Long ago I was an avowed pantser. I didn’t have a plan, didn’t want a plan, having a plan killed the story for me. Just dive in and go, that was the only way I could write.
Through the course of a few book-length drafts, I discovered what so many had before me: that way of writing is a ton of work in just the place I dislike it most–the editing process. And my plots didn’t hold the shape they should, being at least three parts kitchen-sink plot* every darn time. Try fixing that in a quick edit! So I attempted to learn to plan. I read books, I drew diagrams, used index cards, white boards, mirrors (white board markers on mirrors work really well, btw, for notes you want to see often. This plotting method was not terribly helpful to me, however.)
I worked hard and spent money learning to plan, but I realize anew with every book that I’m not really planning like I’m “supposed to.” Soon or late, I always go right off the map, and then I have to go back and make my beginning match where I ended.â€
With my current story, Guardian, I had my idea. It needed to be a certain length, so I couldn’t be wandering all over the place. The deadline was tight, so same–I needed to get it in on time and on target, wordcount-wise.**
So I planned. Start point here, end point there, plot points in between, wham bam boom and bibbity bobbity boo, done. Ta da!
Naturally it didn’t go that way. Damn story fought me at every turn. For a while I thought I just had a bad plan. For a while my inner weasel taunted that I’d just lost the ability to write. For a while my life went “You think you’re going to work on THIS? Ha!”
But I’m stubborn. Head, meet wall. Repeat. Eventually that wall is going DOWN and this story is getting WRITTEN.
Now that story is nearly written. I’m reminded of something Elizabeth Bear says (or quotes) : we don’t learn how to write books. We learn how to write THIS book, as we write it. Or something like that.
TL;DR answer for how to write a book? Just do it.
There is no try. Only do, or do not.
May the fourth be with you.
*kitchen-sink plot: where you throw in everything but the kitchen sink and sometimes that too.
†I wouldn’t call the planning efforts wasted, though, by any stretch of the imagination. My plans always provide an excellent springboard for the story I end up telling. I just can’t seem to take the plans far enough so I’ll actually know what I’m writing before I’m in the middle.
**We’ll just ignore the fact that I haven’t quite done either, shall we? Yes, I’m a couple days past deadline and still working frantically, but I have editor approval for it and I think it’s going to be WORTH IT.