Laaadieeees and Gentlemen! Welcome to the Umpteenth Annual Biggest Fight in the Writing Process!
Here again, going head-to-head is Outliner vs. Panster.
In thiiiiis corner, is Outliner, the plan-out every-plot-point-of-your-novel-before-you-start guy! He’s here to prove that the only way to write is to know in advance what you’re gonna write. Flowcharts, graphs, bullets: they’re all the punches in his arsenal.
And in thiiiis corner we have Panster, the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants-just-start-writing gal! She’s all about going with the flow, write-to-discover, see what happens and surprise you with the end. She’s organic and unpredictable and threatens to kick some serious Outline ass!
Ding!
Outliner, as expected, gets in the first hit. He knows right off the top how to come at Panster–a clear punch to the head with a “I-know-what-my-story’s about” move. Oooh, ouch! That’s gotta hurt Pantser.
But she’s rallying; Outliner didn’t see Pantser’s clean left hook, knocking Outliner off balance with a funky, spontaneous idea!
Ding! That’s the end of Round 1. Still no knockout punch. While the fighters are back in their corner, let’s go down to the floor. Bob, who do you have with you today?
Bob: Yeah, thanks, Max. I’m with Jen, an emerging writer on the edge of her seat. Jen, who do you wanna win?
Jen: You know, I was all for Panster; I’ve been a big supporter of her for a lot of my writing life. Man, look at her sweet moves; I could never seem ’em comin’.
Bob: But now?
Jen: She ain’t doin’ it for me no more… She’s all over the ring, like she’s flailing. Her moves look lost and outta control.
Bob: Ouch. So you’re an Outliner fan now?
Jen: Ah, geez, I wish. Look at him, he’s so stiff, he’s like a robot. Where’s the fun in that?
Bob: So who’re ya gonna cheer for?
Jen: Not sure. We need new blood in here.
Bob: Are you a PLANster fan, then? You want a mix of both?
Jen: Nah, I’ve watched PLANster before, even tried out some of his moves, but he just got the worst of both: planning a little, but not enough to know what’s goin’ on, then free writing the rest, but hemmed in by his own lines.
Bob: Well, hope you can decide, ’cause we got a rock ’em sock ’em round ahead of us. Max, back to you.
Thanks, Bob.
Ding!
There’s the bell. Outliner is again the first to attack. He’s using a tried-and-true external plot structure to pummel Pantser. Look at at! That’s a classic one-two-three-combination: get your character up a tree; throw things at him; get him down. Nice, nice. But wait, what’s this? A new fighter is climbing into the ring! What’s going on? And the ref is allowing it! I’ve never seen this before: a three-way match?! Who’s this new kid?
Bob: Max, it’s… Internal Desire! Wow, she rarely comes out for a fight. You know her, even though she’s been flying under the radar for a long time; often coaches both Outliner and Pantser. Haven’t seen her for a long time on her own.
Yes, Bob, you’re right! Internal Desire! She’s the Story Queen, known for her killer character motivation. She’s the one who plans what the character most wants from an emotional, internal point of view. Look at her go! She’s crushing Outliner’s external-plot upper cut. She’s using Outliner’s own what-happening-in-the-world-to-the character hit to her advantage! She’s getting the upper hand, showing us what the character most wants emotionally trumps what’s happening externally. But here comes Pantser with a flying round-house kick and it seems Internal Desire is stumbling. Pantser’s write-to-discover-the-meaning punch seems to be a knockout. But wait… Internal Desire is feigning… She’s not down and out… Like she did with Outliner, she’s using Pantser’s skills to her advantage… She’s taking Pantser out by using her discovery method to determine how a character overcomes her internal fears. Man, what a fight!
Oh, check out that one-two punch. And another! Down goes Outliner. Now Pantser. The ref is standing over them. The count is on. Five… Four… Three…
Wait, another surprise move? Internal Desire is helping Outliner and Pantser to their feet. She’s raising their hands with her above her head! Well, she may not be declaring victory, but we all know who won!
Stay tuned… Up next in the Biggest Fight in the Writing Process prizefight: Solo Writer challenges Writer’s Group Member in this much anticipated rematch. It’s gonna be epic!