Plotting vs. Pantsing (Writing Community Lingo)

An eternal debate in the writing community involves whether plotting or pantsing is the better approach.

Plotters develop outlines, summaries, and/or detailed notes before writing. They usually know the main story beats and have planned out the character arcs and world in advance.

Pantsers write by the seat of their pants, letting the characters and story reveal themselves as they go. They could have an idea for the ending they’re working toward, but it’s liable to change; they might have a structure in their head, even if they don’t write it down.

When I’m writing, I plot some stories and pants others; my approach varies from project to project.

Architects and Gardeners

In a 2011 interview, George R.R. Martin refers to plotters and pantsers as architects and gardeners, and he himself leans toward being a gardener/pantser:

“The architects do blueprints before they drive the first nail, they design the entire house, where the pipes are running, and how many rooms there are going to be, how high the roof will be. But the gardeners just dig a hole and plant…