Planning vs Winging It - The differences in being a panster or plotter, and why it really doesn't matter.

I recently filled out a Q&A for an author signing event this July and one of the questions was: Are you a panster or a plotter? I literally had to look up what the definition of panster was. I had no idea! And you might not either, but I'm about to help you figure it out.

A panster is a writer who wings it, flies by the seat of their pants, has no actual plan, just to write whatever they want. A plotter is the opposite: a writer who needs a clear plan, outlines and synopses, one who writes from point A to point B. 


Here's some pros/cons of being a panster:

Cons:
-You have NO idea where your story is going or how it starts. You might have the beginning all written out but have no idea how it's going to end. Or you could have written the perfect ending but have no idea what got you to that point.
-It's easy to get stuck in your writing trying to figure out how to make things fit, or where to go from here.
-You have a higher chance of giving up on what you're working on to write something completely different as a way to escape the writer's block.
-If you are submitting your story to an agent/publisher, a majority of them ask for a synopsis or outline. You don't have one, and writing one just to submit your work will drive you mad.
Pros:
-You aren't stuck with what you've written in your outline. 
-If you get to a certain plot point and decide you don't like where it's taken you, you can change it, without adjusting an entire outline to make it work.
-You have total freedom in your writing. 
-You take your storyline where your characters lead you. 

Here's some pros/cons of being a plotter:

Cons:
-Your entire story is based on your specific outline. If you want to change anything, you have to adjust the entire outline to make it work.
-You limit yourself by sticking to what you decided before you started writing. Your characters are limited to the amount of detail you give them when creating your outline.
Pros: 
-You know exactly where your story is going. You don't get stuck with writer's block, you simply look at your outline and know what you need to write next.
-Your story can flow better since you know what happens from start to finish, before you start writing it. 
-If you're submitting your story to an agent/publisher, you already have an outline/synopsis ready, which is what most require for submissions.


Every author is different. Some, like me, are pansters. Others, plotters. Some are something in between, or something completely different, or a mix of both, or one for a certain story and the other for a different story. 

But the great thing is, IT DOESN'T MATTER what type of writer you are. The fact that you are writing is ALL that matters.

What's it matter if you start at the beginning and write to the end, step by step? What's it matter if you write the end, then go back to the beginning, then maybe finish the middle if you're feeling it? What's it matter if you write a detailed outline, only to write in depth in random spots, piecing it together as you go? It doesn't matter. As long as you finish what you start, you are a successful writer.

Everyone's brain works in different ways. Some work better with a rigid structure, others with no discernable structure. Some like to blare music while they create, others like absolute quiet with no distraction. They all have something in common. They are ALL writers. Yes we all have to learn structure, outlines, and the like in our typical school English classes, but it doesn't mean we have to write like that. (Except for those annoying assignments where you have to SHOW that you DID work exactly like that.) If you're a natural plotter, these assignments can help you hone your skills at planning, making it easier to get your story finished. But if you're a panster, these types of assignments are a creative hell. Once you're free from the assignments of school, you can write however works best for you. Let your creative juices flow. If that means you need to spend hours working on a detailed and precise outline, than outline away! If that means you let your inner hippie out and feel the flow of the universe through your pencil/keyboard, than have at it flower child!

The important thing is that you are writing. That you are creating something only your mind can come up with. No one else can make exactly what you can. No one else has those ideas, and stories, and characters in their head. Only you. So write on pansters and plotters, and in-betweeners, and don't let anyone, ever, tell you how you should be writing. You're the author, after all.

Handling Negative Feedback - Thursdays with the Author

Question: How do you handle negative feedback on a book?

Answer: I had to learn how to handle negative feedback, the hard way. Just like every other author does. The first negative feedback I received, I handled very badly. I at least had the good sense not to comment on the Amazon reviews section, venting instead via my (personal, NOT author) Facebook page. I had received a 2 star review and I actually knew the person who'd left the review. Not only that, this person was family! I know we authors are supposed to be able to handle negative criticism but I hadn't learned that particular talent yet.

This reviewer admitted that she hadn't finished the book. Her biggest reason for such a bad review? One of the characters used the Lord's name in vain. (yes really. That was actually her reason.) She gave two other reasons for the general despising of my first novel to be published. They were: 1) The amount of curse words (FYI there's less than 10 in the entire thing) and the descriptive sex scenes (which were under 5 in the entire novel). She continued with an explanation that sex should be implied, not explained. But she made it very clear that she stopped reading the minute I took the Lord's name in vain and did not finish the book. Which meant she didn't even get to read the rest of the cuss words and sex scenes! ;)

She also implied that since my bio page stated that I sang at church, that she expected better of me. The actual title of her review was "Don't judge a book by the author's bio". So I had to comment (via Facebook) that maybe I go to a Pagan church where people have sex in front of everybody during services. (I don't, by the way, but I really felt like being a smart-ass). (Uh, oh. Sorry for the curse word). I did end up changing my bio to 'singing' instead of 'singing at church' so no one else would come to the same conclusion as my (apparently) very shocked, and disappointed relative. So my going off the deep-end on Facebook because of (what I saw as) a betrayal by a family member continued...

I (shamefully) declared that said relative was a religious zealot and should have known that since the book is a ROMANCE, it would have sex in it. I had assumed too, since the book wasn't classified as religious or inspirational that it would also have adult content and language.  Well you know what they say about people who assume! ;)(in case you don't: It makes an ass out of u and me. Get it?) Well apparently it wasn't as obvious that a ROMANCE book would contain adult situations.

Well my little, unprofessional outburst fired up a literal shit-storm (oops, there's another curse word... guess I still have a little bit of bitterness) which resulted in yet another family member, angry that I called the first family member a religious zealot, echoed the first relative's review with a negative one of her own. On Amazon. Where everyone could see it. Where I can't delete it. Where it effects the sales of my book. 

This relative, at least, left me a 4 star rating. But echoed that the cursing, use of the Lord's name in vain, and sex were completely unnecessary. And since I knew who this particular relative was, I was again angry. Because this specific relative had read the 50 Shades of Grey series and loved it! That series is like hard-core porn compared to what I wrote, but I digress...

My point is, that though I didn't handle my first negative review very well, I have since learned that it doesn't matter. The rest of my reviews for that particular book are all 4-5 star ratings so I have to assume (yes there's that word again) that people like my book. I have to assume that MOST people will understand what my book will be about when it's categorized as a romantic suspense. I have to assume that people will read the blurb and positive reviews and understand what the negative reviews are: proof that you can't please everyone. 

And that is the absolute truth. An author will NEVER please every reader. Most of the time we will piss-off at least a few of them. We have to learn how to accept that fact and deal with the negative reviews.

Look at J.K. Rowling. One of the biggest literary figures of this century, immensely popular and famous, yet her book was BANNED by some libraries for its references to magic! When I say some readers will hate what you write, well she had hordes of people that hated what she wrote, boycotted it even, yet she went on to sell over 400 million copies and that figure is from 2011! So there's your proof.

Take the negative reviews, the criticism, hate, displeasure, betrayal, etc and let it go.(Just try not to sing a song about it.) Because in the end it doesn't really matter. (Of course that's a different story if ALL your reviews are negative...The different story being that something is probably MAJORLY wrong with your book, but I digress again.)


Another factor of the negative review is that you can gain positives out of it. Say a reviewer said 'I loved the story-line but it was too short! Would like to have seen more detail between so and so or more conflict with such and such.' Perhaps another reviewer said: 'loved the book but hated the cover. Needs a new one.' or: 'good story but too many grammatical errors'.USE these negative reviews to your advantage. Fix your mistakes, make a better cover, add more to the story and release a second edition.

You write what you write because you're passionate about it. Because you have this story bursting inside you, screaming to be told. It's YOUR story, which means it's no one else's so, naturally, someone else may not like it. That's life and that's okay.

These are negative reviews that you should LOVE to get because in reality, they are POSITIVE. They give you constructive criticism, ways to improve, ideas, etc. Take it and run with it. Being a writer is ALL about perfecting your craft. You are ALWAYS learning. Your next book should always be your BEST book and the next one and the next one and so on. Take all the reviews, all the criticism, all the ideas, and learn from them. Because that is really what will make you a better writer. :)

And to continue in the current 'smart-assery' of this blog post, here's a picture to help you understand what I'm saying:

;)