type. I have the last sentence ..."

And that's why we get along so damn well! I am the same way. I have three or four 'things' I want to happen, but I don't know from writing chapter two to six how I'm going to get to each event. It just appears as I type!... (insert mystic music here!)

Nick wrote: "OK. So you're all mostly pansters. I'm the opposite. Before I start, I plan a plot outline, create a template for each character - their likes, dislikes, background, what they wear, where they live..."

You're exactly like my friend A.L., she plots out EVERYTHING! It's all detailed and very explicit. It makes for a lot less editing I'm sure, but it just robs me of all creativeness to do that. I tried! But I can see with crime plots, you'd have to be planned out or you could have the wrong guy end up in jail! LOL

I'm a plotter I love a great storyline and mystery.

Greg wrote: "I'm a plotter I love a great storyline and mystery."

My respect goes out to you! :) I just have goofy quirks. Like - I can't write unless it's totally silent! Do you know how often THAT happens! :)

I'm a little of both. I sit down and write, but I have to have a time line. I don't like any type of noise when I'm writing.

P.T. wrote: "I'm a little of both. I sit down and write, but I have to have a time line. I don't like any type of noise when I'm writing."

Hmmm...I never thought of doing just a simple timeline. That will def help with next series. It'd be a nightmare trying to go back now! LOL... and I'm so glad I'm not the only one that needs silence! My husb is always telling me to go just shut the office door, or what not. But the kids are still in and out of the house, the TV is on and blah blah... ugh! No.. Calgon - take me away!

I have learned so much from all of you. I always imagined writing a novel would be like following my mother's lasagne recipe. I'd assemble the right ingredients, add the correct amount of each one, and the finished product would elicit oohs and ahhs. Instead I find my writing quite spmasmodic, like Elaine Benes' dancing on Seinfeld. I spend time making sure the dates when characters are born and die make sense in the story and have an idea of where I want to start and end, but I never write at any length before something comes up that I need to research before I can go any further. When I wrote The Sunset Witness, I knew I wanted to write about a protected witness in a small seaside village. It wasn't until I was writing that I had the inspirations for the best twists in the story. Now I know there is no recipe, every story is different.

Hello everyone, I'm Vivian LeMay. I like this discussion because, for me, the act of writing is the only thing that stimulates the act of writing.
I wrote my entire ebook series The Last Lord of Paradise, by the seat of my pants. Then my husband read them and said, "Your characters just seem to be knocking into each other. What's their motivation, their quest?" He was right.
I had a quest in mind for every one of my characters, yet I hadn't stressed those motivations in my writing. I rewrote the series, took another two years, but I think they are better stories for it. Guess that's what we pansters need to keep in mind as we write. What is this character's quest? It could save you some time in the long run. : )

Vivian wrote: "Hello everyone, I'm Vivian LeMay. I like this discussion because, for me, the act of writing is the only thing that stimulates the act of writing.
I wrote my entire ebook series The Last Lord of ..."

OH WOW! First, I'm so glad you joined us, but second, TWO more years??? You have the patience of a Saint! Plus I don't think I'd taken too kindly to my husb's opinion...(a downfall I know!) I'm so happy that you stuck with it and congrats to you! I'll keep that in mind for sure!!

Vivian wrote: "Hello everyone, I'm Vivian LeMay. I like this discussion because, for me, the act of writing is the only thing that stimulates the act of writing.
I wrote my entire ebook series The Last Lord of ..."

I wish my husband were as insightful as that. He read my book and nodded before saying "yeah, it's good". Ugh! No helpful feedback at all.

Dana wrote: "Vivian wrote: "Hello everyone, I'm Vivian LeMay. I like this discussion because, for me, the act of writing is the only thing that stimulates the act of writing.
I wrote my entire ebook series Th..."

LOL... mine likes to 'edit' the sex scenes! Seriously :D I just roll my eyes and tell him it's not an instruction manual!

My hubs is a very logical computer geek. He shot more hole in the first book than a machine gun. But I really needed some good logical feedback for the plot.

The trouble with pantsing is, you're writing along and get a new idea for a scene and you change something, but then you forget how that scene or even one word different can change the whole storyline. You need new eyes to spot the inconsistencies. Dangerous stuff pantsing. :)

Vivian wrote: "The trouble with pantsing is, you're writing along and get a new idea for a scene and you change something, but then you forget how that scene or even one word different can change the whole storyl..."

Oh trust me! I've learned to keep a spiral notebook, good old fashioned paper by me and I write down all major details and minor ones too. write a brief line about the chapter and keep a running log of sorts so I don't drift off track. Like this morning... I am working on my WIP and suddenly my main char revealed something so wickedly pertinent I was like "huh, I didn't know that" LMAO! but then it made such good sense so I'm going to use that one piece of info to write his internal conflict... ---No I wasn't drinking at the time! LOL

Vivian wrote: "The trouble with pantsing is, you're writing along and get a new idea for a scene and you change something, but then you forget how that scene or even one word different can change the whole storyl..."

Yeah, I still can't sit down and plot, it sucks all the creativity out of it for me. I need to just start writing. I think I'd rather spend more time editing than planning.

I agree, another set of eyes is the best way to go. Unfortunately I have the worst luck with critique partners. I'm always looking for someone it read for me.

Dana wrote: "Vivian wrote: "The trouble with pantsing is, you're writing along and get a new idea for a scene and you change something, but then you forget how that scene or even one word different can change t..."

I'd read for you bb :D .. have to walk me through the scary tense stuff so i know what's coming... and I'm with you... I sit and write,,, edit as I go, but if I plan ... my mind goes blank and not even coffee helps!!!

I am such a slow writer, but I love to plot. I live by the outline (although I do make some stuff up). I love outlines so much, I blogged about it. (Thanks for the unexpected prompt!)
http://www.melaniehatfield.com/melani...

Melanie wrote: "I am such a slow writer, but I love to plot. I live by the outline (although I do make some stuff up). I love outlines so much, I blogged about it. (Thanks for the unexpected prompt!)
http://www.me..."

You are quite welcome! I wish I could be that disciplined, but alas... LMAO!