Plotter - outlines, has clear beginning middle end, and sits down with a Purpose.
Pantser - no outline, just vibes, maybe a scene or two, might know the ending and will figure it all out along the way.
Plantser - tentative outline, mostly just Vibes and beats of the story, the rest will come along.
Who am I?!
For the longest time, I considered myself a Pantser. Mostly just wrote based off of a Vibe and a random scene that wouldn’t get out of my head. Then I’d try to write around that scene. But now, I am falling pretty firmly in the Plotter mode.
As of today, I have four of my seven(maybe eight) novellas plotted. And by doing so have realized that four of the seven are very Dark Academia and the other three that I haven’t plotted are very Gothic Romance. So, I might be splitting these into it’s own series. I’m not entirely sure yet. It still feels like they are all in the same world, same town, same community, so it might make sense to just leave them all all together. We shall see.
And because I am too excited, here is just the tiniest view of one of the novellas I’m working on: her story is based on The Picture of Dorian Gray with some Faust thrown in.
AGH! I’m trying so hard not to just spill everything I’ve done so far.
Another thing I’ve realized, is if I share too much of my writing idea before having anything written, I tend to freeze and not write anymore. So everything you think you know about my queer dark academia project, you don’t, actually.
Please tell me someone relates to that too…
What I Read This Week:
If you want gender feels - This personal essay about black coffee
If you love gay pirates and pansexual vampires - This article about two of my favorite hyperfixations and why the absurd is essential
If you want something soft, sweet, and uplifting - This Substack letter on how to re-center hope when all feels like too much
If you want to escape it all with some smutty reads - This queer dark erotica romance Kindle Unlimited series by Clio Evans ft. monsters + humans, all the kinks, and HEAs
Right now, I am drinking coffee, trying to decide if I want to write in my camper or the library. I want to plot out at least another of my novellas.
I also have a Zoom call with The Winter Witch Book Club this afternoon to talk about The Invisible Husband of Frick Island. The short version: I loathed the male romantic lead, didn’t care for the female romantic lead, and really just want to live on an island now, thank you.
And later this evening, will finish reading Gallant for The Lit Coven. We are obsessed with V.E. Schwab and read all their books.
Until next time, dear hearts
-A
Aahh! I’m excited for you and your novellas. It’s always wild to see how our workflow as creatives changes and what comes out of it. And I relate to that phenomenon of “explain it too much before enough of it is on paper and it vanishes”. I once heard an illustrator say that for some people who have very vivid imaginations (think ppl who like ttrpgs, artists and writers, etc) spilling the beans either locks us up with pressure (‘cos we’ve created some invisible expectations now) or it tricks our brains into thinking we’ve already done it (‘cos us describing it to someone is so vivid, our brain ticks that box and moves on lol). I have definitely had this happen before. Way too many times. It’s super annoying. I share ‘cos hype and enthusiasm is contagious but then the project it takes a nap until it’s safe to come out again, ughhh.
I can understand not wanting to share what you're working on to a small extent. I don't like sharing with a lot of people, but I do find that having a handful of writerly friends to talk with about my ideas is helpful and motivating. Plus, sometimes it's just nice to have a writerly brain to bounce ideas off of when I get stuck or freeze up.