Sunday, October 11, 2015

Living Life–Pantser Style

Most writers are aware there are two basic approaches to creating a manuscript–people who plot the story out, either by a detailed outline or a simple listing of the plot points (plotters)
or those who don't have a clue when they sit down at the computer where their story is going to go and prefer to fly by the seat of their pants. (pantsers)

In writing, I'm a loose plotter. I'll list the major plot points, get them in order according to Blake Snyder's Save The Cat. Then, I'll write up a synopsis in advance of the story, to see if there's enough story line for a full-length novel. Only then do I dive into the writing of the book.

However, in life, I'm a bit more of a pantser. My sister and I have our house on the market and have been searching for a new area in which to live. We go back and forth over whether we want to buy or rent, if we want to move to a warmer climate, or if we want a condo or a house. Then, you throw in cluster homes and 55-plus communities, and each day is a new adventure.

My California friends were excited for a brief moment when my sister came back from a week's vacation with a book of apartments for rent in southern California. Nice idea, but way too pricey for this girl. The bowling alley house in a nearby town was quite nice, but got snapped up by a buyer before we got our home sold. And the condo in town sold before we could even determine where our furniture might go. Now, we have plans to take a short vacation to Nashville in November. Maybe I'll end up being a neighbor to Reba McIntire. And I can go to the Grand Old Opry every Friday night. Might be fun.



You see what I mean about being a pantser in life? It kinda keeps things interesting.

But my quest for a new home doesn't overshadow my work. I've got a giveaway going on Goodreads, for two autographed copies of Blame It On The Brontes. And two of my books, The Duplicitous Debutante and Expressly Yours, Samantha have made it into the final round of voting on The Romance Reviews's site. If you click on any of the buttons on the right, you'll be directed to their sites. You'll need to be logged in to vote on The Romance Review site, but don't let that stop you. I need every vote I can get.



2 comments:

  1. Becky, I'm a pantser in life and writing. I sometimes wish I were a plotter. Have the whole thing there in front of you, and fill in the blanks. Can't teach an old dog new tricks, I'm afraid.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I wish I could be more of a plotter in my personal life. Maybe then, I'd know where I wanted to live next. It's so frustrating...

    ReplyDelete