Writing Blog Number 2

20241006 Chasing The Cat

Chasing The Cat

I have gone through various plotting styles, and also explained how I am a pantser when it comes to writing my stuff. What some people don't seem to understand is that pantsing involves no prep beyond what sits in my head. I have people telling me to plan now the ideas, but that is now how writing works for me.
         We are all different. Stop telling me that I write wrong.
         Here's an explanation of the terms: "20240120 Plotting and Pantsing"  .
         But what about plantsers, those who do a bit of plotting and bit of pantsing in the same story? Well, that's what I will be looking at here - one technique for plantsing (plotsing, plontsing, whatever you want to call it).
         I introduce to you:

Chase The Cat!

This technique involves a planned first chapter/ opening, then a loose series of ideas for the next two chapters. This gives three chapters with some sort of plotting done, though how comprehensive is up to the writer.
         Once you have written chapter 2, go forward and increase the detail of the chapter 3 outline, and then write outlines for chapters 4, 5 and 6.
         Once you have written chapter 5, go forward and increase the detail of the chapter 6 outline, and then write outlines for chapters 7, 8 and 9.
         Keep doing this until you have finished.
         Now, some people do 4 chapters instead of 3, and I have even heard of doing 5 chapters, but it seems 3 is the most common. This way you are not planning too far ahead, just enough to make sure you know where your story is going.

An alternate method of Chasing The Cat is that you do all of this, but you also outline the very end of the story. This, the proponents say, gives you a clear direction for where the story is going while still chasing those next outlines.
         What all of this does is it makes sure that you do not feel tied into an outline you end up rejecting anyway, and you don't waste your time planning something that is going to be discarded. You also do not need to be tied to the ending you outline here, but it can help some.

And that is for Plantsers!