Planning Vs Going With The Flow

[Silver_Arrow]

I've found that outside of some large plot points I don't really plan my story. I let the story write itself, so to say, as I type it. That doesn't mean I don't make small changes here and there, but for the most part the story just ends up on the page. I'm often worried that I'm doing something wrong and I need to have sheets of notes and planning. I do keep some world building documents but when it comes to the actual story it only becomes written when I type. I'm not sure if this will get me in trouble down the line as I continue to write.

Do others meticulously plan or is 'winging it' for lack of a better term ok in the long run?

I don't mean to suggest I don't think about the story and characters, I often stop and wonder how a given character might react but then the scene just plays out on its own as I type. Does this make sense to anyone or am I a bit crazy?

 

[StillStunned]

I mostly work the same way. My stories are usually built on one or two images that form in my mind. Anything that takes longer than a single sitting to write, I'll take a break after a few thousand words and think where I want it to go. Then I'll go back and rework what I already have to fit that idea, and then continue writing. Lather, rinse and repeat until I'm done.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

I tend to plan far ahead. The way the plot progresses, the way characters develop, the way the world is expanding... I plan all the major developments far ahead. Some actual scenes I often work out during the writing, and when it comes to sex scenes I rarely plan anything before I start typing.
I think that planning is a must in a long series or there will be inconsistencies with the way characters act and there will definitely be some plot meandering. The length and the scope of the story are the prevailing factors that influence the amount of planning needed.

 

[Silver_Arrow]

I tend to plan far ahead. The way the plot progresses, the way characters develop, the way the world is expanding... I plan all the major developments far ahead. Some actual scenes I often work out during the writing, and when it comes to sex scenes I rarely plan anything before I start typing.
I think that planning is a must in a long series or there will be inconsistencies with the way characters act and there will definitely be some plot meandering. The length and the scope of the story are the prevailing factors that influence the amount of planning needed.

Do you think it's enough to keep different profiles with a characters traits and ideals or should there be more than that? As it stands I add bits here and there as the characters develop, I think my main ones have a pretty sold spot in my mind which they 'act' from.

 

[happyyy_]

I find coming up with a really vague idea and then discovery writing (of sorts) for the first chapter or two works well for me. I have always struggled with ditching scenes and ideas that I really loved when they didn't mesh well with the over all plot, so working this way has helped me learn to let go.
I start with 1-3 sentences about the main character, the first scene, and the main conflict of the story. Once I start writing the first chapter the real conflicts and character personalities seem to come out. Sometimes I ditch the first chapter after that point or edit it, depending how bad it is lol.
Once I have a solid plan I like to map out all the important scenes and character arcs. I do usually plan out the entire scene before I write it, but it rarely works out how I plan.

Personally I am not a very experienced writer, so I think that if I didn't plan out my characters in depth they would end up very shallow. I find the most impactful stories have the biggest/most interesting character arcs for me, so its something I have been trying to focus on in my writing. Erotica is a really interesting way to explore arcs too.

 

[Silver_Arrow]

I mostly work the same way. My stories are usually built on one or two images that form in my mind. Anything that takes longer than a single sitting to write, I'll take a break after a few thousand words and think where I want it to go. Then I'll go back and rework what I already have to fit that idea, and then continue writing. Lather, rinse and repeat until I'm done.

I think my biggest writing red flag is that I've always been a one and done writer, at least coming from an academic setting as I've never done creative writing before this adventure. I do some editing but I've always avoided going back for major rewrites, it hurts me inside? Hard to explain but I always get the feeling that the story I'm telling is what I've written. I'll change small bits to fit details later on but no major narrative changes. Do you organize your storys in any way?

 

[StillStunned]

I think my biggest writing red flag is that I've always been a one and done writer, at least coming from an academic setting as I've never done creative writing before this adventure. I do some editing but I've always avoided going back for major rewrites, it hurts me inside? Hard to explain but I always get the feeling that the story I'm telling is what I've written. I'll change small bits to fit details later on but no major narrative changes. Do you organize your storys in any way?

Never delete anything. Save it in a separate folder, or resave your story under a different name before you rework it. That makes it easier, it gives you a way back.

Mostly, though, when I'm reworking I'm adding new information to pave the way for the new developments I've come up with. It's like making it up as you go along, but with the ability to make it seem as if you planned it all out.

And no, very little organisation. I might rename a story "v2" if I decide to take it in a different direction. If I abandon it, it goes in a folder I call "Dead ends and false starts". Anything that's been published goes in a "Completed" folder. For the remainder, my "Literotica stuff" is just a folder with Word files listed one below the other.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

I'm mostly a plotter but I'll take ideas any way that I can. I'm not proud and I'm not that set in my ways, or at least my set ways are fairly broad.

For me, shorter stories tend to be more plotted, like 90% plotted and up, whereas longer stories tend to be more in the 60-75% plotted range as it's just too hairy to plot out 30-40-50k story completely before drafting.

I do much much brainstorm before I ever write a word. If I brainstorm something that sticks in my head and that I like, it will usually be a scene, a character or two. So I will write out that scene and then start plotting from there. I may write two or three scenes and then start connecting them with notes and from there a plot skeleton will form. I use reams of point form notes. Then I flesh the notes into sentences and paragraphs and finally hone those sentences and paragraphs into smooth prose. I jump around the plot skeleton adding flesh to the bones wherever I am most inspired. It keeps the writer's block away.

Overall I would say that I'm a 75-80% plotter.

Plotting vs pantsing: there is no better method than another. It's just whatever works best for you. However, I do sense that there are writers out there that love to pants it and never edit anything because it often shows. No matter if you pants or plot, you need to edit seriously, and especially if you pants, you need to edit carefully since the method inherently meanders and leaves loose ends.

We're all pantsers to a degree. That's where writing happens. That's the moment where the words land on the paper. Even myself as a heavy plotter can't avoid it. I cannot deny that certain bits of dialogue or certain descriptions or moments just hit me while I'm typing and magic happens. We're also all plotters to a degree. If you have any vague idea of what your character will do next or how he will get out of this predicament and end the scene, you're plotting.

What I will say is that there are true pantsers who work their best when they are typing in the inspired moment and interesting things happen on the page, but there are a lot of people who will call themselves pantsers who are just lazy and it shows in their work. Pantsing is fun. There is a high in it when it's working well. Creation is flowing through you in the moment and it feels amazing. Plotting is work. Certainly I have had wonderfully satisfying creative moments coming up with plot connections, but generally, it's grunt work that lays the foundation that allows you to have fun pantsing. When you're actually typing out the words, there can be a high in that, and some people all they want is that high. They don't want the boring job of laying the foundation and they certainly don't want the tedium of cleaning up the mess in editing, so they just cherry pick the fun parts and call themselves a pantser (to the possible chagrin of the true pantser if he cares) and never do take their writing to the next level (whatever that level may be). These people aren't really true pantsers. They're just lazy.

What I have come to learn is that the satisfaction of a finished story that feels as good as I could have made it far outweighs the high of writing in the moment. The high of pantsing is gone the moment that the moment ends, whereas the satisfaction of a well crafted story for all to see lasts forever. That's what I find more important and I remind myself of that every time that I am fleshing out my prose. Slow down and get it right, or stop and lay down some plot notes, or come back later and edit. That's how I see it and that's what works for me.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

Do you think it's enough to keep different profiles with a characters traits and ideals or should there be more than that? As it stands I add bits here and there as the characters develop, I think my main ones have a pretty sold spot in my mind which they 'act' from.

Depends on how many important characters you are writing. If there are more than a few, then I guess it would be helpful to keep a reminder of their traits.
Personally, I keep my main characters in my head and when I write from their POV, I try to get into their heads and write them accordingly. I think it works for me. When I switch POV from my male MC to my female MC I tend to write more colorfully, to emphasize the change of perspective. The style becomes more flowery, more feminine. How much I actually succeed in doing that and how often I let myself slip into a different character is open to debate, I guess
But one former AH member, a provocateur of a sort, once told me that my writing style is feminine, which he inferred by reading my lesbian series. Of course, he said in an attempt to rile me up but ended up paying me a compliment. Go figure.

 

[Bamagan]

I've found that outside of some large plot points I don't really plan my story. I let the story write itself, so to say, as I type it. That doesn't mean I don't make small changes here and there, but for the most part the story just ends up on the page. I'm often worried that I'm doing something wrong and I need to have sheets of notes and planning. I do keep some world building documents but when it comes to the actual story it only becomes written when I type. I'm not sure if this will get me in trouble down the line as I continue to write.

Do others meticulously plan or is 'winging it' for lack of a better term ok in the long run?

I don't mean to suggest I don't think about the story and characters, I often stop and wonder how a given character might react but then the scene just plays out on its own as I type. Does this make sense to anyone or am I a bit crazy?

I tend to start out with a plan, which is sometimes simple and sometimes complex, with many intermediate goals. But the story tends to carve out strange paths to get there once I start writing, kind of like a river meandering and cutting its way through obstacles. It eventually gets where it's going, but very rarely by a direct route.
My note-keeping is primarily for character factsheets, so I don't accidentally mix up physical features or details of their history or circumstances, especially in longer works and/or those with large supporting casts. It's somewhat of a hassle to double-check, but astute readers will call you out if freckles suddenly vanish or someone's butt goes from apple to pumpkin (unless that's part of the story, of course).

 

[Silver_Arrow]

I'm mostly a plotter but I'll take ideas any way that I can. I'm not proud and I'm not that set in my ways, or at least my set ways are fairly broad.

For me, shorter stories tend to be more plotted, like 90% plotted and up, whereas longer stories tend to be more in the 60-75% plotted range as it's just too hairy to plot out 30-40-50k story completely before drafting.

I do much much brainstorm before I ever write a word. If I brainstorm something that sticks in my head and that I like, it will usually be a scene, a character or two. So I will write out that scene and then start plotting from there. I may write two or three scenes and then start connecting them with notes and from there a plot skeleton will form. I use reams of point form notes. Then I flesh the notes into sentences and paragraphs and finally hone those sentences and paragraphs into smooth prose. I jump around the plot skeleton adding flesh to the bones wherever I am most inspired. It keeps the writer's block away.

Overall I would say that I'm a 75-80% plotter.

Plotting vs pantsing: there is no better method than another. It's just whatever works best for you. However, I do sense that there are writers out there that love to pants it and never edit anything because it often shows. No matter if you pants or plot, you need to edit seriously, and especially if you pants, you need to edit carefully since the method inherently meanders and leaves loose ends.

We're all pantsers to a degree. That's where writing happens. That's the moment where the words land on the paper. Even myself as a heavy plotter can't avoid it. I cannot deny that certain bits of dialogue or certain descriptions or moments just hit me while I'm typing and magic happens. We're also all plotters to a degree. If you have any vague idea of what your character will do next or how he will get out of this predicament and end the scene, you're plotting.

What I will say is that there are true pantsers who work their best when they are typing in the inspired moment and interesting things happen on the page, but there are a lot of people who will call themselves pantsers who are just lazy and it shows in their work. Pantsing is fun. There is a high in it when it's working well. Creation is flowing through you in the moment and it feels amazing. Plotting is work. Certainly I have had wonderfully satisfying creative moments coming up with plot connections, but generally, it's grunt work that lays the foundation that allows you to have fun pantsing. When you're actually typing out the words, there can be a high in that, and some people all they want is that high. They don't want the boring job of laying the foundation and they certainly don't want the tedium of cleaning up the mess in editing, so they just cherry pick the fun parts and call themselves a pantser (to the possible chagrin of the true pantser if he cares) and never do take their writing to the next level (whatever that level may be). These people aren't really true pantsers. They're just lazy.

What I have come to learn is that the satisfaction of a finished story that feels as good as I could have made it far outweighs the high of writing in the moment. The high of pantsing is gone the moment that the moment ends, whereas the satisfaction of a well crafted story for all to see lasts forever. That's what I find more important and I remind myself of that every time that I am fleshing out my prose. Slow down and get it right, or stop and lay down some plot notes, or come back later and edit. That's how I see it and that's what works for me.

This was very helpful. Thank you. I think I'm still at the part of my writing journey and development where I don't have a strong sense my own writing being good. As such each finished chapter is a flood of anxiety and worry. I get satisfaction from finishing then editing and knowing it's done. As to weather any of my chapters are as good as I could have made them isn't something I think I'm capable of judging with my current skills. Hopefully as I keep writing I'll develop a better sense for this as well as gain some more self confidence.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Do others meticulously plan or is 'winging it' for lack of a better term ok in the long run?

You're fine. You're a pantser writer, just like all the other pantser writers out there. There's no law that says you must plan, do outlines, do character sheets, do this and that. Writers who do those things do those things, but that doesn't mean you need to. Write the way that suits you.

I'm a pantser writer too, I do okay.

 

[Voboy]

I think my biggest writing red flag is that I've always been a one and done writer, at least coming from an academic setting as I've never done creative writing before this adventure. I do some editing but I've always avoided going back for major rewrites, it hurts me inside? Hard to explain but I always get the feeling that the story I'm telling is what I've written. I'll change small bits to fit details later on but no major narrative changes.

I'm exactly the same way.

You're fine, OP. Everyone has their own process. If yours works for you, go with it. If it doesn't? Change. There are no rules, even though some people like to claim there are.

 

[TheRedChamber]

There arw two questions to ask yourself. Am I writing and finishing what I write? And, am I happy with what I write?

Looking at your profile , dates and scores, it doesnt seem like there should be any reason why the answers to those questions shouldnt be 'yes'. So you do you and 9 submissions in, I'd just keep writing the way you are. Especially as you are writing a series.

Everyone writes differently, but that doesn't mean that you cant experiment with different ways of writing. I started off as a superplanner and, while I still am, Ive relaxed to the point where I will spend an hour putting a scene down on paper if Im happy my mental model is good ready in my mind even if I dont know where the story is going. Im fairly relaxed about it sitting on my harddrive for the next six months (or forever) for the rest of the story to arrive. But I still prefer to have a complete outline before starting to write.

 

[Otto26]

I am going to largely echo pink_silk_glove. I do a lot of plotting. This is mostly playing through the story as I go to sleep and then making some notes in the morning. I know roughly where I want to end up and I know roughly how I want to get there and I've got several ideas of what events happen in what order. This allows me to foreshadow and pick out certain points of character development I want to emphasize. It also allows me to avoid getting 10K words into a story and realizing that it's got an unresolvable plot hole.

But when I'm writing the characters they sometimes lead me astray. Sometimes it's great. Mostly it's just me losing focus. I'm unafraid to change what I've plotted if something better occurs to me but that usually means changes in how we get to the destination rather than a change of destination.

 

[Cali_Love]

I’m a reader first, writer second. It is easy to separate the planners from the GWTF writers, almost from the get go. Either way, the best ones will imbed seeds into the tale that grow and flower throughout. Not well done in Lit but if I plow through that haystack hard enough as I’m wont to do, I’ll find that proverbial needle now and again.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

This was very helpful. Thank you. I think I'm still at the part of my writing journey and development where I don't have a strong sense my own writing being good. As such each finished chapter is a flood of anxiety and worry. I get satisfaction from finishing then editing and knowing it's done. As to weather any of my chapters are as good as I could have made them isn't something I think I'm capable of judging with my current skills. Hopefully as I keep writing I'll develop a better sense for this as well as gain some more self confidence.

It can be difficult to understand the level of your own skills but the simplest thing is to ask yourself some questions. Do I like my own story? Did my story achieve what I wanted it to do when I started writing it? How does my story compare with some of my favorite writers?

Certainly feedback from readers can help. They are the only ones who can tell you how your stuff reads. You really can't do that accurately yourself as your own brain fills in the blanks that you may have left off the page.

The trap that you want to avoid is to judge how good you are by the opinions of others. If you do this you will lose control of your skill development. Take feedback as plainly and objectively as possible. Don't get high or low by from the cheerleaders or the trolls.

 

[OffNSFW]

I think it's good to start out with some ideas of important events you'd like to hit, especially for longer works where it's easy to lose your sense of structure. But I also think that's just a guideline to help you get started. A lot of my stories grow away from my initial idea. That doesn't mean I abandon any sense of outline, but I might adjust it midstream.

I'm about halfway done with a draft of my Summer Lovin' story. I've dropped plot ideas, added new ones in, added old ones back in... there's a bit of trial and error as you get to know your characters and take their journey with them.

My longer stories also tend to lapse into an everything and the kitchen sink cavalcade of sexual fantasies, which sounds fun in theory. But, in practice, finding the one thing that the story's really about is the best way to machete your way through the thicket of possible ideas when you don't have a fixed outline in place.

 

[Voyeurkenneth]

I think it's good to start out with some ideas of important events you'd like to hit, especially for longer works where it's easy to lose your sense of structure. But I also think that's just a guideline to help you get started. A lot of my stories grow away from my initial idea. That doesn't mean I abandon any sense of outline, but I might adjust it midstream.

I'm about halfway done with a draft of my Summer Lovin' story. I've dropped plot ideas, added new ones in, added old ones back in... there's a bit of trial and error as you get to know your characters and take their journey with them.

My longer stories also tend to lapse into an everything and the kitchen sink cavalcade of sexual fantasies, which sounds fun in theory. But, in practice, finding the one thing that the story's really about is the best way to machete your way through the thicket of possible ideas when you don't have a fixed outline in place.

I think it's good to start out with some ideas of important events you'd like to hit, especially for longer works where it's easy to lose your sense of structure. But I also think that's just a guideline to help you get started. A lot of my stories grow away from my initial idea. That doesn't mean I abandon any sense of outline, but I might adjust it midstream.

I'm about halfway done with a draft of my Summer Lovin' story. I've dropped plot ideas, added new ones in, added old ones back in... there's a bit of trial and error as you get to know your characters and take their journey with them.

My longer stories also tend to lapse into an everything and the kitchen sink cavalcade of sexual fantasies, which sounds fun in theory. But, in practice, finding the one thing that the story's really about is the best way to machete your way through the thicket of possible ideas when you don't have a fixed outline in place.

I wholeheartedly agree with this answer. Find the theme. Write around it. I’m trying to do better at that as opposed to presenting an erotic scenario.

I usually drum concepts for 4-5 scenes that feel like they can connect. Then let the writing process work out the details. Delete and omit as needed to focus on the point of the scene.

When I started writing a year ago, I thought it best to write in sequence from start to finish. But I’m getting more comfortable just throwing stuff on the page, out of order, and let the editing process sharpen and shave it down.

 

[Silver_Arrow]

It can be difficult to understand the level of your own skills but the simplest thing is to ask yourself some questions. Do I like my own story? Did my story achieve what I wanted it to do when I started writing it? How does my story compare with some of my favorite writers?

Certainly feedback from readers can help. They are the only ones who can tell you how your stuff reads. You really can't do that accurately yourself as your own brain fills in the blanks that you may have left off the page.

The trap that you want to avoid is to judge how good you are by the opinions of others. If you do this you will lose control of your skill development. Take feedback as plainly and objectively as possible. Don't get high or low by from the cheerleaders or the trolls.

I'm usually left at the end of a chapter feeling fairly pleased, if anxious. I don't see any comparisons between my writing and that of others, as I suppose I tend to view my writing with an overly negative eye.

I too frequently fall into basing how well I'm doing by the rise and fall of my writings review scores, which I suppose counts as the opinions of others. If indirectly and lacking true feedback. It's a very bad habit. I don't tend to get any written feedback on my stories.

 

[Silver_Arrow]

I wholeheartedly agree with this answer. Find the theme. Write around it. I’m trying to do better at that as opposed to presenting an erotic scenario.

I usually drum concepts for 4-5 scenes that feel like they can connect. Then let the writing process work out the details. Delete and omit as needed to focus on the point of the scene.

When I started writing a year ago, I thought it best to write in sequence from start to finish. But I’m getting more comfortable just throwing stuff on the page, out of order, and let the editing process sharpen and shave it down.

I do skip around sometimes, unless I start writing and end up going A to B. When I wrote chapter 8 I think I wrote point D first then B the F and eventually roped it all together and smoothed out the transitions. That is when I tend to worry I might accidentally omit something for forget a narrative point due to lack of planning.

 

[ronde]

I usually start with an ending in mind. Sometimes I find that my characters have changed my ending, but it's a place to start. After that, I figure out the who, when, where, and most importantly, the why. I don't make outlines but I do keep a list of names and descriptions and traits that are important to the story. Those are the things that define my plot and make sure my characters get to a logical ending.

The only real hard-core planning i do is a necessity because many of my stories take place over a period of time longer than a day or two. I make a timeline so I can keep dates in a believable order.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

I tend to have some sort of erotic image in my mind, and take it from there. What's happening in the image, who are they, how did they meet, how did they get to where they are together, what happens after?

Or a character and another character. What are each of them like, then what would happen if they met? Would they get together? This being Lit, they pretty much always do - I do throw in some monosexuals for variety - and how?

For my Crime & Punishment story this year I took a character of mine. What if they got arrested? What would it be for? (Public sex both fit the characters and Lit demands) What would happen after arrest, just because I wanted to try writing a police procedural from the arrestee's POV. But starting with a detailed sex scene and then going to all the legal detail doesn't work narratively. So I cut it from the start to the bare minimum, and had them re-enact it and reminisce at the end. But only after adding various stuff to the post-arrest section and realising it didn't really add anything not justify any sort of climax (narrative nor characters getting off).

I have one character who keeps getting cut, and it's happened again. Trying to produce his own story, but it's long so slow-going.