Discovery Writer vs. Outline Writer: Developing Your Own Author Style
When it comes to writing a novel, there are many writing styles that can lead to the same destination – you completing your book and making it available for readers everywhere. Two of the most common writing styles are Discovery Writers (aka Pantsers) and Outline Writers (aka Plotters). Many authors will declare their way to be the correct way, or the better way, but the truth is it is a highly personal matter. To be fully correct they would need to add “for me” into their declaration. This is the right way for me to write a novel. “But what are these writing styles,” you may be asking. “And how do I determine which one is right for me?”
Discovery Writers
A Discovery Writer, also known as a “Pantser” writes a story “by the seat of their pants.” They have a basic idea in mind and they start writing, letting the story unfold in real-time as they write. Generally there is not a lot of prep work to keep the story on track, because there are no tracks upon which to stay. Let’s take a look at the Pros and Cons.
Pros of Discovery Writing
One benefit to Discovery Writing is that it takes very little preparation. Once you have an idea of a scene, it is a quick start to writing. You write that scene, expand on it, and continue on to what happens next. A second benefit is that it gives your creativity more freedom. Because the story develops as it unfolds in your mind, it is not written as if in a box. You don’t have a set plotline you have to follow – instead you develop the plot as you write. One other benefit is that it is trending. More and more writers seek to buck the yoke of traditional rules and many readers connect with stories written in this style.
Cons of Discovery Writing
Discovery Writing doesn’t come without its own drawbacks. Some of the stories can seem less focused and straightforward, even rambling at times. Others can end subplots poorly, or forget to close them at all. Characters may not develop or change throughout the story. Sometimes the scene just won’t come (writer’s block is a casualty of both writing styles, but there are fixes). Another drawback of Discovery Writing is deciding when to end the story.
Outline Writers
On the other side of writing styles are the Plotters, or Outline Writers. These writers plan the story out to varying degrees, usually ending with a working outline that they can stick to for writing the scenes or chapters. Often, Outline Writers will also create character profiles that give full descriptions of all the main characters (and often major and minor characters as well), write descriptions of all the main locations, create timelines for both the story and for the relevant history, and write lore that may relate to parts of the story. It’s a way to have everything you need available while you write the story.
Pros of Outline Writing
One of the primary benefits of Outline Writing is that the author is prepared. They determine beforehand where they want the story to go and they have a guide to keep them on track (their outline). A second benefit is that it gives the author a sense of accomplishment in that they have the story basically written in a few thousand words. Now they just need to flesh it out with details and they will be ready for completion. A third, major, benefit is organization. It’s easier to refer back to characters for how they would react to something, easier to remember the barrel with the red lid at the tavern, easier to remember who King Jikol was, six-hundred years ago, and why his great (times how many?) grandson is trying to reclaim the throne – when you have that information ready and set up in their own files. And you also have the benefit of adaptability, even though it would seem the opposite to be true. By this, I mean that you can bounce around between chapters that you feel a closer connection to in the moment if you need to, and it can still remain consistent.
Cons of Outline Writing
Just as with Discovery Writing, Outline Writing has some drawbacks. First, it can be very time-intensive. Coning up with the full story, breaking it into scenes or chapters, outlining everything that happens in those chapters, coming up with physical, emotional, and social descriptions of the characters, that all takes time. Time that could be spent writing the story. And it’s not even that it makes writing faster once the outline is done – that depends on the author and how best they work. Another drawback is that there is little leniency to stray from the outline. If you have another awesome idea for this scene, where do you draw the line? It’s absolutely doable, but not as easy to work in.
Which Style is Right for You?
Everybody’s different. Some hate being constrained to rules while other thrive on them. Some like to stay organized while others prefer freedom. It’s easy to read these pros and cons for each style and say “I like this one better,” or “That’s the one I prefer.” But to really know which style suits you better, you’ll have to try them both. Give them a try and see which comes easier for you. But you’d really need to do each style for an entire book. Some parts may be easier or harder depending on if you are writing the beginning, middle, or end. As for me, having tried both writing styles, I work better as an Outline Writer. Winter’s Bite was written with an outline. I give myself the freedom to leave the outline for a bit as long as I make my way back to it to get back on track. There’s nothing that says you can’t blend the best of both styles.
So which writing style resonates with you, Discovery Writer, Outline Writer, or something in between? Let me know in the comments below! And check out my article 9 Exciting Strategies to Increase Your Word Count (Plus 1 Bonus Tip)
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