It's Who I Am

I read a lot about "are you a plotter or a pantser?" around the writing blogosphere and I used to try to pigeonhole myself into one or the other.

But the truth is? I'm neither. Or maybe I'm both.

You see, I write in much the same way as I cook. I drive my DH crazy, because he'll say, "So-and-so really liked that thing you made last week. Would you send them the recipe?" My response? "Uh. No. I can't. I'm sorry."

Because when I cook, I don't really use a recipe. I start with one, for certain, especially if I haven't made whatever it is before. But, even when I swear I'll stick to the recipe as written, sometimes my hands have a mind of their own and they add this or take out that or use a little more of another thing.

I bake by the handful. A teaspoon of salt? About *this* much poured into my cupped hand.

My MIL is the type who uses a knife to level the ingredients in her measuring cups. I even had a friend who would measure the water for her Kraft mac and cheese ("But it says 'use a quart of water'!" :::rolls eyes:::). Not me. And sometimes the things I make aren't edible, sometimes they're passable and sometimes they are absolutely stellar.

Same with my stories.

I usually start with a recipe (i.e. a basic plot with the characters I'll be using). I *think* know where I'm going or what I'm going to end up with. But then I'll get into it and the characters let me know I'm on the wrong track and I'll add or subtract or change.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But unlike cooking, the final product isn't done until I say it's done. I can go back and change and change until I'm happy with it.

Still... plotter or pantser?

Both.

Neither.

You?

PS I couldn't resist adding this book video since I titled the post after the song. I think it's one of the best songs about what makes a character: it's not the hair color or the clothes... it's this:

To Pants or not to Pants... what the heck is it?

I was asked the other day if I was a pantser or a plotter. After crooking a brow at the asker, I casually mentioned that I had leather pants on, so I'd say I was a pantser--even if I prefer my CB's out of their pants.

The asker's eyes widened to the size of saucers and her mouth plopped open.

Now that's when my good friend Kealie stepped in and murmured in my ear that the person wanted to know if I plotted out my stories or wrote by the seat of my pants.

Oh.

Well, I replied, that's not nearly as fun as my version.

So, I guess that means I need to answer the question.

Pantser.

Really, do I look like the type that plans a whole lot of anything out? No, I like to just let the characters decide where things will go (literally) and then let things play themselves out. And yes, things can go awry or totally awesome if you take this method. Then again, things can get out of hand and end up like crap, too.

I did try to plot a story once. And then when I sat down to pen it, everything ended up skewed, so I decided what I'd plotted was a waste of time other than I knew my characters pretty well.

But I yammer and digress and need to get back to the boys. They'll go to bed soon and are restless.

Ta ta!