In the world of writing, we authors try to break ourselves down into two groups, perhaps in case there is some sort of war, that way we will know who’s on whose side. The categories are plotter and pantser. A plotter is a writer who maps out their story, knowing where it will go every step of the way. A pantser is one who, perhaps with no more than a vague idea, sits down and writes to see where the characters and the germination of an idea will take them. I am somewhere in the middle, kind of like Switzerland, but let’s find out where my guest, Joseph Eastwood–author of Lumen, the first book in the Blood Luminary series–slots himself in when the big battle begins.
Plotter or Pantser?
I am a plotter. I love to plot and plan my stories. I also have schedules, and if I miss it then it screws up my whole day and throws everything out of sync. I cannot pants at anything, and although sometimes I try when I do my flash fiction pieces, I just can’t, I also plan them to an extent, and I always have to know where it’s going or where it’s got to get to.
I think that pantsing is a great skill, I think it means that you can make mistakes, and look back and think, well, thank goodness I didn’t plan any of that, and it’s even better if it’s good, because you’re just like “yeah, it was all spur of the moment writing,” and so you feel better.
I’d like to think that I wasn’t the only person who felt like they could do with a little bit of both in their life. Pantsing has its pros, it also has its cons, and the same goes for plotting. A pantser might write a book in 20 days, especially if they’re just reeling it all off and trying to make as much sense on page as it does in their head. This can be a bad thing especially when they give it a read through and realise that there are some plot holes and errors. Now, with plotting, you do just that, you plot, and you try and stop holes in the plot from occurring before they work their way into the book.
So I guess what I’m saying is that I would like the spontaneity of a pantser, and if I had that, mixed with my already overplotting self, I figure that I could get more work done. As one of the cons to plotting is how time consuming, well, how consuming in general plotting can be, not only to time, but also just to yourself, I find myself waking up in the middle of the night and I have ideas that need to be written down and need to be put into my story in one way or another. A pantser may get the same urge especially when they’re in the midst of a huge write, because being a writer isn’t a hobby, it’s actually the most consuming thing ever.
Is it strange that I’m a plotter with dreams of one day possessing some of the skills of a pantser?
Are you a plotter or a panter? Or the same as me? Or the opposite?
About Joseph
Joseph Eastwood is the eldest of five siblings. He lives and grew up in Lancaster, England, where he also attends the University of Cumbria, studying English Literature and Creative Writing.
He has always had a giant creative connection in his life, from drawing and writing to having an eclectic taste in music and reading a wide range of books, which he hopes reflects in his own writing. He also loves watching sci-fi, supernatural and fantasy based TV shows and films. Among some of his favourites are Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries and True Blood. As well as those he loves dramas, like The Good Wife and Desperate Housewives.
Joseph is either busy doing edits and writing or trying to get some university work done. He lives for creativity, striving to be different and thinking up new hoops for his characters to jump through.
Links
http://www.josepheastwood.com/ – Blog
https://www.facebook.com/josephswriting – Facebook page
https://twitter.com/#!/Joe_Eastwood – Twitter
About Lumen
Lumen is the first in the four-part Blood Luminary series following the characters, Daniel Satoria, Jac Lister and Mia Crosgrove.
Daniel, like all other adolescents on Templar Island is going through the final transition that will allow him to manipulate the bonds of energy and do more than just tamper with his own biological form.
After a near-death experience he is accepted into Croft’s Academy, the only private school on the island and for someone like Daniel to gain access to such teaching is a privilege, and they won’t let him forget it. He tries to fit in, but that’s when things take a turn for the worst, and everything he once knew can’t be possible any more. He doesn’t know who to trust or what to believe.
SOON TO BE RELEASED!
Add to Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13219801-lumen
Bruce Blake 
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