When Should You “Plot” and When Should You “Pants” as a Writer? 4 Factors to Consider

by Kelsie Oshinsky

Even when you think you have the perfect idea for a story, actually starting to write — and seeing the idea through to a finished novel — can be a daunting task. On top of that, you’ve probably noticed there’s an eternal debate amongst writers on the “best” way to craft a novel.

In one camp are the plotters. These writers outline their stories before ever putting pen to paper. They plan plots, scenes, character arcs; more than one spreadsheet may be involved. Alternatively, there are the pantsers. These people, as the name suggests, fly (or in this case, write) by the seat of their pants. This is sometimes referred to as discovery writing, where authors start with an initial idea and see where it leads them, discovering the plot along the way.

Spoiler alert: There’s no one-size-fits-all formula for how to write an excellent novel. But when deciding whether to plot or pants your story, it can be helpful to consider these factors:

1. Story genre

Stories in certain genres may be better executed through plotting over pantsing. For example — as readers of this blog will know — achieving the toe-curling suspense of a mystery is difficult if you don’t know ahead of time which clues to reveal to readers at which points in the story. Whether it’s a whodunnit or a suspenseful thriller, a mystery benefits hugely from planning the story in advance. You’ve got to thoroughly understand the crime, who committed it, how they did it, and any breadcrumbs they’ve left behind that will lead to the truth coming out.

On the other hand, a genre like speculative fiction can work well with a pantsing mentality, as exploring a unique story world often leads to a good plot naturally. Margaret Atwood, for example, has likened her writing process to jumping into a lake and going swimming. Beginning with just an interesting idea or the concept of a scene, she limits her planning and simply starts writing to see where the world takes her.

2. Your time frame

If your top priority is to write efficiently and limit the rewriting process, plotting is the method for you (Elizabeth has previously touched on the relative efficiency of plotting here).

Having written over 70 books, fantasy author Brandon Sanderson is known — among many things — for his consistent publishing schedule. He has explained that his writing process includes outlining, roadmaps, and the creation of detailed worldbuilding structures. This level of preparation means his first drafts require far fewer changes than fully unplanned drafts.

With pantsing, meanwhile, stories twist and turn in ways authors don’t expect. Something like an unforeseen climax or the realization of a character’s true motivation may alter the entire narrative and require earlier sections to be rewritten. Of course, no first draft is perfect, and rewriting is not inherently bad — especially if you’re someone who enjoys it! However, extensive rewrites can obviously lengthen the process of finishing a story.

So while plotting requires more upfront work, it does tend to save time overall, as it reduces the likelihood of major structural revisions.

3. What inspires you

As mentioned, there is no one “right” way to craft a story. For plotters, preparing a plan can help prevent writer’s block — the dreaded feeling of “I have no idea where to go from here” that halts writing altogether.

But for writers who prefer to pants, a detailed plan can be stifling. It can feel like a limit to creativity and an obstacle to developing richer, more complex characters and storylines. You’ve probably heard some authors talk about times when their characters “surprised” them. Pantsing leaves room to delve deep into the mind of a character and let their actions flow from there, taking the story in interesting and unexpected directions. When you’re deciding whether to plot or pants, think about what makes you feel confident and excited to start (and continue!) writing.

Also, don’t be afraid to try both methods. If you’re typically a pantser but you’ve been feeling blocked lately, try planning out a scene before writing. Or if plotting is more your style, but you’re starting to feel constrained, try writing your next scene with zero preparation. Do you feel closer to your characters? Did something happen that you didn’t consider possible before?

4. Whether you can combine methods

On that note, you may actually wish to pick and choose your favorite parts of both methods. Yes, sometimes the choice can feel very black-and-white — especially when you hear some authors like Stephen King decrying outlines as “the last resource of bad fiction writers who wish to God they were writing masters’ theses.”

But in reality, there’s always room for nuance… and a lot of writers fall somewhere in between the two extremes.

Introducing: the “plantsers.” Author R.F. Kuang, for instance, has said that she typically knows the ending and the climax of a story before she starts writing — but beyond that, she lets the story take her where it wants to go. Rick Riordan recommends combating writer’s block by making a loose outline for each chapter that you can deviate from as needed.

The tips I’ve discussed here can be a helpful outline to get you started (see what I did there?), but it’s up to you to discover what enables your strongest writing. It’s a decision every author must make for themselves — but remember, it doesn’t need to be all or nothing, and don’t hesitate to mix or switch methods to find a better way forward.

Kelsie Oshinsky is a writer for Reedsy, a publishing platform that helps authors publish their books by connecting them with editors, designers, and marketers. In her spare time, she enjoys reading fiction, going to the theatre, and working on her own creative writing projects.