What’s the Difference? Plotters vs. Pantsers 

If you’re a member of the online writing community, you may have seen the words “plotter” and “pantser” used to describe different approaches to drafting. Sometimes these discussions are accompanied by vocal folks who believe one approach is superior to the other, and discussions on Twitter tend to ferry writers into either the plotter or pantser groupings. At Josha, though, we don’t believe any one approach to drafting is better than another; we do, however, acknowledge there are certain advantages to each approach.  

A plotter refers to someone who utilizes an outlining method prior to beginning their draft. Rather than letting the story evolve or “write itself” throughout the drafting process, a plotter will follow their outline and notes to write their story. This may mean that they simply plot the basic points of the story using Freytag’s Pyramid, or that they conceptualize their character using the Hero’s Journey, a combination of those two methods, or something else, such as a chapter-by-chapter breakdown of the story’s events or even a simple bulleted list of important actions. 

Implementing plotter techniques may help prevent writer’s block that results from not knowing what to write because the decisions have already been made for how the plot will unfold prior to beginning to draft. As a result, churning out first drafts may take a bit less time, and the story structure of the first draft may be stronger; after all, when you’ve already outlined your story, there’s less guesswork throughout the drafting process. 

At the same time, plotting your story in advance may cause the drafting process to feel a bit more like work than a creative expression. For example, if you plot your story a certain way, but when you start writing it feel drawn to take it in a slightly different direction, you may feel as though you have to follow your original plan—but remember, your outline can always be adjusted. Your draft is your story, so you’re welcome to write it however feels best to you—plotter techniques are meant to help you, not hinder you. 

A pantser refers to someone who, simply put, flies by the seat of their pants as they write. In contrast to a plotter, a pantser works without an outline; instead, they write simply with a particular scene or the story’s theme or message in mind, letting the story flow from this point of inspiration. 

As a pantser, you may feel more flexibility to explore various scenarios and versions of your story. This may mean it’s a bit easier to add, remove, or change plot points or characters because you aren’t trying to adhere to a creative writing plan (i.e., an outline). Additionally, you may also enjoy surprising yourself with the way your story evolves—even if you began your story with a specific character’s development or scene in mind, the ways in which that point is reached might come to you in a moment of divine inspiration as you write. 

Nonetheless, writing without an outline for someone who needs to see the full story arc before writing can make it a little easier to encounter writer’s block or find yourself stuck between plot points or after a certain scene. This may mean you spend extra time rewriting and trying to find a way to make your story “work” if you’re stuck, and if you find yourself stuck for an extended period of time, you may be more tempted to give up on your project. 

In a technical sense, a writer’s tactic for each manuscript will typically fall loosely into one category or the other, although it is possible to use a hybridized approach, too. For example, a writer could plot their story in detail, but give themselves permission to allow creativity to lead them from point to point throughout the plot, which may differ from their original outline. Furthermore, a writer could begin drafting using a pantser approach, then realize they’re having trouble connecting portions of the story together, so they may decide to outline what they’ve written to identify what’s still missing. 

In other words, a plotter and a pantser both may begin the drafting process with a core message they want to communicate through their story, but the key difference between their approaches is how much of the story they plan prior to starting to write. However, regardless of whether you implement the techniques of a plotter or a panster, all of the above benefits and struggles can still occur.  

It’s important to remember, too, that just because one tactic was effective for one manuscript doesn’t mean that’s the only way to write. Even among our Josha authors, we have two multi-genre authors who take completely different approaches to each genre. Katherine Turner, author of resilient and Madly Deeply Wildly (memoir and fiction, respectively), has shared that she will create a flexible outline for her nonfiction; however, for her novels, she describes herself as an intuitive writer (which falls into the camp of a pantser, but has some unique characteristics) who lets the story reveal itself to her as she types it. By comparison, I (Olivia Castetter), author of the nonfiction work Me, Too: Voicing My Story began writing my first book with only a few basic points in mind and let the rest evolve as I wrote; as I draft my fiction, though, including short stories, I usually detail each scene by hand and strive to follow that outline as I type the story from start to finish. 

If you’re struggling to identify whether you’re most comfortable writing in the style of a plotter or a pantser, our advice is to go with your gut. There is no correct or incorrect way to create, but if you’re unsure, you can always try both approaches and see what comes most naturally to you.