Whether to plot or pants a NaNo novel is a question I see posed
about as often as I hear “Paper or plastic?” at the grocery store. My reply has
varied over the years, and I can now answer with absolute, unwavering
conviction: It depends.
There are two main factors that determine whether you’re better
off pantsing or plotting a story:
1. Where you currently are as a writer
2. The book itself
Either of these can help determine the best approach, and as
both vary from year to year, so may the decision on whether to plot out your
project.
The
Case for Pantsing a NaNo Novel
What's so great about pantsing? For one, there's a surprise factor in it that makes the book as much of a revelation to the writer as it is for the reader. It's refreshing, illuminating, and a pure rush! It also saves days or weeks (months?!) of work and nail-biting while plotting. Some of my favorite lines/scenes came about because of pantsing.
One of the factors I mentioned as to whether to pants or plot is where you currently are as a writer. You might assume I’m talking about how experienced you are with penning novels. In fact, I’m actually referring to your overall life, flow, and
mental energy in the weeks just prior to NaNo. This can vary greatly from year
to year, and it can definitely affect whether or not you can write off the
cuff.
About my second or third NaNo year, I found myself bursting
with creative energy. I wanted a challenge greater than the 50k/30 days goal,
so I decided to try writing a book with no plot. It was so much fun that I did
the same thing for the next few years. (Not forever, which I’ll get to in a
moment.)
Now, onto the book itself. What type of book is best suited for pantsing? Some tales practically
write themselves, an amazingly giddy feeling I highly recommend to all writers.
While these tales can go hand in hand with times your mental energy is flowing
best, it’s not always a given. You’ll recognize these types of stories by the
way they keep jumping into your head unbidden. Characters relentlessly whisper to
you. Plot points harass you in line at the market. Scenes play out
in your dreams. Snippets of overheard conversation wind up fitting the plot
perfectly. Etc. etc. When you find this sort of inspiration happening pre-NaNo,
you may well have found yourself a concept that’s perfect for pantsing.
Incidentally, some think that writers who are obsessive
about scheduling their day or who color-code their socks aren’t good candidates
for pantsing. I say poppycock. My husband laughs at me because I have my
calendar scheduled down to where I plan spontaneous fun, but I can derive great
satisfaction from pantsing a book. Depending on the project, it can work great!
The
Case for Plotting a NaNo Novel
No matter how fabulous a concept or how many years you’ve
earned the pantsing badge of honor, there are definitely times when plotting
your novel is the way to go.
Case in point, let’s go back to my several-year run of NaNo
pantsing. That was all well and good until the summer my writing came
screeching to a halt. My mental energy had been heavily invested in family needs,
and by the time NaNo approached, I hadn’t been able to write a thing for
months. I panicked about Nano, fearing I either wouldn’t be able to begin or
that if I did, I surely wouldn’t finish. I was simply too out of the mode. So I
made myself a deal. Rather than waiting to see if lightning struck on November
1, I spent October outlining one main character per week for three weeks and
the fourth week detailing an overall plot arc. Dove in and crossed the 50k mark
yet again.
Since then, I’ve learned to start contemplating where I’m at
mentally sometime during September. If I’m feeling Green-Light-Go, I’ll pick a
concept/title from my random ideas file and run with it come November 1. If,
however, I’ve been having issues with flow or have a lot of “life” things going on in general, I’ll give myself a hand by coming into NaNo with a plan.
As for what kind of book is best planned in advance, well,
the rub is you often won’t know for sure until you’ve tried to write it. I CAN
say the best time to expect a tough challenge is soon after the above-mentioned
fun of having a story write itself. This experience has the unfortunate side
effect of making the writer feel invincible, that they’ve found their ideal rhythm so that every book from there on will unfold like a rose blooming via
time-lapse photography. To correct this misconception, the next book will often
drag like a skirt through mud. So if you’ve been riding high on the wings of
success lately, you may be able to soar right on through NaNo—or you could be preparing
to crash. Plotting is a good way to ensure the latter
doesn’t happen.
Some red flags to watch for that indicate a NaNo book may be
better plotted include: coming up blank when you try to picture most
things about the story, being quickly and consistently distracted when plot or
character points try to spring up, and/or rejecting numerous inspirations that
try to assert themselves. One CAN overcome all of these and successfully pants
a tale, but chances will be better if you give your book a plotting boost.
There’s one other argument for plotting a novel, and that’s
the possibility that you might plot out a novel that is sort of meh and wind up pantsing something completely different. I’ve seen this
kind of inspiration strike just before NaNo as well as midway through the
challenge. If it happens, go with it! The original plot will still be waiting
when you’re done.
Which way do you think you’re headed this coming NaNo:
plotting or pantsing?
~~~~
I'm J. Rose Allister, wife, working mom, and the author of over twenty-five books. Somewhere in between one and the next, I love hanging out here on my blog and over on Twitter. Give me a comment or follow-I love chatting with people! And if you enjoyed this post, consider sharing with friends and subscribing for updates.
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