Advice for a First Time Author

...sigh...

The world will not end in nuclear fire or drown under the seas of climate change. No. We will survive those things. What will kill us in the end is the need to hold to a point of view as an absolute unto the breach.

Clearly, obviously, empirically, there is more than one way to skin the literary cat. It bears out in the simple fact that we can read uncounted articles from published authors who hold to pantsing, planning, plantsing, getting high, staying sober, retreating from humanity, diving into humanity genitals first, etc., etc., etc.

What's not to understand here? Why are we arguing? Why? Are the planets in alignment this week? Are the Mystics making their way to the castle of the Skesis, Jen and Kira making their way there as well while Aughra wobbles her way down, encumbered by her oddly enormous bosom?

The mods already asked for a cool-down of this thread once. Was that missed?

 

All plans change.

But failing to plan is planning to fail.

I taught project management and part of the plan is a risk plan to change the plan when stuff happens.

 

This error of logic is one that I would liken to the type of error that happens when one mixes epistemologies. You assume an absolute, linear progression of events that must be held to. Your statement may well hold true for you, but it clearly, empirically, is not the case for all.

 

You know when you say a word over and over it starts to sound funny? That's what this post does. Plan. Plaaaan. Pla-an. Plannnnn.


Edited to add: I wanted to argue more, but I can see it's a lost cause, and I like this thread. So I bow to the benevolent guidance of @Wreybies and shut my mouth and just point out the silly thing I was thinking.

 

You SEE! You just get sucked in!

You know he's wrong, but you get sucked in ANYWAY!

So... you tell us. Are the planets aligned? Is some weird stuff about the Mystics happening?

Or is he just a pretty effective troll who manages to suck people in despite them knowing it's a waste of everyone's time?

 

You guys are actually all wrong.

Doesn't everyone know the best way to write is to binge watch reality television? I know this because I have a much higher education than anyone else in the world.

 

I just happened to be watching The Dark Crystal earlier today. Couldn't help but make a reference.

I just like to know that I've tried my best in civil discourse before I don my mod hat.

 

I am a pantser. Not an outliner.

You like to plan and outline, great.
You like to write by the seat of your pants, great.

At the end of the day you will still end up with a story.
There is no one way to write. You have yours, and I have mine.

@Wreybies curse you...now I feel the need to watch Dark Crystal.
Might make it a double feature with Legend, because of Tim Curry
as the devil with his wobbly horns.

 

It's a genius film. But seriously, if you watch it, pay attention to Aughra. Poor thing is need of a reduction. Not sure what Frank Oz was thinking...

 

Guys,

There has to be a better term than "panster." I cringe every time I read and write it.

And I don't like "discovery writer" either.

What else can we come up with?

 

Artist Following the One True Path?

Free Thinker Who Refuses to be Enslaved?

Freedom Writer! THAT'S a good one!

 

You're on the right path here, but I'm not sure it truly encapsulates the true essence of pantsing, which is that it's the only right method.

So, I guess we should just call it Writing (always capital W), because anything else obviously isn't Writing.

 

To slip back into member mode...

Best thing I was ever told was to just get it out onto the page and stop worrying about how that first draft looks, stop treating it like it's meant to be close to the final product.

 

Yup, good, good.

Or maybe Creating. Because, you know, people write e-mails and whatever, and that's a kind of writing, but it's not Creating. Not like we artists Create.

 

I've been trying since this thread started to come up with some advice that's really stuck with me, and I haven't been able to think of anything.

I'm sure I've gotten some, somewhere...?

Maybe just my typical bad memory. I can barely remember where I am, let alone what good stuff somebody once said to me.

 

Actually, I have another great piece of advice: Read everything, then think about it.

I am currently doing a study on Clive Barker, where I read his works and really think about composure, the story, and ideas that repeat themselves. It's amazing, but I've only just started my look into him and I've already discovered and learned some great ideas, and tricks that I plan on implementing into my own writing. I think there is great value in reading something and trying to figure out why the author wrote certain things in the manner that he or she did.

 

Ooh, yeah, I like that. Read and think.

That works for me!

 

This one isn't so bad.

 

ROTFLMAO

I ASSume nothing.

It is a true statement.
Never implied anything was linear.
Read all the posts and you see I said planning is iterative.
Stuff happens and plans change to adapt.

But without a plan to start with you guarantee inferior results.

 

Ok, Joe. *soft sigh* This is the point where I feel like you're treating my forum as a little playground for you to pluck strings and have at the citizenry for your personal enjoyment, and to bolster your sense of superiority, a/k/a you're trolling my forum. This thread is now closed to you.

You have my attention, sir.

That's not the boon it would seem to be.

 

On the plus side, he's using capital letters and punctuation now, so... progress?

(No, don't listen to me! I am NOT speaking up for him! No, no, no!)

 

Makes me think of hockey, but that may be a regional issue.

 

Yeah. That's definitely a regional thing. I'm not sure what that term even means in relation to hockey.

I don't even know why Arizona has a team.

The city in which they play doesn't even want them.