That's a terrible title about skinning a cat, but I thought it worked for this post. I apologize to all cat lovers. Rest assured, I would never harm a feline or any animal for that matter. So let's get on with today's post, which has nothing to do with cats, but everything to do with different approaches.
I love a good mystery that thrills me and keeps me in suspense until the end. The careful plotting is what fascinates me, and perhaps that’s because I’m a diehard pantser. I love the freedom to explore possible plots and threads. I love it when characters intrude into the story and make it something different than I’d expected.
The downside to being a pantser is it can lead to a muddled mess that I have to go back and fix. This can take time, and it often leads to frustration. When I do manage to come to a satisfying end, I’m ever so grateful.
A few weeks ago I was listening to an interview with Alex Michaelides, the author of The Fury. What caught my attention was his admission to being a pantser for the first time when he wrote this latest mystery. His words echoed my feelings. I’m paraphrasing, but here’s what his message was.
He needed to have the freedom to create this story, and the only way he could have that freedom was to simply start writing and find out where the character would take him. This was the first book he’d written as a pantser, and he was well-rewarded by the results.
Here’s the Amazon summary: A masterfully paced thriller about a reclusive ex-movie star and her famous friends whose spontaneous trip to a private Greek island is upended by a murder.
It has over a thousand ratings on Amazon and over twenty-two thousand on Goodreads. The average rating is four stars.
Obviously, his approach to this story worked very well for him. I appreciate that a talented writer who usually plots turned to my way of writing. He let loose the reins of plot and let his character take the lead.
This only goes to show there’s no one way to write a good story. However, I'm now questioning the message my title sends. I can't imagine one way to skin a cat let alone more.
Moving on...
Here's a middle-of-the-road approach. I enjoyed reading this post and if you're a pantser who is teetering on the brink of plotting, you might find it interesting, too.
Are you a pantser or a plotter, or do you strike for "pantser with suspenders"?
5 comments:
I've never attempted a story without an outline. The outline is where I just let the story go its own direction.
I agree with you that there are different ways to write. I've never written an entire outline before writing. I think it'd be hard to write a thriller that works without some outlining, but it sounds like it works.
Very interesting post, Lee! I don't do well with outlines. If I'm writing fiction, a character will usually hijack my plans, and if I'm writing non-fiction, my brain will shoot me off in an unexpected direction. Whenever I've had to produce an outline for some reason, I would write it after I finished the piece I was writing. I really like Alex Michaelides as an author. I'll have to add this book to my "To Be Read List."
I think I qualify as a pantser with suspenders too. I like to have an outline, but I need the freedom to write outside the lines. Though I do love a good, thorough outline. I can write much faster if I know what my story is.
Hi Lee and Alex ... being a 'pantster with suspenders' sounds interesting ... also a useful post to think about our approach ... cheers Hilary
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