Stephen King is a pantser.
That's the term for a writer who just jumps right into a story without a clear understanding of where it's headed—these writers "fly by the seat of their pants." This is a fairly standard approach in fiction writing. For many, it brings a sense of freedom and unbound creativity.
For others, it's a winding, dark, dangerous road with no guard rails or mile markers. These writers are known as plotters, and they use research, outlines, and character studies to carve out the path ahead, with the end always in mind.
There's a case to be made for either of these approaches, and both have their downsides. And it occurs to me that most of us live, knowingly or not, according to one of these methods.
Some of us are pantsers. We roll out of bed and take life as it comes. We figure it out as we go along. Others run life through a spreadsheet, neatly crafting outlines and meticulously plotting how our story should turn out. No surprise endings, please!
But recently, I heard of a third option—to writing and, I suppose, to life.
It's the plantser approach, a hybrid of the two. Plantsers may spend time developing their characters and exploring their deepest needs and wants. They'll set goals and foresee obstacles, but then they follow the story that emerges. They embrace twists and turns, remaining flexible and open to change.
Sometimes, "I didn't see that coming," leads to pain. But it's also the road to greatness, the dark valley on the path to the promised land.
What about you? Are you more of a pantser, a plotter, or a plantser? And how's that working for you?