To Start or Not to Start?

I was re-reading one of my favorite book series a couple weeks ago and as I was finishing it, I noticed an interview with the author in the back. I flipped through to check it out, and found a question that read “What advice would you give to other aspiring authors?” The author said something along the lines of “don’t start until you know how it’s going to end. Plan it out and stick to the plan.” Now, as much as I respect this author and enjoy their books, I disagree. 

I am what we in the writing world affectionately call a pantser. This means that I do not use that so-often-helpful tool known as an outline. That’s for the plotters. Planning out each scene before I write it? Not for me. Three act structure? Never been able to swing it. I write best with a few characters and a couple crazy ideas. (See my post on quote books –I use those) I can’t plan out my book, because I don’t know what’s going to happen. I can’t wait to start until I know how it’s going to end, because I’ll never start. And I’ll never find out if I don’t write everything up to the climax first. 

That, my friends, is what it’s like being a pantser. I sit down and I write. As for sticking to a plan? My characters won’t stick to the most basic of guidelines. They barely even take suggestions. 😰 But that’s how I do my best work. I like surprises. It’s similar to reading a book and having a plot twist sprung on you, except the plot twist generally doesn’t happen in the middle of the shower when you’re fantasizing about a fight scene. 

So clearly, we have a dilemma. This author, who by the way is prolific and very successful, says not to start until you know where you’re going. And I can’t do that. (Trust me. I have tried.) Luckily, there are quite a few other authors who say “Just start!” 

So which piece of conflicting advice should you follow? Specifically, which piece of advice should I follow?

In this instance, I’m going to elect to disregard the first piece of advice. Hehe. 

As I’ve already said, I don’t know if I physically could follow an outline. Secondly, I have tried. I have written out detailed outlines and figured out how the book was going to end. The characters just said no. And honestly, I’m not mad. 

For my earlier books, I didn’t really know what I was doing, so I couldn’t really choose to do anything. I just did what I knew how to do. But now, I know what I’m doing (a solid 63% of the time) and so I choose to not follow an outline. 

When I start a new book, I usually already have an idea for what it will be –the basics of a plot and a main character or two. So I’ll take my colorful pens and hide in the closet and emerge twenty minutes later with a list of things I want to happen, and a solid 30% of the information I’ll need to write this book. Meaning something that some would call an outline, some would call manic ramblings, and I call the start of a book. 

Then I write. I write and I fight with my characters and I get brilliant ideas and I go back and put them in. I make the choice to leave room for the ideas that I know will come. I know that halfway through the book this one character’s actions will inevitably catch up with him and he’ll do something stupid. I’m not sure what yet, but I’ll know when I get there, because he’ll have been doing said stupid things for the past ten chapters. I’ll know what will happen because I’ve lived it. In a manner of speaking. 

It’s this rambling deer trail of a path that allows for the epic plot twists that everyone freaks out over. (I promise, I did not know that character was going to die when I started that book. Nor did I know what was going to happen afterwards) But it happened, and it was fabulous.

As a Christian panster, I think this is one of the ways I give my writing to God. If I leave space for the characters to grow, then he has room to put his hands on them and use them for His glory. He has the chance to slip things into my writing that I only see when I read it afterwards. 

Plus, it’s great for character development. If you ever want your characters to start writing the story themselves, drop the outline. See where their moral fiber takes them. That’s what I always do. And my characters create plenty of problems that I have to solve that feel normal and fit with the characters. I always value character over plot, so I’m willing to err on this side. If it feels like the character wouldn’t do it, they wouldn’t do it. There’s no way for you to make them do it that will feel natural to your reader. 

So to recap. Here are my reasons to just start. 

• If you already know that you’re a panster, outlines simply won’t work for you. 

• Knowing how your story ends is overrated. No, not really. But this way the characters can figure it out themselves, which can give you a more natural, conclusive ending. 

• It’s great for character development. 

• Sometimes you don’t know how the story will end until you get there.

• The best plot twists come when you’re living and breathing the story. Plan on the unplanned. 

• You might never start if you have to figure out everything that’s going to happen. 

• And it’s fun! You get to know your characters! You live the book with them. 

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And that’s my two cents on not starting until you know your end. If you’re a plotter, by all means disregard everything I’ve just said. If, however, you’re a pantser, try out not having an outline. Try out just starting. You can always go back and edit it out. 😁