{"id":15509,"date":"2016-08-19T03:00:12","date_gmt":"2016-08-19T10:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/?p=15509"},"modified":"2016-08-18T12:36:47","modified_gmt":"2016-08-18T19:36:47","slug":"pansters-much-novel-prep-need","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2016\/08\/19\/pansters-much-novel-prep-need\/","title":{"rendered":"Pansters, How Much Novel Prep Do You Need to Do?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"CompassIt’s Friday and I’m getting ready for our free special webinar next Tuesday<\/a> on essential plot and character tips for novelists, so you can start planning your novel, and people have been signing up and asking questions. Thanks!<\/p>\n

Let’s dive in!<\/p>\n

Mary asks: “As a pantser how much preparation should I do?”<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I love this question because I can so relate. For years, I struggled with finding direction so I could actually sit down and write.<\/p>\n

But I felt lost, without a roadmap. I didn’t know I needed a roadmap or even a compass.<\/p>\n

I didn’t want to outline. Bleh. Just thinking of I, II, III, A, B, C, made my skin crawl.<\/p>\n

How could I ever find my way from spark to completed novel?<\/p>\n

Then I discovered, or actually re-discovered the Hero’s Journey, which reminded me of my first love: the adventure fantasy tale.<\/p>\n

Using the roadmap of the Hero’s Journey, I wrote my first fantasy novel and had a blast, even though I had no idea what I was actually doing, except following my gut.<\/p>\n

Being a seat-of-your-pants writer is fun! That’s why I do it. I imagine that’s why you do it too.<\/p>\n

But some pantsers can’t write if they don’t have an inkling where to go next. I get that. That’s why I was stuck too. I needed an inkling, not too much where I’d be bored, but just enough to whet my appetite and lead me into the story.<\/p>\n

I’ve heard it likened to just needing your car headlights to be shining a 100 feet in front of you to be able to move forward in the night. Now, you need to know where you’re driving so you can get there, right?<\/p>\n

Of course, you could drive in circles, to extend our metaphor, and that can be totally fun.<\/p>\n

It all comes down to what you would like.<\/p>\n

Instead of “how much preparation should I do?” how about asking it differently, “How much preparation will help me feel prepared and excited to start on my novel?”<\/p>\n

Honestly, there is no “should.” There is only what you want. So tap into that, and then explore what feels good and works to generate ideas for you.<\/p>\n

Here’s some ways to prepare your novel so that you know where you’re going:<\/h2>\n