Pantser or plotter? It’s a question commonly asked of writers, usually trying to understand whether they plan everything out in advance or prefer to start from an idea or situation and see where it takes them. Neither is ‘correct’, it’s just a matter of finding the approach that works best for you.
This month, we’re asking a similar question in Writing Magazine, but rather more figuratively. Are you a pantser or plotter when it comes to your writing life? Are you working towards clearly defined targets with a stepby- step plan or just seeing where the path takes you? Are you adaptable enough to respond to changes in the market, or make the most of unexpected opportunities. Or is ‘being a writer’ all that matters? Again, of course, there is no right or wrong way, but it never hurts to step back and reflect on your motives for writing, and what you want to get out of it.
Turn inside to learn the approaches some other authors take: Simon Whaley talks to two writers who branched out into new territory to build their writing careers (p68), and poet Kenneth Steven knew since childhood that his aim was to sustain himself through poetry and had to figure out how to make that financially viable (p32). And whether you plan or not in the long term, as far as marketing or promoting yourself are concerned, it’s never too early to start, as Jenny Alexander explains (p12).