Pantser Tries Plotting Like JK Rowling // WRITING EXPERIMENT
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 6 окт 2019
- Want to see part 2 of Pantser Tries Plotting Like J.K. Rowling? Outlining a series with this writing experiment: • Pantser Tries Plotting...
It is #preptober people! To kick off this month, I decided to do a writing experiment where I outline like JK Rowling as a way of preparing for NaNoWriMo. I am a pantser, not a plotter, but I decided I needed to outline my novel. I love the format she used and considering that I was already 200,000 words into the story, I had more information about my book than I knew what to do with.
Writing Resources & Products I Recommend:
▶ Aqua Notes: amzn.to/31oJJ1b
▶ Subscription Box For Writers: amzn.to/318qQz9
▶ Clever Fox Planners (use code SARA10 for 10% off!): shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=189919...
▶ Masterclass: masterclass.pxf.io/x9Y3QO
Want me to critique a few of your chapters or full manuscript?
▷ I'm now offering chapter or short story critiques: www.fiverr.com/share/Ekayod
▷ I'm now offering full manuscript edits and critiques: www.fiverr.com/share/oez5yG
Like my content and want to buy me a coffee?
▶ ko-fi.com/saralubratt
🔴 SUBSCRIBE HERE: 🔴
ruclips.net/user/saralubratt...
What to watch next:
▷ End of Book One (finishing the rough draft): • END OF BOOK ONE // Fin...
▷ Building My Writing Schedule: • Building My Writing Sc...
▷ Worldbuilding 101 Map Making: • How to Create a Map fo...
▷ Writing Experiment Playlist: • Writing Experiments
▷ All the Books I Want to Write: • All The Books I Want T...
I learned how JK Rowling outlines from Kate Cavanaugh's video: • I TRIED WRITING LIKE J... .
QUESTIONS:
Would you ever try outlining or plotting like JK Rowling?
Are you normally a plotter or a pantser?
I post new videos every Monday (and sometimes twice a week)! Subscribe to see more writerly content. :)
Let's be writing buddies! I'm saralubr on the NaNoWriMo website!
nanowrimo.org
Find me on Instagram!
@saralubrattwrites
Sometimes it really helps to draw a long line in the middle of a long A2 or A1 sheet of paper. Then draw in your core story arc, and only your core story arc, from top to bottom along that single line in single words or short phrases. That easily and elegantly becomes the spine and central idea in a subsequent sequential mind map built out from it. You will soon see what is and is not relevant to the story. Then, with that on the table the best and simplest mind map model I have found is the approach taken by Simon Haynes. That two-part combination can unblock any story. Try it - but don't overthink it, and keep it simple. (How to Write a Novel - Simon Haynes, Tips and advice from a full-time novelist. You get access to all his working methods, how he writes quickly. How he sticks to his plan and gets his novels finished.)
That's a good idea!
1:39 I'm honestly very impressed you did all these perfect lines without a ruler
😂 it was on lined paper
Just found your channel literally two seconds ago and I’m already loving what I’m seeing. I can’t wait to see what you post next!
Thank you so much! Glad to have you here!
Thought this was the best video edit/production to date. Excited to see what’s to come, keep it up!!
Thanks, Jimmy!
I love this!!! I am also a total pantser and whenever I try to find videos on plotting they are not suitable for a fantasy book series with multiple POVs. Trying to use the common techniques is hard for me when I have to think about more than just a simple straightforward plot for a novel, so thank you! I finally found what I was looking for for years!
To write multiple PoVs start doing just that! Write a story from one characters point of view. Then rewrite it from another character's view and so on over and over again until you can do it will multiple stories and the whole concept is completely drummed into your head.... Then do it some more!
I’m actually considering to plot my NaNoWriMo novel this way! It seems like a very effective way to get a good overview of your plot. And the time column is gonna be very helpful!
I found it so helpful! I hope it goes as well for you!
Perseverance is all over this video! I admire the way you push forward without giving up to the stresses. I’m a struggling writer and would love to understand how you came across some problems during this plotting and how it helped you improve the storyline! Wishing you the best!!
Thank you Mohammad! Using this method, because I was outlining after already having so many words, was mostly a way to organize it and reorder it so all of the events happened in the right order!
This is legitimately one of my favorite author-tube videos. This is like my fourth time watching it. I'm a pantser and I want to make myself use one of these series grids....but it's so hard lol.
Oh my goodness thank you!
You could always use excel for an easier spreadsheet with lines that adjust to your words!
I just want to thank you for taking the time to make this video whilst also concentrating deeply on your book... it's very considerate! Thanks 🙏
Thank you!
Wow your window is so large and clean! And the beautiful blue sky!
I am planning on using JKR's technique as part of my editing process - helps keep everything in order, like you said!
Great video :)
Thank you! And it really helped me, I hope it helps you, too!
i'm obsessed with you literally i found myself in peace watching this channel like YOU DON'T GET IT YOU ARE BRILLIANT
Aw thank you!
This is inspiring. Hope your book is coming along great
Thank you! I'm on draft 3 now so things are going well!
I've done various types of plotting, but I've never tried this way. I might have to re-watch this video and then part two and Kate Cavenaugh's video and try this one day. Maybe when I'm closer to tackling my own fantasy works again... Hmm...
I say give it a shot next time you get to work on a fantasy! I hope it works for you!
Ah the sound of your typing with the background whir is lovely. I’m a plotter and this was very satisfying to watch!
Aw thank you!!
I thought you said im a potter haha
I'm a panster too slowly converting to plotter, and found this video very helpful and think will give this method a try. Currently working on my outline using the save the cat method, but as I'm hoping to turn this into a series and there I have multiple points of view too it would be good to keep track - as you said in the video.
i was struggling with plot holes today and i was soo sick of trying to figure out what was the problem and all that. then i decided to rest a little while i watch your videos (because i relate a lot) and it literally gave me the strength of continuing. THANK YOU SO MUCH!! you are such an inspiring and brilliant mind. i look forward to your work 💖💖💖 (p.s. i was following you on insta and i didn't even knew you have a channel, so me exploring here is a total destiny i suppose) LOTS OF LOVE ALL THE BEST X
❤️
Apparently I need to promo my youtube videos more! I was worried doing it occasionally was annoying to my insta followers
I found your channel within this past week and have been SO INSPIRED to start my own writing journey! Please excuse all my shameless likes these next few months as I catch up on all your vids!!
Yay!! Good luck and happy writing! Hope you enjoy my other videos :)
Great video!!! I am so trying this!!!
It helped me so much! I hope it works as well for you!!
Awesome video, merry Christmas.
Thank you! Merry Christmas to you as well!
Really great helpful video thanks for documenting and sharing.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
I find that I’m a plantser because I can’t do a hardcore outline but I also can’t go completely by the seat of my pants. My technique that I’ve developed is that I open a new google doc and write down anything and everything that happens in my story in chronological order in as much detail as I can muster. It’s kinda like a short version of the story but I don’t have to write out every scene. I call it a rough-rough draft. My latest rough-rough draft was like 6000 words and the first real draft will probably amount to somewhere in the 50k to 60k range. Once I finish my rough-rough draft, I can also use other outlining methods(I actually recently made something similar to the plot grid where I opened up a google sheets doc and dedicated a row to each chapter and a column to each plotline) to further refine and conceptualize and get a more in-depth. If anyone does something similar to this, lmk in the replies!
I think I'm kinda similar. I usually at first write down everything I know about my story - character, scenes, worldbuilding, etc. Then I'm making character profiles - during which usually I come up with more scenes and ideas. And only then I'm outlining. I sometimes go with other techniques of outlining like Save the cat to check if I hit all the spots right.
Well worth the time to watch this video. I have several unfinished story fragments, thanks to poor planning. I will use this video as a guide to future writing.
That's wonderful! Thank you so much! I hope it works as well for you as it did for me!
Your grid is aesthetic pleasing
Thank you!
I never knew this method existed. I'm going to use it!
Yay!! I hope you find it as useful as I did!
I was looking for another authortuber like Kate Cavanaygh who made these kind of writing experiments vlogs instead of generic writing advice videos & found you. Really like your videos. 😊
Thanks A G! That's such a compliment :). I've been making videos experimenting with different writing styles recently from a book I have, so maybe you would enjoy some of those!
@@SaraLubratt yup. I'm watching those right now. Your videos are so zen!
@@ag1012 Lol thank you!
This is exactly what I needed. Thank you!!! Could you share any other useful resources online for writers like us?
What kinds of resources are you looking for?
It was smart to tape the maps to the window to trace. I would have been squinting over a table somewhere.
Puppers!
Cookie!
Lol it's only because that apartment had massive windows that I thought of it, otherwise I would have done it and probably gone nearly blind in the process 😂
Omg, I absolutely need to try this! I love pantsing, but I always get stuck and switch to a different story (obvi, no publishing goals😂). This feels like exactly what I need to try doing.
You should!
Informative 🦋
Thanks!
Why is this video so satisfying?
Thanks for watching!
@@SaraLubratt Lol I watched it three times already 😅 It's sooooo satisfying
@@anandaferraresi Hahahaha I love it!!
Cute dog and nice place, wherever you are in this video which doesn't look like your apartment. But it does seem inspirational on trying to do what you did, although it did look very time consuming with mapping out everything from your characters to the world based on your story. But it looked pretty cool on how much it helped you as well.
That was the apartment I was living in at the time :) it was a really cool futuristic place
@@SaraLubratt That's cool!
Would love a tutorial on your grid for Excel.
I'll look into making one!
I don't even know what to call myself lol..but before i write i outline the beginning middle and finish point..then fill up in between. You patience is amazing
Oh that method sounds so smart!!
I plan to write a detailed outline once I finish pantsing the zero draft of my novel. I will try this one.
I hope you find it as helpful as I did!
I liked this video of yours the best. My favorite scene: you with hair flat, tired, no pretty smile, and being completely real. It made me feel for you.
I would have liked to have seen a closeup of a small section of the outline.
If it fits ur schedule, Paper Tiger does a youtube webcast everyday where a bunch of writers write for 2 hours straight.
Good luck.
Thanks! My video style has improved in the years since I made this video and I will be doing an updated planning video in the near future :)
I think I might use this 🤔
It was super helpful!
I wanna try nanowrimo this year and I'm terrified. I've finally found a good way to type up my work onto a good writing app and j can't wait to expand. However I can't track my word count which is my only problem.
Any ideas?
Little too late to comment, but I finally started to do this and WOW it works.
Never too late to comment! I'm glad you enjoyed the video and I'm glad you tried this!!
That's so impressive! I typically need to have a basic idea of my story and then I kind of just see where the story takes me. J.K Rowling's method looks so confusing to me but maybe I should try haha
It does look confusing but I've found it crazy helpful! I think it's because I love graphs tho. If you feel like it, you should totally go for it!
@@SaraLubratt maybe I'll try it sometime once I've finished with this first draft as lots of things have changed from my original outline haha
@@LifeofAngelina Absolutely! That's when I made mine was like 3/4ths of the way through drafting!
how does this kind of video pop up just now?! it's too late but this really helps me get some creative juice again🐣🐣
Yay!
I am a pantser as well. I just don’t outline, and also, I’ve been publishing first drafts of my fanfictions since 2019, so you can see just how much of a pantser I am. But seeing and watching you doing this makes me feel like it could benefit me…especially in getting a fanfiction done before starting a new one. It is time consuming, and I am a panster as well as a procrastinator, so maybe this will not work for me, but I will definitely try it out to see if I even get through day 1.
Also, I’ve found your channel through this video and instantly clicked the subscribe button and activated my notifications
Pantser procrastinators unite!!
Ah yay! Thanks for subscribing! It was fun having you on the live the other day
@@SaraLubratt Yes! Pantsers unite! And the live was really fun!
I liked your video better then the one that inspired you :) Very interesting stuff, I intend to give it a try as well. Thanks!
Thank you! I hope it works just as well for you!
Thank you
Thanks for watching!
Know your beginning. Know your ending. That helped me alot
Indeed!
JK Rowling would be proud of you!
Wow! That's literally the best compliment I could receive on this video, thank you!
@@SaraLubratt your welcome! and thank you for replying to me lol
I loved this! So happy I found your channel. Can you let me know where you found J.K’s plotting style?
Welcome! I saw it drifting around twitter a long time ago but if you search JK Rowling outlining there are a bunch of articles about it!
@@SaraLubratt can you do a video on how you created your excel spread sheet, color coded and sectioned it to match your hand written copy? 😅 I'm very simple with excel and think that was a crucial step!
@@tweatyify I pretty much just wrote into each box what was on the spreadsheet's correlating box and then selected all, hit wrap text and then adjusted the rows and columns to be what I wanted them to be! There wasn't anything super fancy happening :)
How did this turn out in the end? Also what made you write it in hand first? Was it to stop yourself from going back and editing the ideas before you got all the way through? I can see that would be a good way to put a lid on going off on tangents.
It was because I thought it would fit on one page lol
@@SaraLubratt Makes sense lol. I'm using the AI stuff now to see what it can help with, too.
Quick question. Did you plot in order of the chapters? Did you put the chapter title or number on the left side? Loved your video! You have wonderful handwriting and you created such a beautiful map.
I did plot in chronological order of the chapters, with the chapter number on the left side. Thank you!!
Sara Lubratt thank you for answering my questions!!!
Did you print the spreadsheet to use while you write?
I'm more of a pantser but I'm really interested to watch this.
I'm a pantser as well! I plotted well after I had started writing, like 216,000 words after 😂
@@SaraLubratt wow! That's a big improvement. Maybe I should try plotting as well.
@@NathaniaDemecillo Plotting after starting gave me a good sense of where I was going/wanted to go!
How can you draw those perfect straight lines without a ruler?
It was on lined paper! So I just drew along the existing lines to make them more defined :)
I never stay true to my outline and it kinda frusterates me so I end up pantsing anyway
I also tend to pants anyways, I find it way more fun
Hey Sara I got a question for you do you have to make a blog like for writers?
Nope, this RUclips channel is how I share information!
Just started listening to your channel recently its great. Question: I'm a pantser too but my book is roughly about a third of the way in. Do you think doing this sort of plotting would help that early on?
If you think it can, for sure! I'm very much a pantser too so for me, it depends on the project. You could always try it or at least outline the next few chapters and just see how you feel about it!
how did you break the columns up? I'm trying to format my story into a similar grid but I feel the layout isn't correct.
@@Bowlofhype I did it based on main characters/plot lines and subplot lines
@@SaraLubratt I think im going to try this and see where it takes me
@@Bowlofhype Fun!
Three hours is not rime consuming when placed alongside 216,000 words that have lost their way.
I thought it was a good use of time!
My Harry Potter character has a biography of almost 5k words . Her seventh year is my hardest year I’m writing for . I go into research detail from dates to weather even what she packed when she decided to leave Hogwarts. If y’all want a link please ask I love sharing her tumblr page
That's so cool!!
@@SaraLubratt thank you! I put in so much research into her staying true to the series. I’m also starting to write her story . In her first book and chapter I establish how perfect her life is and the cost of such a perfect life. How she doesn’t have a normal childhood ( she’s a child actress and model) .
Here’s the link if you want to read it feel free to read her timeline and my writers commentary
ice-cold-gryffindor.tumblr.com/Bio
I have recently found out that I too am a Planster, pant first plot/plan later >//////< I do a LONG pant, turn it into a snowflake to get rough chapters, then make my plot grids with more detailed timelines etc. It takes SO MUCH TIME but it's so worth it because it's help me take a step back, helps me see the big picture and get things to where the story wanted to be =]
Интересный подход
I was surprised with how well it worked!
amazing video !
Of the topic , I think you have curly hair . You should try a routine on yt . It would look amazing
Thanks! I do have curly-ish hair, I'm sure it would go super curly if I did something special to it but this is what it looks like when I don't do anything and I love the hands-free nature of it but I will look into a tutorial/routine. Thanks!
What size do you use for the columns in excel for this?
Not sure now but whatever my gut felt good with. I think it may have been 16 or 20
i love ur room nice view
:)
I'm at the end of my novel three chapters to go. I'm just writing to get the main story out of my brain. But, when I go to revision I'm definitely going to do this technique before I rewrite
Nice! Good luck finishing your novel!
@@SaraLubratt thank you just finished draft one today!!! Rewatching this video to make notes to draft again!
@@itaintEZbeingCHEEZY CONGRATULATIONS!!
Thank you for this video! I also hate plotting😂
Right? But this was helpful as a framework!
@@SaraLubratt This is the first time a RUclipsr has ever replied to me!😃😂
@@SaraLubratt I’m starting my first novel today actually! But of course I had to watch some videos like this one first 😂
This was interesting. It’s seems her way of plotting would work decently for a pantser once she/ he had a decent word count. I’m a pantser. I can see how this could help once I had about 10-20k words🤓🤓
Where did you find a good, clear explanation of her process? I’ve seen the outline pic but haven’t found a satisfactory, explanation of it.
You should definitely try it when you get a little further and have a good feeling for the characters! I went off of the photo, a few not so great articles about it and this video: ruclips.net/video/dDGt7pJPHIE/видео.html
💓💓
❤️
Oh my gosh, thank you!
@@SaraLubratt
"No... Thank _you_ ...." 😉☺🙏🏼☺
@@b_g_c3281 😊
Is your book available on Kindle?
My books are not yet available but thanks for asking!
I might not like Miss Rowling's Harry Potter as much as everybody else, I might not like her ableist views, but Ihave a big respect for her as a plotter. I'm happy to see that her process helps other writers with their projects.
I did not get to read or watch Harry Potter until I was 18 so I feel a little more disconnected from it than other people but her plotting process was great!
@Ravenstorm Studios She's not transphobic IMO
Thanks for all the hearts and comment I just subscribed to your channel
Thanks!
Can I know what are you writing i.e, drawing margins I'm not able to see
I talked it all through in the video
4 different pov? Intresting🤔
It's what best fits the story!
Who else feels like this video is ASMR?
That's great!
how many hours do you write everyday?
Depends on the day. I try for at least an hour but if things are going well I can often get 2-3.
Boy looks like you outlined a lot I don’t think I’d finish an outline that long
It only worked because I was doing it after already writing 216,000 words!
I'm also writing a story based on wizarding world
Fun!
you could've just photocopied the maps though-
But then I couldn't have adjusted or made edits to them
I let myself believe I am a plantser because I kinda plot but also by far not as profound as plotters😂
I love the term "plantser"! And very true, I think it's a spectrum and everyone falls a little different place than others, it isn't a black and white plotter vs. pantser.
I like writing and reading stories that flow easy like water being poured out of a jar. This intense planning method demonstrated might, in my opinion, give results that are too...well...like, if you stir mashed potatoes too much they become gluey...over-thinking or over-planning can ruin a good story. It can become too manipulated, too complex. That's why I dislike reading famous English Novelists. But, obviously it works for some people and some types of stories. Also, this demonstrated method makes writing an effort, a job. I only write when it flows. Of course, I have no deadlines, so I'm kinda free. I'm extremely interested in the view outside your windows. Apparently you're not a starving Artist living in an alley. I applaud the effort you're exhibiting.
Hi! I like reading stories that flow well too. As I mentioned in the video, I was doing this for myself because my story was getting very large (because I was writing the series all at once) and I was having trouble keeping everything straight because I had been working on the project for years so it was mostly just to help myself keep what I had already written down straight.
Thanks for watching!
I worked in marketing at the time. This video shows a bit more of my view from that apartment: ruclips.net/video/ii02cbr14sE/видео.html
@@SaraLubratt I googled "pantser." New word, and it perfectly describes how I write. Sometimes the cap comes off and the story just pours itself out onto the paper. No effort on my part. Except for the Detective novel I've been writing for a dozen or so years. I started with a question: How could a Sundial tell a Detective the time-of-death? It took me 2 years to come up with 3 ways. It's an interesting way to write a story.
I'm a pantser too! It's a very fun way to write
200,000 words is like... 50k more than the MAXIMUM amount I keep being told make a novel haha
Pretty much!
@@SaraLubratt This was two years ago, yeah? Did you end up publishing this novel?
How many books are in your series ?
Either 3 or 5. I’m currently trying to figure that out now that the first book has been edited once and is about to be rewritten. I will likely do this exercise again to figure it out!
@@SaraLubratt Thats so cool. I have a question though...how many pages normally should a single Chapter consists of ? Like if I begin my novel, what is the limit of words or pages within which it must be finished ?
Depends on the genre and age category you are writing for!
@@SaraLubratt Fantasy YA
@@SS-it5tz From what I've read, optimum length for a YA fantasy is between 70,000 and 100,000 words but not over 100k. The average chapter length can fluctuate but I think not going over 3k is a good rule of thumb.
3:23 why was there a pause? 😂
Why shouldn't there be a pause? That was my editing style at the time :) I was thinking and wanted to include it
I'm so sorry if that felt rude
@@RiyaPlayzYT It's hard to tell with text sometimes, thanks for clarifying tho! Thanks! I did make a video after this one on how I was using to plot a series and think that's what you're looking for! ruclips.net/video/nqRoNUzMqPg/видео.html
@@SaraLubratt gonna check it out rn!!
Is one of your character's names Aliya?
No, something similar, but I love the name!
@@SaraLubratt Thanks. I love the name Sara also. ❤
Who keeps counting words?
A lot of people do, a lot of people don't, it's all personal preference!
@@SaraLubratt yeah.. 😊
Save paper and use Excel! 😉
Lol you must have not watched the video all the way through, I did. And 4 pages of paper from an old notebook is recycling in my opinion.
I did, it’s a great video. I outline using Excel first off because it’s easier to read, change and tick off. Then, once I’m happy, I might print it off or view on a different screen. But I’m trying to go completely paperless. The comment was for people trying this method too. :) How is your book coming along?
@@SMadeehaH That's a great method! I started thinking it was going to be one page lol but there's something so satisfying looking at the hand done one on my wall. Lol but that makes sense. My book is going well, doing developmental edits!
Obviously you are not a pants er. I like to think of myself as a plotter and I have never spent so much time writing such a detailed outline. Good luck trying to get that published by the way. Joseph Heller who wrote catch 22 used a similar grid. Rawlings did not invent this method. I think your method Is an improvement on a system of charting it out on paper.
Lol pantsing got me the 216,000 words, this just helped me reorganize them! I didn't know Joseph Heller used this method, that's interesting! I'll have to check out his process!
lol that looks painful
😂
Is this reality? I think I will get collapsed while making plot!
I could only do it because I had already written so much. Normally I don't plot before writing.
@@SaraLubratt ohhh i also don't! Just sometimes 😅😅
@@SaraLubratt you're great 😃
@@shrenalforever2135 Thanks!
Wait wait…how does it work?
Haha…sorry…I’n going to fourth grade next year-
It's a story grid, so it's what happens in each chapter (or group of chapters) to each character!
Ohhh
OH MAH GAH YOU REPLIED TO MY COMMENT
@@hammyyam Of course! Hey!
:DDDD
Never really was a fan of Harry Potter but I’m sure Jk Rowling has great writing tips
At the very least, I enjoyed using the story gridding method
Im a pantser, I dont know how I will write a book with 100, 000 word counts with making my readers bored to death😭.
100,000 is a very standard book length, it’s even short for most adult fantasy and science fiction :) I think it all depends on the story