On Sunday February 19, 2012, at Trustees Theater in Savannah Georgia, a sold out crowd came to see a king.
Stephen King that is.
Stephen was the headliner for the closing ceremony of the Savannah book festival. Many of us ticket holders, waited outside in the balmy weather for three hours hoping to get a good seat.
I wrote about looking forward to seeing Stephen King in a post called “Author rock stars.”
After his introduction and following a hearty applause, Stephen sauntered on stage. I sat eleven rows from the stage. As many of you may know, Stephen is six foot four. He’s sixty five, wears his short straight gray hair parted on the side and he wears glasses. On this particular day he wore faded jeans and dark t shirt. He began speaking as though in the middle of a conversation.
For the next few moments, he wove a story, which contained several statistics. Then he stopped.
A grin crept on his face.
He said, “That was all made up.”
The audience laughed.
Then he continued, “This is what I do. I spin bullshit into gold.”
Yes. He sure does. Pure gold.
Throughout the next forty minutes, he told poignant and often humorous stories of the early days as a struggling writer. Stephen mentioned that writers need to observe people when they don’t know you’re doing it. He said that when it comes to his writing, he is a seat of the pants kind of guy. He likes to see how the book develops on its own. Stephen emphasized that for him, writing is more like dictation than creation. His characters take over and he just writes down what they are saying and doing.
It’s Your Turn WG2E-Land: How about you, are you a seat of the pants writer? Or do you use outlines?
The Best of Spinning Bullshit Into Gold – Lois Lavrisa
15% planner, 85% pantser.
I think about my characters, the setting and the problem – equivalent to taxi-ing out on to the runway. Then come three big turning points – like revving up the engines.
Then I sit down at my keyboard and take off into the air…
Alison, I am a lot like you as well, “I think about my characters, the setting and the problem – equivalent to taxi-ing out on to the runway. Then come three big turning points – like revving up the engines. ” If it works, why not??? Thanks for sharing:)
Mostly a panster! I usually find that if I think too much about trying to get all the details in before I start, it dampens my creativity. Most of the time I don’t have a clue what’s going to come out of my head next!
Sibel, yes I am a panster like you as well. Pantser (I love that word) is what I do or what I call myself as well:) Some will also call it organic or natural (letting ideas just flow)
I’m a planner. I have tried being a pantser but got stuck half way through the ms. I now write out a chapter summary for each story/novel and write from that. Most of the time, it turns out the way I wrote the summary, other times it changes a bit. I find I write best that way.
Julie- I have many successful writer friends who will have one hundred page outlines before they even write the first word in chapter one. It works so well for them:) Thank you for sharing!
I’m a pantser. I get a “what-if” in my head and I just sit down and start writing. Some things trigger and some things come from my twisted psyche. The book I’ll be self-publishing, The Final Prophecy, started with the thought: if our old beliefs about wolves being nasty/evil predators isn’t true (and it’s not), then maybe our beliefs about werewolves are wrong, too. I would have loved to work with wolves in my youth, so I gave my heroine a wolf preserve (I’ve been to two in PA).
If I get stuck, I…uh…take a nap or think about the problem before I go to bed for the night. Seriously. I usually have an answer when I wake up.
I heard King speak at the Mystery Writers conference several years ago – he was wonderful. I listen to “On Writing” at least once a year for inspiration – listen to it because he narrates.
Mitzi
Mitzi,” I listen to “On Writing” at least once a year for inspiration – listen to it because he narrates.” That is one of my favorite writing books as well:) I didn’t know that he narrated it- I may just have to pick up the audio version now:)
While I write down character names, descriptions, etc. most all my visualization for my work is in my head – I let my characters do the writing – so yeah, I’m a pantser. If I get stuck I might write down what it is, but I let it play out in my head and work on something else.
Stephen King is a wonderful example. . .
Jamie, yes I guess (huge grin here) being a pantser has worked pretty well for Stephen:)
I am a plotter all the way. I’ve got worksheets for everything and then pre-write every scene to get myself into it. And I *loved* King’s On Writing. What a great book! I didn’t know it was available in audio. I’ll have to check that out.
Thanks for a great post!
Merry, if it works don’t fix it ‘I am a plotter all the way. I’ve got worksheets for everything and then pre-write every scene to get myself into it.” Thank you for sharing:)
LOL – Got to love the King! Spin bullshit into gold – love it! Also love his On Writing Audio book. I gave it away – that was stupid
With my current work in progress I’m more of an organic writer. (Though for some scenes they are more orgasmic – and I was afraid I could never write another love scene.)
Liz, when Stephen said “I spin bullshit into gold” we all busted out in laughter. But there is truth in what he said- we as writers make up stuff, that’s just what we do:)
Plotter. I need to work from an outline. The characters and story as it develops will, of course, demand additional plot-points and rewrites. I need to know where I’m going, but once the MS gets moving anything goes!
Dale, so many of my friends work from outlines and have been hugely successful with that as well. But it seems that there is a combination of pantser and out-liner that most writers use:)
Great post! I’m definately a panser. I am as surprised by what happens as the reader. I have to say that what Stephen said is exactly what happens to me. I just write down the converstation going on in my head.
Elizabeth, Stephen and you are like soul writers “I have to say that what Stephen said is exactly what happens to me. I just write down the converstation going on in my head.” Thanks for sharing:)
I think it depends on the book. Some of them I make notes for ideas and what might happen, but most of the time I write as it comes to me.
Savannah (I love your name- and the city as well- its where I’ve lived for over 15 years) thank you for sharing:)
Lois,
Thank you for sharing. Years ago I was fortunate enough to take part in a couple of writing workshops with Stephen King. He was so generous with his time and talents. I even traveled to London for one of his workshops at the London Polytechnic. He truly weaves magic. I love that he is a total panster. I have to have a general target in mind for where my tales will end… but panstering tells you your characters are strong enough to take over the story.
I also took workshops with James Michener. He advised to write the story, don’t stop to do any research just make notes of what you need but don’t slow the characters down. You can always go back later and fill in the info.
Again,
Thanks for sharing.
B
Barbara, great advice “don’t stop to do any research just make notes of what you need but don’t slow the characters down. You can always go back later and fill in the info. “
I think you just saved my latest manuscript!!
I so agree – it is wonderful advice:)
Great post – loved Steven King’s line. I’m a reformed panster – sort of! I write the main pivotal plot points that are in my head, but the characters evolve lives of their own as I write. If this opens up new avenues, the written plan has to be flexible enough to accommodate something I like better. Too much planning makes me feel hemmed in as the story is already plotted in my mind. I use the written plan more to keep me from wandering too far afield.
Nancy, great points “…but the characters evolve lives of their own as I write. If this opens up new avenues, the written plan has to be flexible enough to accommodate something I like better. Too much planning makes me feel hemmed in …”
I’m a plotter. I do a scene by scene plot board, character bios, and GMC charts before I get into the heavy writing. My book always changes as I go along, but having the built-in safety net of a plot outline really frees me up. I know if I run into trouble, I have something to point me in the right direction until I hit my stride again. And knowing my characters inside out before I start really helps – I instinctively know how they’re going to react to any given situation I throw at them, which makes life a lot easier.
Vanessa, great points and ideas: “I do a scene by scene plot board, character bios, and GMC charts before I get into the heavy writing. My book always changes as I go along,”
Love SK and his books! Especially On Writing – except for the part where he says “Plotting is for dullards.” I’m totally a plotter! I’ve tried it the other way, and for me “no plan”=writers’ block. Also, I ended up with a 600 page book that made little sense and had no end in sight. Fortunately, King also said, use what works for you and toss what doesn’t. So I tossed “plotting is for dullards.”
Glad I tried it, though – it was fun and I learned tons about my process. So awesome that you got to see him, Lois!
Jennette, you are so right that SK is wonderful. He is so casual and down to earth:) besides being a brilliant talented writer!
Ha! What a great post to start my Saturday! I must admit I am a plotter “wannabe” who is really a pantser. I took a class once where Kurt Vonnegut said there are two kinds of writers: bashers and swoopers. The bashers start on page 1 and fix and tweak and edit and crunch until it’s perfect and then go to page two, and so on through the book, and when they’re done, they’ve got a beautifully finished work. Swoopers, on the other hand, fly from page to page setting their story down, requiring major edits once they’re done.
So…that makes me a swooping pantser, I do believe!!
Bailey, I just love these terms! “Kurt Vonnegut said there are two kinds of writers: bashers and swoopers.”
Just luuuvvv this, Lois, and the whole concept of “Spinning Bullshit into Gold”!!! Brilliant!!!
I begin each book with a hand-written outline of sorts…as in just a journal full of themes and issues I want my characters to explore next as well as notes on the setting I’ve chosen.
Then…I totally pants it from there!
And yes, as Barbara noted Michener’s advise above, I just put in parentheses and highlight whatever I need to research and keep on crankin’ out pages.
I do, however, do a ton of research on setting and the issues I’ve chosen while I’m writing, so that feeds my muses the little gems they need to keep on dancin’ across my screen and pages.
DD. thank you when you said that you loved the “concept of “Spinning Bullshit into Gold”!!! Brilliant!!! – Stephen sure has a way with words when he said that:)
I used to be a plotter, had to be when I was required to provide a detailed outline to my editor before I wrote the book. But now I am a pantser. I love creating organically. To me it is so much richer.
Tawny- I am so glad you found a style that works for you ” I love creating organically. To me it is so much richer.” Because in the end- that is what matters whether you are a pantser or plotter or some combination of the two:)
My husband was so jealous to hear you saw Stephen King – his hero. Years ago we had a chance to hear him speak in Berkeley but our son was a baby and my husband wouldn’t leave him with anyone.
I’m a plotter. Most of my stories come to me in dreams, so I wake up and write down all that I remember before it disappears.
Jill, isn’t that fun when that happens- finding stories in dreams “I’m a plotter. Most of my stories come to me in dreams, so I wake up and write down all that I remember before it disappears.” Thanks for sharing:)
I’m so jealous you got to see King. But oh so happy for you too. What a great experience!
I’m definitely a pantser. When I had to write an outline for a school project, I had to write my paper first and then my outline. LOL Now there’s no way I could plot really. My characters pretty much do what they want and if I try to force them one way, it’s just not any good. I usually know the end. Usually. Not always. I know the beginning but that’s subject to change about mid-way through the book. The middle – the bridge – is where I have no idea what I’m going to write until I write it. That’s for my fiction. For my non-fiction book, I’ve at least come up with chapter headings so I don’t forget anything important and can sort of organize the book a little but none of it is set in stone.
Rhonda, this happens with me all the time a well “My characters pretty much do what they want and if I try to force them one way, it’s just not any good.”
Generally I start with no idea where it’s going. In between writing sessions – like, in lessons and stuff – I’ll write down a sketchy outline for the next couple of chapters. I’ll try and plan a couple of chapters ahead so that I don’t get to the end of one and have no idea where I’m going. Sometimes I do full outlines, but pretty rarely.