One of the most universal things about writing is how personal it is. Editors like me, Brianna, are always conscientious of that as we encounter manuscripts from all sorts of people. How many times have you heard yourself or another writer referring to their story with terms like “my baby,” “my brain child,” and so on? Our identities bleed onto every page we write.
Solitary writers exist, but this personal nature is why writing communities are so prevalent. When we encounter the words of other people, we see a piece of themselves. We relate to each other as we explore the world around us and, in turn, we discover more about ourselves.
How can we learn about ourselves as writers in a way that sharpens our craft? What can personality teach us about what we do and why we do it? Let’s dive in!
Plotter, Pantser, Plantser
These three “dominant” types of writers are categories you may already be familiar with, but let’s go through them anyway:
1. Plotter
These writers love, well, plotting! Give them an outline, and they’ll fill it up before they even start Chapter 1.
2. Pantser
These writers “fly by the seat of their pants,” so to speak. They don’t often plan outside of the organic writing process. They like the freedom to change what they want at a moment’s notice.
3. Plantser
These writers are a bit of both plotter and pantser. They may like to do some prepwork, but they’re open to change as they write!
Plotters can bond over their love for outlines, character sheets, and world maps, for example. Pantsers, on the other hand, can relate to the exhilaration of stumbling upon a new potential conflict! Plantsers can fluctuate between both. Labels like these are wildly popular and can help writers connect with one another.
At their heart, though, that’s all they are: labels.
The Scribe and the Artist
What do you do if you “discover” you’re a pantser? You might ask yourself if being a pantser is bad. Is there something about your writing process you need to change? You might wonder if this is really an accurate name for how you do things. What exactly makes you a pantser anyway? Maybe more importantly, why might you be a pantser? Is there even an answer to any of this?
Let me introduce you to a dichotomy specifically designed to help you with these exact questions: the Scribe and the Artist. As opposed to the three other types, which describe what your process looks like, these two categories describe your way of thinking as you approach writing. Let’s explore this spectrum more:
1. Scribe
Scribes write as if they’re recording events. Stories and characters feel alive to them, which means sometimes things can happen that weren’t planned. They can be somewhat erratic as they “see” the plot unfold like history.
2. Artist
Artists, on the other hand, express events. They write with the whole story in mind, thoughtfully expressing and crafting their piece of art. They often like their outlines even if they know things might change a little bit.
Say we revisit some of those questions from before. Why might you use the “pantser” label? It could be because you lie on the Scribe side of the spectrum. You may perceive your characters more like living beings, which means that in your head, they have autonomy. In a way, they can “make decisions” even if you don’t “give them permission” because they’re “real”—and you do want your story to be realistic! If you’re true to your characters, then, you may feel like you need to leave room for them to veer off the path you thought you were on. You start to write with that expectation. You plan less. You feel like a pantser!
What about people on the other end who are plotters? It could be because you lean more toward the Artist side. You may be looking at the main premise first. If you’re solving a puzzle, don’t you look at the picture on the box? In your head, your story is that picture, and you feel like you need to maintain it in order to recreate it properly. You start to plan more so you don’t do your tale a disservice. To you, leaving room for change risks the integrity of your vision. How many outlines is that now? You feel like a plotter!
It’s worth pointing out that both Scribes and Artists lie on a benign spectrum, which means that either “end” and everything in between is nothing bad. What it does mean is that being an author means finding the right balance between them for you and your story.
Some quick tips:
Remember the Scribe when... | Remember the Artist when... |
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Curious about Scribes and Artists? My personal blog will explore this dichotomy in detail all throughout the year!
Overcategorization
A danger exists in defining yourself with absolutes. Labels are sometimes unhelpful. Categories can feel like cages. But writers can be aware of both 1) the limitations these terms pose and 2) the utility of using popular language to describe yourself. With the right mentality, they can bring writers together! Maybe “plantser” is an easy way for you to list off how you write to a friend. Maybe “Artist” helps you understand why you do what you do—and even how to self-edit better.
At this point, many writers make a common discovery: the way they think about writing has accidentally produced harmful tendencies. These, they recognize, affect their writing process. For instance, Scribes might struggle to pace their plot smoothly because they treat their stories like erratic, real things. The good thing is that the more aware you are, the more you can do to combat these difficulties!
One thing you can do is to have another set of eyes evaluate where you’re currently at. How is that pacing? Is your story evocative enough for your reader? Maybe you’re at a stumbling block. Maybe you feel like you’re drowning in plot. If you need someone to tell you where you’re at now, we at Honeycomb believe in the personal nature of writing. I recommend you check out our manuscript critique and editorial assessment service. We would love to guide you to the next step, as we know firsthand how hard you work—we’re writers ourselves!
Next time, we’ll talk about outline structures..
Till then, bee brilliant!
Brianna
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