Pantser or PlanneR? Is There Another Option? & Revisiting POV

Hello Writers and Friends in Writing

My broken foot has held me back in my novel writing. Don’t laugh. I know I don’t write with my foot, but this heavy, awkward air cast boot is cumbersome and tiring. I feel like I’m lugging my foot around, and it weighs me down physically and mentally. No worries, I am a determined old lady writer, and I am working to complete the first draft of my mystery novel by February 2027.  My goal is a 90 thousand-word product, and so far I am at 18,000 words. So that makes my target 72,000 words over 9 months or 8000 words a month. I think it's more than doable. It’s only 2000 words a week, I just have to do it. I will start to include monthly updates and thoughts in my Gates Open Blogs.

I may have mentioned previously that I live in the beautiful Haliburton Highlands of Ontario, and summer is one of my favourite seasons. We were out on our pontoon boat on the May 2-4 holiday weekend, and it was so good to be back on the lake. As soon as I get this boot off, I’m headed for exercising in my swim spa and swimming in the lake. Family times with our four children and nine grandchildren also bring happy summer events and outings. I am mentioning this so you will get a better idea of why just 2000 words a week. I am not missing summer. I might pick the word count in the fall and winter months. Life is for living and loving and fun in the sun, and then there’s writing.

This blog continues my discussion, thoughts and choices in getting unstuck in my novel writing. I am making it happen. It also outlines a revisit to POV, which is now complete, never to be revisited:)

Pantser or Planner?

Is there another option?

The following definitions are taken from https://writingcooperative.com/a-plantser-process-for-writing-character-driven-novels-9b14e8bc997d

• Planner: A writer who painstakingly plans every scene, interaction, and event down to the page before writing a single word.

I have moved towards a planner, and the process has been extremely helpful, but not a fit for me.

• Pantser: A writer who just starts and figures everything out as they go along.

I would have said this was my preferred writing life, but I do sit and think about my story or the scene I am about to write before and during the writing. Being a pantser is doable, and is my choice for writing short stories, but it’s not a good fit for writing my novel.

• Plantser: A writer who picks and chooses specific practises from both approaches.

Ah-ha, this is it. So I planned out the first section in brief point form thoughts, planner style,  and then I wrote it in pantser creative mode. This is the perfect fit for me.

Now that I have found my fit, I still want to know more and add to my understanding and then get back to writing my novel.

After checking out several sources, I found this article from Friesen Press to be useful. This is the company I used to publish my book. I am finding, after the fact, that there is a wealth of information on their website.

https://www.friesenpress.com/blog/2025/09/18/find-the-best-way-to-outline-your-book

Writers generally fall into one of the following three groups:

• Exploratory Writers—also called “pantsers” or “gardeners”—discover the shape of their story and the nature of their characters through the act of writing. The “what happens next?” is their biggest motivation to write. They often feel their muse drives them and that they have little control over what their characters choose to say or do. They tackle research as it comes up and will clean up plot holes or inconsistencies in the editing phase.

• Middle Way Writers—sometimes called “plantsers” (as a cross between “pantser” and “plotter”)—need enough room to explore but at least some structure to guide them. They leap-frog between solid points into the exciting unknown, and then use the next signpost to lead them onward. They need to know where the story is going, but the journey along the way is where the magic lies. Their drafts are typically fairly close to their goals, but may need revision for pacing or tension.

• Plotters—also called “architects”—need to have elaborate blueprints before they can write their first word. They do all the researching, brainstorming, and planning up front, often building out point-form guidelines or repeatable structures that tell them not only where the story is going, but the connective tissue between every plot beat, and sometimes even how many words it will take to get to the end. Their drafts are typically very clean, but may need a bit more emotional resonance infused during editing.

I am a confirmed “Middle Way Writer,” and I love this description as I often see myself “leapfrog between solid points into the exciting unknown”. It is a perfect fit for me.

This article goes on to provide a more in-depth look at each of the three writing styles. Here are two highlights from the section on Middle Way Writers:

1. “When you’re a Middle Way writer, you need enough freedom and flexibility to be pleasantly surprised by where the writing is going while still being able to gauge how much progress you’re making.”

I recently finished a scene where I had planned the setting and outline of the main event, and when I started writing, I followed my plans, and then the ideas and words started flowing, and an exciting new moment emerged. It was fun to write and even more fun to see how it turned out.

2. “Try keeping a checklist, either based on the stages of the writing process (act 1, act 2, etc.) or by chapter. You can also try setting yourself acceptable word-count ranges for your chapters to ensure you’re reaching the key points you need to hit without getting too side-tracked.”

I have decided to use sections or writing stages: a three-act outline with scene notes for each section. I have also adopted the word count suggestion so that Act or Section One ends at approximately 22,500 words with the second murder. I am almost finished with my first draft of this section.

Let the creativity flow! Deciding on your writing style and writing life will help.

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Revisiting POV

I don’t even like the initials. I see them, and I go oh no, not again. Point of View in writing is essential, and as writers, we need to understand it and make good decisions about how to use it most effectively in our creative efforts. However, every course I took had a class devoted to it and, as a result, I began to groan at the repetitive use of class time.

Here is what I learned:

In Creative Nonfiction Part 1, we concentrated on first-person and second-person. Writing assignments tailored to these were interesting and fun. I wrote a first-person description of my mother’s red and white kitchen, which, after several rewrites, found a home in my book. I wrote a second-person POV in an assignment story I called “Perhaps you are too old for this class,” reflecting on being 73 years old and taking a course with all the young, talented wanna be authors.

In Writing Short Story Fiction Part 1, I had an ah-ha moment where I discovered the power and potential of a considerate narrator. Short story fiction became a new love. I now use 3rd person limited and omniscient in most of my writing, and particularly in my mystery novel. I then discovered that the third person works best when writing my family stories and occasionally in memoirs.

And then, the learning became repetitive in other courses, such as Writing a Novel, Part 1, Writing through Reading, and Writing Memoir Part 1.  As you can see, I had an eclectic approach to taking courses, which served me well. I am not going to spend too much more time on this, as I expect you are also knowledgeable and are making a good decision about POV.

I have included a table I found online. I have credited where it comes from for your use as you wish. It says everything I would say about POV, and I am pleased that it does so; I don’t have to go on about this topic:)

One more thing I found interesting, which is not directly included in POV or the table below, occurred when I was writing my final project for the Certificate in Writing, and my mentor/instructor pointed out that in one instance, I was “writing on the fourth wall”. I had no idea what this meant. I looked it up and found this definition.

Breaking the Fourth Wall means when a character in a story acknowledges the audience or the fact that they are in a fictional work, bridging the gap between fiction and reality.

The article goes on to say that breaking the fourth wall “allows direct communication between the characters and the audience, creating a more intimate and personalized experience. By addressing the audience, characters can provide additional context, share their experiences, or offer insights that might not be possible through traditional storytelling techniques.  https://bibisco.com/blog/breaking-the-fourth-wall-narrative-perspective-explained/

Well, how about that? I love new learning. I have been breaking the fourth wall every other week when I write and publish my newspaper stories called Writing on the Senior Side. (These stories are published on my website.) I didn’t know that’s what it was called. So, not new learning, just a technique I was comfortably employing all the time. Nevertheless,  it was interesting to know the label, the definition and how to better use this strategy. I don’t remember if I changed it in my final project. My mentor did not suggest I change it, but he did say that if I was going to use it in a story, I should employ it consistently.

Guide to Writing POV (+ Examples)

Written by Martin Cavannagh.  https://reedsy.com/blog/guide/point-of-view/

This guide looks at each type of point of view in literature, along with examples to help you understand them better.

👁️ Point of view	📑 Definition	✏️ Example	💥 Effect
First person	The narrator tells the story from their own perspective, using I.	“I volunteer!” I gasp. “I volunteer as tribute!”	Creates intimacy between the reader and narrator; limits the scope of the story.
Second person	The narrator addresses the reader directly, using you.	You have friends who actually care about you and speak the language of the inner self. You have avoided them of late.	Immersive and immediate; powerful in short forms but can alienate if mishandled.
Third person limited	The narrator tells the story about other characters, using he and she. The narrator only knows the thoughts, feelings, and understanding of one character at any time.	She couldn’t tell if the witness was lying.	Balances intimacy and distance; adds intrigue.
Third person omniscient	The narrator tells the story about other characters, using he and she. The narrator knows everything about all characters and events in the past, present, and future.	He thought the witness was honest, but she didn’t think the same of him.	Expansive scope and flexibility; clearer world overview; less intimate by default.
Fourth person	Multiple characters speak as a single narrator, using we.	It is known where we come from, but no one much cares about things like that anymore. We think, Why bother?	Choral, communal feel; stands out stylistically.
Multiple POVs	The story is told through several distinct POVs.	A Game of Thrones, As I Lay Dying	Breadth and complexity; potential for confusion if mishandled.

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That’s it for this time.

Maybe not so much research next time. I would like to share a story with you then.

Take care and keep writing

Gail