Plotter or Pantser?

As a writer, answering that question was one of the most helpful things I ever did.In the writing world, a plotter is someone who plans out their novel before they write it. These people typically have in-depth outlines and fully-developed descriptions for characters.When I first read about plotters and pantsers, I thought, "I'm a very organized, detail-oriented person. I'm totally a plotter."Then I looked up some good plotting and outlining strategies online and got to work. I worked hard on those outlines, but the harder I worked on an outline, the more overwhelmed I got with the idea of writing a story. To the point that I wanted to give up every time I sat down at my keyboard. It was too much.So, naturally, I thought there was something wrong with my outline, which meant I had to fix it. I can't tell you how hours, days, and weeks I spent struggling with outlines and doing character interviews trying to find my story.No matter what I did, it wouldn't work. The story wasn't good. The characters didn't make sense. I didn't even enjoy writing at that point.Eventually, I realized, or admitted, that I'm not a plotter, I'm a pantser.A pantser is someone who "flies by the seat of their pants." They make it up as they go. They don't do much planning, if any, before starting their story.Once I was willing to acknowledge that I'm a pantser, writing became enjoyable again. Sure, there are days where it's hard (staring a blank page with no idea where you're story is going can be a bit intimidating), but for the most part, writing without a full outline makes me feel free. I'm free to change the direction of the story; I'm free to get rid of characters I don't like; I'm free to do whatever I want without having to consult a rigid plan.The downside of being a pantser is that it's easy to say "I don't know where the story is going yet..." and use that as an excuse not to write. Which is why I try to hold myself to a strict writing schedule. Often times, I don't know where the story is going, but if I sit my butt in a chair and force myself to write, I'll figure it out.I mentioned last week that I include an outline as part of my series bible. How can I be a pantser and have an outline? Well, my outline isn't much of an outline at the beginning. It's just a list of chapters with a few bullet-point ideas written where I think the turning points for the story should end up.Then, once I actually start writing, I add bullet-points under various chapters as I come up with ideas for later in the story. So, my outline is more like a idea holder than an actual plan for the story. A lot of what I write on my outline at the beginning ends up changing as I let the story and the characters direct my writing.I'm a pantser, and I love it.