Plotter? Panster? It's all in the Pacing!
Hey guys, what's up. My name's Ines. I write kissing books and today I'm having a breakdown… about this whole plotter vs pantser thing. I think both sides need to take it back a pace. Let's break it down.
Before a plotter starts writing, they map out a plan for their story. Like a navigator plotting a course they draw a blueprint of scenes and chapters that will guide them along their writing journey. They sketch the story arcs, design the subplots, and sweat over all the little details before they begin.
A pantser might start their writing sessions without any planning or forethought. They might start with a concept and then follow their impulses. They might pause to evaluate their work, cycle back, or keep braving forward through the dark.
Plotters have a pin at each point on the map, where Pantsers feel their way to their final destination.
I learned storytelling at the television writer's table. The plot vs pants divide didn't exist in the screenwriter's room because we needed a plan and we had to share that plan with other people. What was discussed was pacing.
What all good writers have in common is that they have a feel for pacing. Pacing deals with speed. It's how fast or slow the story moves and unfolds for the reader. Too slow and the reader will get bored and turn away. Too fast and they can't keep up and they might want to get off your wild ride. It's how you distribute the information, scenes, plot points, or beats of a story that ensures an enjoyable ride.
When you study pacing, you're training your brain to recognize the patterns of story. Now you can call the threads of the pattern whatever you want. I think the point is to strengthen your recognition of the points along the road of story.
Learning pacing, observing pacing, dissecting pacing is storytelling exercise, like in a workout. It's muscle building for your muse.
I hope you'll join me as I take deep dives on the pacing points inherent in television, films and books. I'm doing this mainly for my own edification, but maybe other authors can find some use in my nerding out over story structure and market analysis.