on Jami Gold:

As we’ve talked about many times here, we all have different writing processes because our brains all work differently. Some of us plot our stories in advance, and others of us write by the seat of our pants (otherwise known as “pantsing”).

Far from one method being better than another, whatever works for us is the right answer to “how should we draft our story?” In fact, most of us use a process somewhere in between the strict options of plotting or pantsing, whether we call it plotsing, plantsing, puzzling, or whatever.

However, anyone trying to discover the best drafting process for themselves might need to experiment with different ways of applying or merging the strengths and weaknesses of plotting and pantsing. The more alternatives we see along the plotter-pantser spectrum, the bette we might understand what can work best for us.

To that end, Marty C. Lee joins us today to share how she develops story beats into a chapter-by-chapter outline. Whether her approach works for us or not, her explanation can give us ideas for our own drafting method.