The 3 Types of Writers: Plotters, Pantsers, and Plantsers

Breaking down the three kinds of writers in the world

A few weeks ago, I asked my subscribers what topics they would like me to discuss. Imposter Syndrome was a big one, but don’t worry, I already covered that one.

Another topic that came up a few times was the concept of “plotters vs pantsers.” Did you know there’s a third option, though? In the spirit of great portmanteaus, there’s also such a thing as “Plantsers.”

Never change, fellow writers. So, today, I’d like to break down what these three terms mean and how they describe the vast majority of writers in the world. Maybe, by the end, it will also help you figure out which one is the best approach for you!

Plotters: The Ones Who Always Know Where They’re Going

A plotter is someone who does rigorous planning before they even start writing their story. They’re the kind of person to show up with a binder full of character bios, scene-by-scene outlines, and a fully realized world guide that breaks down the entire setting to the molecular level.

These types of writers leave nothing to chance, but like anything involving humans and creativity, there’s always a little room for chaos. Some plotters like to get their outline really detailed. Others tend to be a little loose, but the biggest giveaway for a plotter is someone who has some form of outline before they start writing.

Now, I know you’re going to be asking as you read this, “Bradley, which one are you?”

Well, I promise to tell you by the end, but for now, I’ll just say that I’m only a plotter when the situation demands it, and even then, I don’t rely too heavily on my outline. That’s all I’ll say for now (ooh foreshadowing! He’s so mysterious!).

The biggest downside for plotters is what happens when an inevitable idea strikes either during or after you’ve written your draft. You’ll be doing the dishes, taking a shower, driving down a country road, and BOOM! Suddenly, you’ll get a great idea for a scene.

Sounds good, right? Well, now you gotta crack open the outline you promised yourself you wouldn’t touch. You also need to consider if that new idea creates any plotholes elsewhere in the story.

See how this can become a problem? If you mess with the foundation of the story, you could create issues that weren’t there before.

Just something to consider if you go this route.

Pantsers: The Ones Who Have No Idea What’s Going on, but They’re Loving Every Minute of It

Me every time I hit publish on Substack (image: Andrej Lisakov via Unsplash+)

Ah, the pantser. These types of writers “fly by the seat of their pants,” which is where the name comes from. A lot of famous authors are self-proclaimed pantsers. I actually first heard about the term when Stephen King described himself in this fashion during his book On Writing, a Memoir of the Craft, which, if you haven’t read it, is very good!

Pantsers are the kinds of writers who do very, very little outlining before they start writing. There are a lot of reasons why you may find yourself in this category:

• You find outlines to be boring or restrictive

• You like to get into a “flow state.”

• You embrace the chaos and entropy of the universe

• You’ve already obsessed over the story in your head, so you don’t need to plan it out

Whether you fall into one of the above categories or something else entirely, being a pantser is an entirely valid approach to writing! There’s a certain thrill in letting the story take on a life of its own, so I completely understand this approach.

Does this term describe me? Sort of…

You see, I was a pantser for a long time, but as my stories have grown in complexity and scope, I’ve realized that I need to have some idea of where I’m going, or I’ll drive my story right off the narrative cliff.

Which brings us to our third option.

Plantsers: Because Sometimes You Need the Writer’s Form of GPS to See Where You’re Going

Image: Ben Ali via Unsplash

Our third category comes with the reveal you’ve all been waiting for:

That’s right, I AM A PLANTSER!

Pauses for applause and questions from reporters.

Alright, now that the big reveal is done, let’s talk about the kind of writers that don’t fit into the plotter or pantser category. Plantsers are the type of people who like to do a little light planning or character bios, but they’re mostly eager to get into the story itself.

They may choose to do some planning because the story is complex or because it has multiple POVs (this is the case for my current WIP). If you’re like me, and you enjoy writing stories with branching narratives, you don’t really have a choice but to outline it unless you want to try to untangle your various branches and endings after the fact, which sounds like a nightmare.

So, this is one of those things where I think your approach can vary based on the project itself. This is why I call myself a plantser, because my strategy will vary from piece to piece.

A lot of my flash fiction I did for Flash Fiction February, for example, was almost entirely done in a pantser style. I just thought about the prompt and started writing.

Conversely, my current WIP that I’m hoping to work on as part of the Spring Novel Writing Marathon starting this weekend has six POVs, so I’ve got a broad outline I wrote for that one to keep track of everything (and everyone) in the story.

What Kind of Writer Are You?

Stare dramatically into a mirror to figure it out! (Image: Vince Fleming via Unsplash)

ther you’re a plotter, pantser, or a plantser like me, all three types of writers are completely valid! If you see these terms and think that you don’t fit into any single one, that’s fine, too!

Writing is one of those things where there are certain rules to follow (like grammar and punctuation), but everything else is open to interpretation. Come to think of it, that kind of applies to just about every type of art.

The point I’m trying to make here is that you can be any type of writer you want! If you’ve historically just been a plotter or a pantser, maybe try experimenting with a combination of the two and join the plantsers (ONE OF US! ONE OF US!).

However you choose to write, I am excited to see what you create. As I often say, what matters most is that your art exists. It can take any form that resonates most with you because that’s the kind of art that will also resonate with your audience.

Until next time, writer friends!

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