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If you've ever wanted to write a novel, raise your hand.
Okay, put it down.
HA! I didn't say Simon Says!
(See, you don't even have to be funny to write a romantic comedy.)
If you've ever wanted to write a novel, what's stopping you?
If you just placed the back of your hand against your forehead, tilted your head up and cried, "I don't have enough time!" then let me direct you to Juilliard to further hone your dramatic tendencies. Whilst there, pick up a copy of Atomic Habits by James Clear to read in your spare time.
In his book, Clear demonstrates "why tiny changes make a big difference." After convincing you that you can dramatically change your life through a series of 1% improvements, he shows you how to establish the habits that will help you do it.
Applying this to your novel-writing goal, start small. Start tiny! Write one word. An idea. Anything. Then do it again tomorrow. Keep going. Write, learn, improve, write some more. Every day you do that, you're another step closer to being a published author. (I'm right there with you, my friend. We're in this together!)
WRITING APPROACHES
Plotting, Pantsing and Plantsing are all approaches to writing a story.
Plotting
Plotting is a structured approach that involves planning the story in detail before writing it. Most plotters will create a detailed outline of their plot and their main character arc (how the character changes over the course of the novel) before they start writing their story.
Known Plotters: J.K. Rowling, George R.R. Martin, Dan Brown
Pantsing
Pantsing is when you yank another author's pants down. It is also a technique of letting your story grow and evolve organically as you write, without planning it in advance. Writing 'by the seat of your pants.'
Known Pantsers: Stephen King, Margaret Atwood, Ray Bradbury.
Plantsing
Plantsing is when you yank another author's plants down… Yank a plant's leaves down? Why is there so much yanking going on? Don't look at me like that. You're the one doing the yanking. Anyway, Plantsing is a blend of the two approaches. You might start with some initial planning or outlining, but leave room for your story to grow and change during the process.
Known Plantsers: Literally everyone in the world except the six people listed above.
WHICH STRUCTURE IS BEST?
Plotters will tell you that plotting is the only way to ensure you're giving your readers what they expect for the genre and to keep your writing from meandering randomly through alpine meadows singing songs from The Sound of Music. (Although, that worked quite well for Julie Andrews.)
Pantsers will say that plotting destroys creativity and pantsing is the only way to make sure that your story sounds fresh and new, and to keep you from staging every scene in an alpine meadow (You can understand the temptation.)
Plantsers have grown bored with this topic, and are now watching The Princess Diaries (Hey look! It's Julie Andrews!)
WRITING APPROACH SPECTRUM
I think of these approaches as existing on a spectrum with Pantsing (no pre-planning) on the far left and Plotting (pre-planning everything) on the far right. That makes Plantsing everything in between, which isn't super informative.
It may be more helpful to ask yourself how you want to start your novel. Do you want to start writing and see where you end up? Great! You can add some structure later, if and when you need it. In his book, Refuse to Be Done, Matt Bell has some helpful tips for how to do that effectively.
Would you rather get to know your characters first, their internal struggle, and how that fuels the external plot? Story Genius by Lisa Cron may be just what you need.
Maybe you want to understand what readers tend to expect from a story and incorporate those plot points ("beats") in your novel before putting pen to keyboard. Check out Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody (based on the screenwriting methodology Save the Cat! by Blake Snyder.)
MY APPROACH FOR MY FIRST ROMCOM NOVEL
My first attempt was to just write. Pantsing. I wrote my first draft during NaNoWriMo. It was terrible, as a first draft should be. None of that made it to the next draft but the process did help me figure out what I actually wanted to write. It also showed me how much I needed to learn.
I threw myself into learning all of it. I wanted to write my story, and I wanted it to be good. Really good. I read everything I could about the craft of writing, attended writing conferences, took online classes, read books in my genre, read books in other genres, joined a writing group. I became obsessed!
And this time, I started Plotting. I worked my story through different structures (including Save the Cat!) and methodologies (including Story Genius.) Each approach taught me more about my story and my characters. I made detailed outlines and full scenes when I felt inspired.
Then I wrote another full draft, bringing it all together. I call that my first full draft because it felt like starting fresh. I finished that May 31, 2024. I discovered things I wanted to add, change, delete.
I started my second full draft. I'm about a third of the way through it. My plan is to finish that by the end of August (End of July is my stretch goal!) Then I'll start the more focused drafts and edits.
CONCLUSION
The right approach is whatever works for you. Try it one way, then try another. Read a LOT. Definitely read in your genre, but reach outside sometimes too. You'll learn techniques that can enrich your writing and help develop your unique voice. Read about writing. Books. Blogs. Writing websites. There are tons of online resources out there, free and paid. Start small. Start tiny. But start. Today.
Let me know what you're working on! Announcing it publicly is one of the best ways to stay committed. Trust me. 😊
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