It’s once again time for The Writing Lab, where I try to pass along any insights and advice on the art of writing I’ve picked up during past thirty years or so.
For the past three editions of the lab, I’ve discussed the process of prewriting, the start of the writing process where you begin to develop . After discussing some of the basics behind prewriting, taking a look at how I’ve developed stories over the years, and how to build characters, let’s spend this weekend discussing something a bit controversial – how to develop your story’s plot.
[AUTHOR’S ONGOING NOTE FOR THIS SERIES:] The advice I give here is geared mostly toward fiction writing; however, it can easily be applied to nonfiction as well.
On Prewriting, Part 4: A plotline paved with good intentions
The reason I just mentioned the idea of plotting in fiction is controversial is because of a certain division between two different philosophies of dealing with the issue of how to develop the storyline. It’s the difference between “Pantsers” and “Plotters.”
Pantsing vs. Plotting
Although I had heard of these terms years before, I really came into contact with these contrasting styles when I met and joined a now-defunct Des Moines writing group known as the Iowa Writers’ Corner. In our discussions about plotting and how they worked out where their stories were headed, more than a few of my fellow members proudly considered themselves to be pantsers.
Pantsters is shorthand for describing “those who write by the seat of their pants.” The general idea is, they come up with an initial concept and/or general premise, a main character, and then they start writing. And they write, and they write, until they get to the end. The general idea is that they follow the story as it coalesces in their heads and onto the page. They go with the natural flow of the story, and if that path is not so smooth the first time around, well, that’s what the revision process is for.
There are many authors who have this opinion. Stephen King, one of my literary idols growing up, has long been skeptical of laying out how a story is going to go. As he wrote in his memoir/writing advice book On Writing:
I distrust plot…because I believe plotting and the spontaneity of real creation aren’t compatible. A strong enough situation renders the whole question of plot moot. The most interesting situations can usually be expressed as a what-if question.
(On the other hand, there are some critics who have wondered whether some of King’s novels could have used some more outlining. I will refrain from further comment on the matter, except to say all writers, myself included, have our areas ripe for improvement.)
Then there are the plotters, those who believe you need to have some idea of where you are going before you start down the storytelling road. As you might have sensed, I consider myself to be one of these types of writers, at least to a point.
I can understand the distrust of Uncle Stevie and others of any process that suppresses creativity and spontaneity. However, I think some planning is required, and I’m going to have fun using analogies and/or metaphors to explain my point, heh heh.
I mean, you wouldn’t take a trip from Iowa to San Francisco without having a Rand McNally road map or at least consulting Google’s services. Oh, sure, you might add a restroom or tourist stop or two, you might have to change your path due to construction and the like, but you’d want to have a rough idea of where you are going to go beforehand.
There is just as much artwork in designing and constructing a building as there is writing a story. Anyone would be crazy to not have some blueprints of your prospective home or office building or whatever before construction started. Of course, you’d want to feel free to make changes to those plans if they didn’t work out; for example, if the marble exterior for your skyscraper began breaking off and falling to the ground and you had to swap it out for some other material1.
And finally, I would use an analogy from the world of professional wrestling to make my point, since I have continued to be fascinated with its culture and its storytelling possibilities2. When you are getting ready for a match, you might feel confident enough to call your moves in the ring as they come along, and adapt to both botches and the feedback from the crowd. But you’re always going to know what the finish is going to be.
A Variety of Plotting Plans, or Everyone’s Got Their Own Brand of Kung Fu
In all honesty, there are plenty of ways for you to sketch out the possible courses of your story. There’s a reason why many of these structures and tropes continue to be used repeatedly over the course of Western and other cultures – they tend to work.
And many of them have similar beats. To paraphrase Bruce Lee, many people have their own fighting styles and the names for these styles, but most men and women have the same two arms and two legs, right?
There’s the common three-act structure, which I ended up teaching many of my past English/Language Arts students a few years back.
There’s the Hero’s Journey described by Joseph Campbell and studied by (among others) George Lucas when he was cooking up Star Wars.
Then there’s the Save the Cat technique, which I learned at a writing conference sponsored by the Midwest Writing Center in the Quad Cities which became a big influence on my own plotting strategy.
And of course, there are many other options out there (or variations on the ones above) for you to find online or explore.
But…
As with all the advice I give around here, feel free to ignore it if you find it conflicts with writing habits or techniques which actually work for you. The number one piece of writing advice I ever have given my English, composition, and/or special education students is this:
If something is working to help you write well, whether or not it’s the recommended thing to do, keep doing it.
Next Time…
I think during the next edition of the Lab in December, we’ll briefly get into some tips on research. I think I can provide some tips in this regard from my experience in journalism, but I also believe you can overthink this process3. After that edition, we’ll get into setting, which will lead us into the wider arena of worldbuilding.
See you down the road.
-30-
- This actually happened with the AON Center in Chicago. ↩︎
- My obsession with professional wrestling has crept into other portions of my life. I have actually told students that they shouldn’t work themselves into a shoot, or they need to stop acting like everything in their life is a work. Yes, I am the king of inside jokes. ↩︎
- As I mentioned before, this series is generally aimed at fiction writing, and the previous statement was made with this in mind. In nonfiction writing, especially regarding historical events, etc., the research process is not just important to the final product, it is essential. Perhaps this is one of the reasons I’ve not been seriously motivated to undertake any major long-form nonfiction writing projects. ↩︎