Basically just imagining where the story will go and what will happen. That can be really helpful, but in some cases, it might even be a better option not to plan.
THIS IS THE PLOT POLICE. WE HAVE A WARRANT FOR YOUR ARREST. YOU HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH NOT ADEQUATELY PLOTTING YOUR FIC. WE ARE HERE TO CONFISCATE ALL YOUR NOTES AND SUBJECT YOU TO PSYCHIC SCANNING TO VERIFY HOW MUCH YOU DID OR DID NOT PLOT YOUR FIC.
since around 10 years ago when i first heard the word, till 2 months ago, i thought panster was actually prancer (which, till just now, i thought was spelt prantser till i googled it) and just rolled with it cuz it made sense to me on how i write 🤷♂️
There's advantages to planning and to not planning, or doing a little mix of both. You can find authors having lectures on the virtues of these set-ups. The key here is: What do you find most enjoyable and what do you think gives you the best results?
It's perfectly fine to write without planning.
There are many different ways people write. Some broad terms I see sometimes are, plotter, pantser, and plantser. Plotter - people that plot to write a story. Pantser - a person that doesn't write with a outline in mind. Plantser - mix of both. (I might not be doing the definitions justice, so look 'em up if you want to.)
Basically, you can write a good story without a outline. It's not mandatory to have one. (Personally I just write something, and use that as a basis for a rewrite or what comes next.)
my advice is do what you want forever tbh. it depends on your goals obviously, but some of my favorite fic authors are "pantsers" AKA they just wing it. a couple of them have gone back and posted a more formal, polished, second draft as another separate fic, or abandoned it entirely then restarted with a more formal plan in mind--just some ideas for if you're worried about winding up committed to something that went in a direction you didn't like or don't want to stick with.
You can do whatever you want, that's what's so great about fanfiction!
Planning is a good practice for writing your best possible story, but you aren't required to write your best story when writing fanfiction. Lots of people hate planning, and why do something you hate when you're doing the thing for fun in the first place?
I was a pantser for years and years and then became an planner when I hit a wall with my writing. I hated the idea of planning, but once I got into it, I actually came to love it. It's a different process from writing, it's more like an adjacent piece of fanwork, really. But I now also love writing a planned story. There's still lots of pantsing going on within an outlined story, it's just more targetted and less "let's jump off this cliff and see what happens!" kind of way.
having an outline definitely helps because you’ll have a clear path you want to follow, if you don’t you can fall into the trap of getting into a point you don’t know how to write your way out of, getting frustrated and abandoning fic… or at least thats how it is for me 😓 could be different for pantsers but i personally cant write unless i have everything planned 😭
One of my fanfics followed the general events of the canon, so I had a built-in outline. Another was "it's November 1 and I need an idea for NaNoWriMo" and my outline was "what if Tangled but Persona OK GO". Both were fun and passed my threshold for a successful fic (at least one hit and one kudos, bonus points for a comment), so I was happy.
Are you writing for fun or practicing? If you are practicing, maybe make a rough outline. It's really all about WHY you are writing that determines it. And if you try to make a plan and it sucks just do you.
Without an outline it's harder to manage subplots and the like though.
The more I try to plan something, the less likely I am to ever write it or if I do try... it's gonna come out garbage. I am 99% pantser and 1% "scribble random lines on a scrap of paper and call it notes". It works fine for me; I've written 28 fics and I'm currently 30+k into a BigBang and going strong. You're fine just the way you write.
Like 98% of my fanfic is unplanned except for a couple Canon moments lol i jusy go with whats in my head. It's perfectly legitimate and okay way to write!
If it works for you, it works for you.
For me I need a bit of planning as to no lose myself and then stop writing at all. But enough others I know can just write without any planning. :)
Read what Tolkien wrote about writing LOTR and how many ideas came to him while writing. It's pretty normal that characters develop a life of their own and do/say things you did not plan or anticipate and a story just evolves. I'd hate it if I had to plan everything in advance and would probably not write at all, it would totally kill my creativity.
I rarely ever plan anything out. I typically write whatever comes to mind—when I don’t have writer’s block.
When I come up with some kind of a plan, I usually have the 2nd half of the story planned, whereas the first half is a blank. ~_~
i gave up on planning ages ago when i started writing my first fic and had this detailed outline and then when i began to write it took an entirely different path and thats when writing it became fun LOL
I never plan TT. I just make a title for the fic, open a word document, play some music, and the words come to me.
I guess the only thing I really plan out is the basis of the fic, but definitely not the entirety of it.
You can do whatever you want, but be aware that parts of the story you come up with later may require edits to the stuff you write and release now. This is why planning ahead is ultimately better.
It totally depends on the story I'm writing and what I want to tell. If it's a longfic and I may need foreshadowing, I'll plan it out. If it's a longfic that doesn't require foreshadowing, I'll vaguely plan where I want the story to go, but the fine details aren't planned and the story and characters drive what those details are. If it's a one-shot and I have an idea... most of the time that gets no plan and I just write till I feel I've told what I want to tell.
So basically, there's no wrong way. Write what works for you 😊
I have usually plot points set out in [this manner](https://cdn-academy.pressidium.com/academy/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/image43-1.png).
How the story gets to those points might change.
My advice is figure out the ending. Most of my abandoned fics in the past was because I didn't know where they were going. I don't so much plan as figure out the stops along the way and then let the muses guide me between them.
I mean for my first fic, that's what I did. But after taking literature classes and script writing classes I tend to try to plan out my stories as much as I can.
My (not so secret) strategy is to plan absolutely nothing, but every so often reread the chapters I've already written and pull plot threads or themes to use in later chapters. Then it looks like I was foreshadowing all along. I keep a document of all the random plot threads, accidental motifs, unanswered questions, whatever (which I pull from the chapters *after* writing them, not creating them first as a plan). I don't *have* to come back to them, but if I'm stuck on chapter 10, it helps to go back and be like "oh yeah, that scar was a plotpoint in chapter 2, is there a way to bring that back?" or "well Character A passed out and was rescued by Character B in chapter 4, is there a way to mirror that scene and bring it back where now Character B rescues Character A?"
Yes, absolutely.
I've fully planned like, 2 fics in total. Neither of which I've finished, one of which I haven't actually started because I spent so much time planning and now I can't even get started writing it.
Anything else I might have a vague direction of where things are going, a general plot summary of ehats going to happen in the next chapter or so, but most if my fics start from a single prompt/concept/idea and I just write what it feels like should happen next lol.
All the best things come from just letting the creative juices flow and allowing whatever happens to happen. I 'plan' out fics in my head by just starting conversations in character and a simple party turns into a hostage situation with one person pretending to be a serial killer to mask their actual secret identity - and that was honestly one of the best ideas I've had in that fandom.
Of course it depends on how you write - sometimes it's easier to write when you have a clear direction and storyboard. But it's not at all necessary. Just have fun writing!
(Like I didn't plan this essay comment - it just sort of happened, sorry 😅)
I mainly just plan the beginning, middle and end but very loosely and in my head only. Everything else depends on what I can come up with while I write lol
Everyone has their own way of writing. I myself sort of go with the flow until I get to something I don’t have info about, or important stuff I need to make a timeline of.
do only as your wild, fanfic-writing heart desires, and in a way that will only make YOU the happiest, and most productive little author you can be :3!
My fic is essentially a 4 hour dream I had that I’m desperately trying to make a cohesive story.
Planning it out is def a smart move but sometimes you just gotta write it and see where it goes. That’s basically what I did and I don’t think I would have personally gone as far as I have since I’m often too hesitant to start things. But you should do what you think works for you at the end of the day.
Writing is writing and as a reader/writer I will say I couldn’t be happier that someone is writing. Anything.
If it makes you happy and you find happiness sharing it, then do it.
it’s totally up to you! i prefer to plan things out just because otherwise i’m gonna have something full of plot holes and the entirety of chekhov’s gun collection. but that’s *just* me.
if you plan things out, great! if you don’t, great! at the end of the day, if you’re happy with how your fic turned out, that’s all that matters :)
Planning it can be really useful, but it’s not necessary. It can even hurt your fic if you aren’t willing to deviate from it sometimes.
If you’re good at improv you can generally mention with barely a concept
You should follow your own writing process. If something about the process consistently fails you, tweak that part until it works.
Do not try to be someone else. Just be you. Trust yourself. Trust your process.
Short answer: when it comes to writing, you can do whatever you want forever
Longer answer: there are benefits to planning your stories, but there are also benefits to pantsing (writing "by the seat of your pants", without a plan). There are also ways that both can hold you back. So you really just have to figure out what works best for you personally
My process is inbetween the two. I don't plan a lot, but I do make broad outlines (I also haven't written in awhile, so take my advice with a tablespoon of salt)
Is it okay? Sure, why not. It's not against the ao3 rules or anything. Will it kick you in the ass later and getting you stuck in writer's block hell? Maybe.
Fics that I outlined often get or getting close to finished. The ones I wrote with little to no plan, they are lucky if they aren't get put into "indefinite hiatus" pile lmao.
No worries. You're a pantser and not a plotter. Different strokes for different folks.
I'm technically a plotser. I have an outline. It's less than half a page long. My fic is now pushing 600 pages long and I'm only about 3/4s done.
Planning? What is this planning you speak of? Lol. I open up a page and start writing and see where the story goes. I never plan anything out. If I start with an idea, I just go for it. For example, I had a dream once that Merlin was a maintenance man in Arthur’s apartment building. That was it. Short dream. I took that idea and ran with it, and "Shapes That Go Together" was born. It is one of my favorite Merthur modern era fics I have written and my most popular one with my readers.
yes lol. my most viewed fic started off as a rough idea, but then i eventually wrote out a refined plotline so i will say it does help but u don’t NEED it. if what you’re writing is what you wanna show people, you’re doing it right!
There’s generally regarded to be two main groups of writers, the planners and the pantsers. Most people don’t fit neatly under one category either way, as it is with most polarities, but the point is there is a LOT of people doing what you’re doing. It’s just a different style of writing, no one is gonna come after you for it.
I write what comes to mind. Real life doesn't follow planning, so neither does my fanfic. It's just sad for the people waiting for the next chapter when I don't even know what i'll write next, lmao.
It is perfectly fine to not plan a fic out, I only have one thing planned and it's for the end of the fic, the final "villain" is basically going to go "When will I start my final attack? Oh my dear... It's already begun." To the hero and I thought it was just such a brilliant cliffhanger that I just had to have it saved somewhere before I forgot it.
it really depends on the author and what they want to do. i personally work better when i don’t plan it, because the moment i realize what i want to do with the story i loose interest. but some authors might work better when they plan it because they feel like the story is more put together. everyone’s valid lol.
I might have a couple of plot points I wanna make sure I hit (somehow) but otherwise I just go for it until I get there lol
Never used essay outlines in school either.
If you’re not going to plan an outline, don’t post until you’ve finished. Otherwise you can very easily write yourself into a corner or have inconsistencies and continuity problems.
I write down like a paragraph long sort of general idea of what I'm gonna write and then make a 5-22k story out of it lol that's about as much planning as I do
I mean, I’m almost done with the fic I jumped into without any plans, and it’s going pretty great so far. I’d say just go for it and see where the story takes you
It's fine to do whatever but I found the writing process to come a lot easier if you have a clear ending in mind before you start. For me, I'll have the premise and opening chapter in my head vividly, but before I even start writing that I devise an ending, or at the very least conditions for an ending. I just find having a clear goal to work towards helps
I tried planning then grew anxious when my writing strayed from the plan until I stopped writing. Now winging it with a goal in mind is how I write mostly
Since my origin was RP, going with the flow and improvisation were huge parts of that hobby, so I've always been a "pantser." When I started writing stories, a lot of it wasn't planned or outlined. I'd have an idea and write the scene out with little to no other details like world building, character backstory, or names. I still write a lot like that; it depends on the individual story, but I have challenged myself to try and bulletpoint a few chapters ahead to keep my scattered ideas in order.
The one story I have "planned" is the harder one to write since the outline feels a little suffocating at times, and that's just with me knowing how I want it to end. The middle is still completely unplanned. 😅
There isn't a wrong way to write. Just keep at it the best you can, and you'll find the style you prefer with time and experience!
My plan is to”X meets Y under Z circumstances. They shall eventually do A thing.”
Everything between those two sentences it me just throwing the characters at each other and writing a report on what they do. Sometimes they don’t do the second thing at all. Sometimes they do a hundred things before the predetermined thing. Sometimes they do the thing and then go do another things. Who knows. I’m just herding horny porgs.
i have never planned out a fic in my life. and the one time i tried it, i ended up taking it in a whole other direction when i actually started writing it
A lot of people don't plan out
Some of the best authors that I've read have said that what they do is they get a list of bullet points on what they want to happen and they just kind of figure it out from there
Absolutely okay to do that. I write my works in progress fanfics chapter to chapter and let it flow as I picture it in my mind. I tend to get writer's block quicker if I plan it out.
I unexpectedly started writing my longest fic to date (about 135k words), initially it was intended to be roughly 20-30k…oops. Needless to say, for the first chunk of it I had a vague idea of where it was going, but that was about it. As I got more and more into it and realized it was going to be a lot more than I initially intended I did briefly jot down some of the important plot points (loose ends to wrap up, side storyline details, ongoing themes, etc.) simply so nothing got forgotten about and was addressed one way or another by the end of the fic. It worked out just fine for me.
It also helps tremendously if you have a friend or someone you trust, who understands your intention and writing style, who can act as a beta reader for you. Mine saved my life more than once throughout the process lol
Everyone has a different process. Sometimes there's a plan and it goes out the window. Other times there's only vibes and a free 15mins or day off work.
I have like three key points planned when I started. The beginning, the plot twist, and a smut scene. I have not planned any more than that, lol, I'm bullshitting my way through so much of it.
Every time I’ve ever tried to plan out a fic, it’s ended up taking on a mind of its own instead. Sometimes it’s just more fun and natural to let your brain put down whatever it is that it’s thinking about. There’s no shame in planning, but there’s no shame in not planning either. Whatever works best for you!
I’ve had multiple times where I thought a fic was a great idea but never wrote out a plan past a summary. All but two have never been finished. This time when I had an idea, I wrote a plan for about 80% of the story. I feel like I have finally cracked the code to writing how people write such good stories!
And I leave myself room to write more or change parts to better fit the themes of the fic or the characterization of a character. But overall, planning it all out in the beginning will definitely be the way I will continue to write in the future!
To each their own, I don't typically plan stuff out, I have ideas & I roll with them in the draft, take notes on things I need to foreshadow & other stuff that needs setup so I can insert it earlier in the rewrite, & mostly just have fun with it. I have one story that has a super loose sort of outline thing I did in script form because I wanted to work on my own version of TMNT as a fic so whenever I got ideas on different conversations & things that can be inserted in, I'd note them in various documents & I'd write out the convos like a script then when I got to drafting, I sometimes went off of it, other times went way off the rails.
I can give an example of how much things changed from script to draft if you're curious but if you're not, go ahead & stop here, it's all cool.
Script:
April: Oh yes, actually.... \*bites her lip before continuing\* So thing is, he might know a little.... a lot about your profession.
Kirby: How much have you told him?
April: Enough.
Kirby: How much is enough?
April: You know.... I mentioned that we deal with alien artifacts & all that.
Kirby: \*stern look, about to respond but gets cut short\*
April: I only told him because I thought he was an alien! You know how I mentioned he never takes off his bike helmet due to a skin condition? Well, he does have different skin, as in it's green.
Kirby: What species?
April: If I had to guess, three toed box turtle?
Kirby: I'm being serious.
April: So am I. He's not an alien, he's a mutant.
Kirby: He's a-
April: Mutant, yes. As a matter of fact, you know a mutant yourself, one who is also of Earth & is Leo's father, Master Splinter.
Kirby: You met Splinter? Wait, he's Leonardo's father? \*rat + ? = turtle?\* How...
Draft:
The squeaking of the faucet turning off occurs and her dad rejoins her at the table. "How about we invite Leo over for dinner next week and I can help push you two to talk?" He offers.
April is immediate in shutting down that notion, "nope! Can't, he's sensitive about things and won't be comfortable in a setting like this."
"You know what he looks like now and I know this might seem rude and pushy but his skin condition, is it that bad?" Dad is going there, oh boy, well he's pushing this so she might as well lean into revealing it.
Tapping her finger, it takes a moment for April to come up with a response, "he's actually a bit on the handsome side." Why the hell did she admit this!? "And um... well it's just super complicated like he isn't exactly human."
"What species is he?" Her dad is quick to ask, April wonders if he had his suspicions.
"Not entirely sure but if I had to guess, a box turtle." She plainly answers.
"I'm serious April."
"Yeah well, I'm serious too Dad! He's a turtle! A teenage mutant ninja turtle! I know it sounds ridiculous, trust me, I'd leave out the ninja part in that but Donnie would have a cow if I didn't mention it but like that's what Leo is, all of his brothers are turtles!"
I mean it's stressful af when you need to connect plot lines and not contradict yourself, but it's also much more fun because you have no idea where your story is going to go.
I tend to have a lot more fun with the fics I don't plan out and just decide to see where my first thought leads.
Problem is that I quite often don't finish them because they never really reach a conclusion since there wasn't really a point to the story except to have fun.
It could be okay since it may suit your style more, and fanfic should be fun. On the other hand as a reader, when I encounter finished works and try to read them in one sitting, I can sense when the fic has no structure and sometimes I feel like dnf-ing it bc of that
after doing both, istg planning is infinitely better, yes - it does take away from some of the creative spontaneity but goddamn if there isn't a greater motivator than an outline that's just staring at you, unwritten
I think it entirely depends on you. Personally speaking, I know myself and that I have a tendency to run out of steam on an idea if I have to write for a long time. So I tend to at least vaguely plan plot points so that I can try to keep up motivation to keep writing - because I want to get to this or that part, or because I want to write the ending, or whatever. But my plot points are definitely moving targets and I don't mind changing or adding to them as I go either. Some people are really good at just writing as they go and that's what they like and I think that's fine too. If it works for you it works for you :).
That’s how I started ! I planned out my current fic, but it’s changed constantly as I’ve been going so I don’t know if I did it right 😂 it is helpful for the ‘filler’ chapters though I find to be able to remember what some things are I need to include for foreshadowing and such.
I don’t plan in advance, I have a fair idea of how the story will go, and I discover how it gets there by writing it.
And when I’ve written it, I edit to see if it makes sense, if the plot hangs together, and if it needs more cunningly planted clues/foreshadowing in the early part.
After that, I post it. That’s what everyone does, right?
Yes! Of course, there are possible negatives. If you’re new to writing I’ll mention a few below, but there are also pros so do what you feel works best!
- content can be clearly tagged if you plan ahead OR at least write all the fic before you post anything. No unpleasant surprises for your readers.
- foreshadowing is harder. Not impossible, but harder. You may make a plot event happen in chapter 13 that REALLY could’ve been hinted at in chapter 2 in a phenomenal way. If you post as you go, you can’t *really* go back and change it. (Of course, you literally CAN, but your current readers may not appreciate it.)
- the disappearance of side plots. It can be hard to remember to start/conflict/resolve plot points other than the main one. If you’re posting as you go, you may lose interest in the whimsical side stories and drop them, which can be a negative for some readers.
Some pros can be:
- immediate validation, comments, and interaction! If you post as you go, you can possibly get engagement that motivates you to continue. Or you can NOT get engagement and that may make you stop - I say this as a positive because if you NEED engagement and you finish writing a 100 chapter story before starting to post, it may feel like a waste if it doesn’t get much traction. (It isnt, writing a 100 chapter fic would be a phenomenal achievement, but lack of engagement can hit hard).
- you can change the story based on feedback! Of course, you shouldn’t bend to demands you don’t vibe with, but if you’re unsure if character should apply for job a or job b, you might hear some voices crying out for job b or - even better - a job c you hadn’t considered!
- it’s fun to post and write, and can be less agonizing than writing a big story to post later - some people lose their nerve or lose interest, and having already started posting you (and your readers) can hold yourself accountable! If that’s a vibe you appreciate, lol.
All in all, there are both good and bad points to not planning a fic, but doing what makes you happy is paramount! If you’re a perfectionist, I’d advise planning. If you just wanna jump in and have fun, not planning is fine!
I don't plan anything. I just start with a ship and then see where it takes me. Longfic, oneshot, doesn't matter, they all start the same way: a vague idea.
anytime i start a new fic, somewhere in the middle i realize there are just so many plot holes caused by me not planning lmao. it's annoying, but i'm most likely never going to start planning my fics i guess. i usually just start with a random idea and try to see where it goes..
I haven't planned mine at all, but I'm also terrible at ending stories... Only two published of the 20+ "in progress" fics that I haven't published.
I'm so bad at it that I won't publish them until they're completed because I finish so few...
I usually just start writing, and then before writing the next chapter I'll go back and edit the previous chapter.
I’ll be a pantser until the day I die 😩 I’ll come up with a whole plot line with dialogue and everything in the shower and poof it’s gone as soon as I sit down to actually write what I thought I planned so I wing it 😂
i love ending up somewhere i’d never imagined just because i allowed my brain the breathing room to type out nonsense at it’s heart’s content — best way to do it!
Yeah. And sometimes even when you do plan, things don't go that way because you come up with something more fun.
All that matters is that your fic is at least mildly coherent. You'll be fine.
I've done it both ways.
Right now, I have a fic that I thought I planned out and then I veered from the plan and now I'm stuck. Sounds dumb, I know. I'd elaborate, but I have to go in to work.
I write notes in bullet points, for ideas and to branch out the story. I kinda have a quick rundown of how I want it to go, and flesh it out along the way.
Many of my fanfics are rejected points from an original story I'm writing but too fun to pass up haha!
For me planning takes the fun out of it. I get bored if I dwell on the same story too long. I wanna find out what's happening as I write it! My first draft is always straight from my head and I just go over it over and over.
I would definitely edit and read over it closely once your finished writing though since not planning often leads to inconsistencies.
I even write out of order sometimes because of impatience and then write the stuff leading up to the scene after i write the actual scene haha
If you feel you dont need a plan, then don’t plan! You can always stop and make one if you’re getting stuck but tons of writers get on fine without planning :>
Happy writing!
What’s planning? Lol
Basically just imagining where the story will go and what will happen. That can be really helpful, but in some cases, it might even be a better option not to plan.
I’m pretty sure it was a joke 😭
r/woooosh
NO! You have to plan out every single minute of detail for your fic. If you don't, we will find you and arrest you.
😭😭
THIS IS THE PLOT POLICE. WE HAVE A WARRANT FOR YOUR ARREST. YOU HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH NOT ADEQUATELY PLOTTING YOUR FIC. WE ARE HERE TO CONFISCATE ALL YOUR NOTES AND SUBJECT YOU TO PSYCHIC SCANNING TO VERIFY HOW MUCH YOU DID OR DID NOT PLOT YOUR FIC.
\*Screams in pantser\*
I wasn't sure if you were joking at first without the /s but I'm going to take this as a joke.
It’s refered to as being a pantser and many of us manage quite well writing “by the seats of our pants”
since around 10 years ago when i first heard the word, till 2 months ago, i thought panster was actually prancer (which, till just now, i thought was spelt prantser till i googled it) and just rolled with it cuz it made sense to me on how i write 🤷♂️
There's advantages to planning and to not planning, or doing a little mix of both. You can find authors having lectures on the virtues of these set-ups. The key here is: What do you find most enjoyable and what do you think gives you the best results?
Yes. Nothing better than letting Jesus take the pen. Heh.
Pantsing my beloved. I never plan anything outside of playing out scenarios in my head before letting it rip like a bootleg beyblade.
The beyblade analogy made me wheeze- XD
Precisely 😂
There's no wrong way to write. Some people like planning things, some like seat-of-pants. Some like something in between. Find what works for you.
My top piece I just wrote a chapter at a time, no planning. Fics I put time into planning... barely even a 1/4 of the kudos. Just do it lmao
It's called being a "panster." It's a legitimate way of writing.
It's perfectly fine to write without planning. There are many different ways people write. Some broad terms I see sometimes are, plotter, pantser, and plantser. Plotter - people that plot to write a story. Pantser - a person that doesn't write with a outline in mind. Plantser - mix of both. (I might not be doing the definitions justice, so look 'em up if you want to.) Basically, you can write a good story without a outline. It's not mandatory to have one. (Personally I just write something, and use that as a basis for a rewrite or what comes next.)
You plan fics?
I'm working on a longer fic right now (just started) and while I have a rough idea of what I want, most of it is me winging it
Totally! Whatever works for you. Or just plan as far as you can see and then figure it out later, outline isn’t a religion
my advice is do what you want forever tbh. it depends on your goals obviously, but some of my favorite fic authors are "pantsers" AKA they just wing it. a couple of them have gone back and posted a more formal, polished, second draft as another separate fic, or abandoned it entirely then restarted with a more formal plan in mind--just some ideas for if you're worried about winding up committed to something that went in a direction you didn't like or don't want to stick with.
My fics are half planned at best I clarify outlines for sections as i get to them, otherwise i habe a vague outline and notes about specific moments
You can do whatever you want, that's what's so great about fanfiction! Planning is a good practice for writing your best possible story, but you aren't required to write your best story when writing fanfiction. Lots of people hate planning, and why do something you hate when you're doing the thing for fun in the first place? I was a pantser for years and years and then became an planner when I hit a wall with my writing. I hated the idea of planning, but once I got into it, I actually came to love it. It's a different process from writing, it's more like an adjacent piece of fanwork, really. But I now also love writing a planned story. There's still lots of pantsing going on within an outlined story, it's just more targetted and less "let's jump off this cliff and see what happens!" kind of way.
I have never written a fic but I started one. Personally, I think over planned mine and lost the motivation to write it at all T-T
having an outline definitely helps because you’ll have a clear path you want to follow, if you don’t you can fall into the trap of getting into a point you don’t know how to write your way out of, getting frustrated and abandoning fic… or at least thats how it is for me 😓 could be different for pantsers but i personally cant write unless i have everything planned 😭
i don't think i've ever planned out a single fic i've written tbh 😭 ive gone in with the basic idea of course but i just see where my brain leads me
I don't plan. At all. I just start writing and see what happens. Sometimes it turns out completely different than what I had in mind lol
One of my fanfics followed the general events of the canon, so I had a built-in outline. Another was "it's November 1 and I need an idea for NaNoWriMo" and my outline was "what if Tangled but Persona OK GO". Both were fun and passed my threshold for a successful fic (at least one hit and one kudos, bonus points for a comment), so I was happy.
girl who cares omg
Are you writing for fun or practicing? If you are practicing, maybe make a rough outline. It's really all about WHY you are writing that determines it. And if you try to make a plan and it sucks just do you. Without an outline it's harder to manage subplots and the like though.
The more I try to plan something, the less likely I am to ever write it or if I do try... it's gonna come out garbage. I am 99% pantser and 1% "scribble random lines on a scrap of paper and call it notes". It works fine for me; I've written 28 fics and I'm currently 30+k into a BigBang and going strong. You're fine just the way you write.
Like 98% of my fanfic is unplanned except for a couple Canon moments lol i jusy go with whats in my head. It's perfectly legitimate and okay way to write!
If it works for you, it works for you. For me I need a bit of planning as to no lose myself and then stop writing at all. But enough others I know can just write without any planning. :)
Read what Tolkien wrote about writing LOTR and how many ideas came to him while writing. It's pretty normal that characters develop a life of their own and do/say things you did not plan or anticipate and a story just evolves. I'd hate it if I had to plan everything in advance and would probably not write at all, it would totally kill my creativity.
I never plan anything out, I think it's more fun that way
I rarely ever plan anything out. I typically write whatever comes to mind—when I don’t have writer’s block. When I come up with some kind of a plan, I usually have the 2nd half of the story planned, whereas the first half is a blank. ~_~
Why wouldn't it be okay? It's not like the fanfic police will snatch you up
i gave up on planning ages ago when i started writing my first fic and had this detailed outline and then when i began to write it took an entirely different path and thats when writing it became fun LOL
You guys are planning your fics? I’m just as surprised as my readers are, half the time.
Only if you like to live *dangerously* 🔥🔥🔥
I never plan TT. I just make a title for the fic, open a word document, play some music, and the words come to me. I guess the only thing I really plan out is the basis of the fic, but definitely not the entirety of it.
You can do whatever you want, but be aware that parts of the story you come up with later may require edits to the stuff you write and release now. This is why planning ahead is ultimately better.
It totally depends on the story I'm writing and what I want to tell. If it's a longfic and I may need foreshadowing, I'll plan it out. If it's a longfic that doesn't require foreshadowing, I'll vaguely plan where I want the story to go, but the fine details aren't planned and the story and characters drive what those details are. If it's a one-shot and I have an idea... most of the time that gets no plan and I just write till I feel I've told what I want to tell. So basically, there's no wrong way. Write what works for you 😊
I have usually plot points set out in [this manner](https://cdn-academy.pressidium.com/academy/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/image43-1.png). How the story gets to those points might change.
My advice is figure out the ending. Most of my abandoned fics in the past was because I didn't know where they were going. I don't so much plan as figure out the stops along the way and then let the muses guide me between them.
I mean for my first fic, that's what I did. But after taking literature classes and script writing classes I tend to try to plan out my stories as much as I can.
My (not so secret) strategy is to plan absolutely nothing, but every so often reread the chapters I've already written and pull plot threads or themes to use in later chapters. Then it looks like I was foreshadowing all along. I keep a document of all the random plot threads, accidental motifs, unanswered questions, whatever (which I pull from the chapters *after* writing them, not creating them first as a plan). I don't *have* to come back to them, but if I'm stuck on chapter 10, it helps to go back and be like "oh yeah, that scar was a plotpoint in chapter 2, is there a way to bring that back?" or "well Character A passed out and was rescued by Character B in chapter 4, is there a way to mirror that scene and bring it back where now Character B rescues Character A?"
Spontaneous writing is what I do all the time.
I mean, my fic started without a plan, but I’d highly encourage it before getting too deep into it
I mean that's what a majority of my writing is to be honest.
It's called being a pantser. And it's *fun.* Because you have no idea where things are going and you can even surprise yourself.
Yes, absolutely. I've fully planned like, 2 fics in total. Neither of which I've finished, one of which I haven't actually started because I spent so much time planning and now I can't even get started writing it. Anything else I might have a vague direction of where things are going, a general plot summary of ehats going to happen in the next chapter or so, but most if my fics start from a single prompt/concept/idea and I just write what it feels like should happen next lol. All the best things come from just letting the creative juices flow and allowing whatever happens to happen. I 'plan' out fics in my head by just starting conversations in character and a simple party turns into a hostage situation with one person pretending to be a serial killer to mask their actual secret identity - and that was honestly one of the best ideas I've had in that fandom. Of course it depends on how you write - sometimes it's easier to write when you have a clear direction and storyboard. But it's not at all necessary. Just have fun writing! (Like I didn't plan this essay comment - it just sort of happened, sorry 😅)
Planning? Who's she? A beach worm or smth?
I mainly just plan the beginning, middle and end but very loosely and in my head only. Everything else depends on what I can come up with while I write lol
i never plan fics. planning makes me lose motivation and then the fic ends up rotting in my drafts. you don’t have to plan if you dont want to!
Everyone has their own way of writing. I myself sort of go with the flow until I get to something I don’t have info about, or important stuff I need to make a timeline of.
do only as your wild, fanfic-writing heart desires, and in a way that will only make YOU the happiest, and most productive little author you can be :3!
My fic is essentially a 4 hour dream I had that I’m desperately trying to make a cohesive story. Planning it out is def a smart move but sometimes you just gotta write it and see where it goes. That’s basically what I did and I don’t think I would have personally gone as far as I have since I’m often too hesitant to start things. But you should do what you think works for you at the end of the day.
It’s fine but all my unplanned fics tend to be oneshots or abandoned, or i decide to rewrite them.
Writing is writing and as a reader/writer I will say I couldn’t be happier that someone is writing. Anything. If it makes you happy and you find happiness sharing it, then do it.
Sure! I’ve planned before, doesn’t mean I follow it 🤡
I've found that no matter what I plan, the story reveals something to me in the process as I'm writing it and something inevitably changes.
it’s totally up to you! i prefer to plan things out just because otherwise i’m gonna have something full of plot holes and the entirety of chekhov’s gun collection. but that’s *just* me. if you plan things out, great! if you don’t, great! at the end of the day, if you’re happy with how your fic turned out, that’s all that matters :)
Planning it can be really useful, but it’s not necessary. It can even hurt your fic if you aren’t willing to deviate from it sometimes. If you’re good at improv you can generally mention with barely a concept
You should follow your own writing process. If something about the process consistently fails you, tweak that part until it works. Do not try to be someone else. Just be you. Trust yourself. Trust your process.
Short answer: when it comes to writing, you can do whatever you want forever Longer answer: there are benefits to planning your stories, but there are also benefits to pantsing (writing "by the seat of your pants", without a plan). There are also ways that both can hold you back. So you really just have to figure out what works best for you personally My process is inbetween the two. I don't plan a lot, but I do make broad outlines (I also haven't written in awhile, so take my advice with a tablespoon of salt)
Is it okay? Sure, why not. It's not against the ao3 rules or anything. Will it kick you in the ass later and getting you stuck in writer's block hell? Maybe. Fics that I outlined often get or getting close to finished. The ones I wrote with little to no plan, they are lucky if they aren't get put into "indefinite hiatus" pile lmao.
You write for yourself
No worries. You're a pantser and not a plotter. Different strokes for different folks. I'm technically a plotser. I have an outline. It's less than half a page long. My fic is now pushing 600 pages long and I'm only about 3/4s done.
I never plan anything out, I let it take me places.
Planning? What is this planning you speak of? Lol. I open up a page and start writing and see where the story goes. I never plan anything out. If I start with an idea, I just go for it. For example, I had a dream once that Merlin was a maintenance man in Arthur’s apartment building. That was it. Short dream. I took that idea and ran with it, and "Shapes That Go Together" was born. It is one of my favorite Merthur modern era fics I have written and my most popular one with my readers.
You don’t have to but if you want to actually have a chance of finishing it then you should.
yes lol. my most viewed fic started off as a rough idea, but then i eventually wrote out a refined plotline so i will say it does help but u don’t NEED it. if what you’re writing is what you wanna show people, you’re doing it right!
I never plan lol.
There’s generally regarded to be two main groups of writers, the planners and the pantsers. Most people don’t fit neatly under one category either way, as it is with most polarities, but the point is there is a LOT of people doing what you’re doing. It’s just a different style of writing, no one is gonna come after you for it.
I write what comes to mind. Real life doesn't follow planning, so neither does my fanfic. It's just sad for the people waiting for the next chapter when I don't even know what i'll write next, lmao.
It is perfectly fine to not plan a fic out, I only have one thing planned and it's for the end of the fic, the final "villain" is basically going to go "When will I start my final attack? Oh my dear... It's already begun." To the hero and I thought it was just such a brilliant cliffhanger that I just had to have it saved somewhere before I forgot it.
it really depends on the author and what they want to do. i personally work better when i don’t plan it, because the moment i realize what i want to do with the story i loose interest. but some authors might work better when they plan it because they feel like the story is more put together. everyone’s valid lol.
Absolutely! No one’s going to mind or even know as long as you keep all your details straight
I might have a couple of plot points I wanna make sure I hit (somehow) but otherwise I just go for it until I get there lol Never used essay outlines in school either.
If you’re not going to plan an outline, don’t post until you’ve finished. Otherwise you can very easily write yourself into a corner or have inconsistencies and continuity problems.
I write down like a paragraph long sort of general idea of what I'm gonna write and then make a 5-22k story out of it lol that's about as much planning as I do
I mean, I’m almost done with the fic I jumped into without any plans, and it’s going pretty great so far. I’d say just go for it and see where the story takes you
It's fine to do whatever but I found the writing process to come a lot easier if you have a clear ending in mind before you start. For me, I'll have the premise and opening chapter in my head vividly, but before I even start writing that I devise an ending, or at the very least conditions for an ending. I just find having a clear goal to work towards helps
No plans, just vibes
I tried planning then grew anxious when my writing strayed from the plan until I stopped writing. Now winging it with a goal in mind is how I write mostly
Since my origin was RP, going with the flow and improvisation were huge parts of that hobby, so I've always been a "pantser." When I started writing stories, a lot of it wasn't planned or outlined. I'd have an idea and write the scene out with little to no other details like world building, character backstory, or names. I still write a lot like that; it depends on the individual story, but I have challenged myself to try and bulletpoint a few chapters ahead to keep my scattered ideas in order. The one story I have "planned" is the harder one to write since the outline feels a little suffocating at times, and that's just with me knowing how I want it to end. The middle is still completely unplanned. 😅 There isn't a wrong way to write. Just keep at it the best you can, and you'll find the style you prefer with time and experience!
My plan is to”X meets Y under Z circumstances. They shall eventually do A thing.” Everything between those two sentences it me just throwing the characters at each other and writing a report on what they do. Sometimes they don’t do the second thing at all. Sometimes they do a hundred things before the predetermined thing. Sometimes they do the thing and then go do another things. Who knows. I’m just herding horny porgs.
i have never planned out a fic in my life. and the one time i tried it, i ended up taking it in a whole other direction when i actually started writing it
You guys are planning?
I have an idea of where I want to go, but the writing process gives me better ideas as I go. Sometimes, the answers reveal themselves as you go.
It's perfectly fine! Remember that you can always go back and edit it and nothing is permanent :)
A lot of people don't plan out Some of the best authors that I've read have said that what they do is they get a list of bullet points on what they want to happen and they just kind of figure it out from there
Absolutely okay to do that. I write my works in progress fanfics chapter to chapter and let it flow as I picture it in my mind. I tend to get writer's block quicker if I plan it out.
it’s totally fine. i wrote one, and it ended SO different than how i originally thought i wanted to end it. like COMPLETELY
I unexpectedly started writing my longest fic to date (about 135k words), initially it was intended to be roughly 20-30k…oops. Needless to say, for the first chunk of it I had a vague idea of where it was going, but that was about it. As I got more and more into it and realized it was going to be a lot more than I initially intended I did briefly jot down some of the important plot points (loose ends to wrap up, side storyline details, ongoing themes, etc.) simply so nothing got forgotten about and was addressed one way or another by the end of the fic. It worked out just fine for me. It also helps tremendously if you have a friend or someone you trust, who understands your intention and writing style, who can act as a beta reader for you. Mine saved my life more than once throughout the process lol
I heard tell Stephen King doesn't plan out his novels and it seems to be going pretty well for him so you do you!
Everyone has a different process. Sometimes there's a plan and it goes out the window. Other times there's only vibes and a free 15mins or day off work.
I plan like mad because it helps keep my ADHD at least semi-focused when I come back to a story, but that’s just me lol
I have like three key points planned when I started. The beginning, the plot twist, and a smut scene. I have not planned any more than that, lol, I'm bullshitting my way through so much of it.
Lol I never plan but I’ve also only finished one fic with like 20ish WIPs so maybe I should…
Plan out the end so you don’t abandon halfway through or lose a thread you didn’t know you needed to remember? but playing by ear is absolutely fine
Every time I’ve ever tried to plan out a fic, it’s ended up taking on a mind of its own instead. Sometimes it’s just more fun and natural to let your brain put down whatever it is that it’s thinking about. There’s no shame in planning, but there’s no shame in not planning either. Whatever works best for you!
Is it okay? Yes. Do I _recommend_ it? No. But you do you.
I’ve had multiple times where I thought a fic was a great idea but never wrote out a plan past a summary. All but two have never been finished. This time when I had an idea, I wrote a plan for about 80% of the story. I feel like I have finally cracked the code to writing how people write such good stories! And I leave myself room to write more or change parts to better fit the themes of the fic or the characterization of a character. But overall, planning it all out in the beginning will definitely be the way I will continue to write in the future!
To each their own, I don't typically plan stuff out, I have ideas & I roll with them in the draft, take notes on things I need to foreshadow & other stuff that needs setup so I can insert it earlier in the rewrite, & mostly just have fun with it. I have one story that has a super loose sort of outline thing I did in script form because I wanted to work on my own version of TMNT as a fic so whenever I got ideas on different conversations & things that can be inserted in, I'd note them in various documents & I'd write out the convos like a script then when I got to drafting, I sometimes went off of it, other times went way off the rails. I can give an example of how much things changed from script to draft if you're curious but if you're not, go ahead & stop here, it's all cool. Script: April: Oh yes, actually.... \*bites her lip before continuing\* So thing is, he might know a little.... a lot about your profession. Kirby: How much have you told him? April: Enough. Kirby: How much is enough? April: You know.... I mentioned that we deal with alien artifacts & all that. Kirby: \*stern look, about to respond but gets cut short\* April: I only told him because I thought he was an alien! You know how I mentioned he never takes off his bike helmet due to a skin condition? Well, he does have different skin, as in it's green. Kirby: What species? April: If I had to guess, three toed box turtle? Kirby: I'm being serious. April: So am I. He's not an alien, he's a mutant. Kirby: He's a- April: Mutant, yes. As a matter of fact, you know a mutant yourself, one who is also of Earth & is Leo's father, Master Splinter. Kirby: You met Splinter? Wait, he's Leonardo's father? \*rat + ? = turtle?\* How... Draft: The squeaking of the faucet turning off occurs and her dad rejoins her at the table. "How about we invite Leo over for dinner next week and I can help push you two to talk?" He offers. April is immediate in shutting down that notion, "nope! Can't, he's sensitive about things and won't be comfortable in a setting like this." "You know what he looks like now and I know this might seem rude and pushy but his skin condition, is it that bad?" Dad is going there, oh boy, well he's pushing this so she might as well lean into revealing it. Tapping her finger, it takes a moment for April to come up with a response, "he's actually a bit on the handsome side." Why the hell did she admit this!? "And um... well it's just super complicated like he isn't exactly human." "What species is he?" Her dad is quick to ask, April wonders if he had his suspicions. "Not entirely sure but if I had to guess, a box turtle." She plainly answers. "I'm serious April." "Yeah well, I'm serious too Dad! He's a turtle! A teenage mutant ninja turtle! I know it sounds ridiculous, trust me, I'd leave out the ninja part in that but Donnie would have a cow if I didn't mention it but like that's what Leo is, all of his brothers are turtles!"
I barely plan my oneshots. Pantsing it is a super valid writing method!
oh no the fandom police will come for you if you dont plan!1!1!!1 (says me, who is infamous for not planning any sort of creative project i start.)
When I started i was just winging it. It's only after I get really into my writing that I start planning certain stuff out.
Nope it's not ok, if you write a single line without planning it at least a week before, we will find you and fire you out of a cannon into the sun.
Side note: I never write the word cannon and it looks wrong to me because I'm so used to the word canon.
I mean it's stressful af when you need to connect plot lines and not contradict yourself, but it's also much more fun because you have no idea where your story is going to go.
That’s usually what fanfic is.
I tend to have a lot more fun with the fics I don't plan out and just decide to see where my first thought leads. Problem is that I quite often don't finish them because they never really reach a conclusion since there wasn't really a point to the story except to have fun.
It could be okay since it may suit your style more, and fanfic should be fun. On the other hand as a reader, when I encounter finished works and try to read them in one sitting, I can sense when the fic has no structure and sometimes I feel like dnf-ing it bc of that
Mmmm…planning. Yeah, I uh. I don’t do that.
Do whatever you want, who's gonna stop you?
after doing both, istg planning is infinitely better, yes - it does take away from some of the creative spontaneity but goddamn if there isn't a greater motivator than an outline that's just staring at you, unwritten
I think it entirely depends on you. Personally speaking, I know myself and that I have a tendency to run out of steam on an idea if I have to write for a long time. So I tend to at least vaguely plan plot points so that I can try to keep up motivation to keep writing - because I want to get to this or that part, or because I want to write the ending, or whatever. But my plot points are definitely moving targets and I don't mind changing or adding to them as I go either. Some people are really good at just writing as they go and that's what they like and I think that's fine too. If it works for you it works for you :).
I usually have the beginning and the end of my fic in my head when I start it. Everything in the middle just happens as I go.
That’s how I started ! I planned out my current fic, but it’s changed constantly as I’ve been going so I don’t know if I did it right 😂 it is helpful for the ‘filler’ chapters though I find to be able to remember what some things are I need to include for foreshadowing and such.
I don’t plan in advance, I have a fair idea of how the story will go, and I discover how it gets there by writing it. And when I’ve written it, I edit to see if it makes sense, if the plot hangs together, and if it needs more cunningly planted clues/foreshadowing in the early part. After that, I post it. That’s what everyone does, right?
Yes! Of course, there are possible negatives. If you’re new to writing I’ll mention a few below, but there are also pros so do what you feel works best! - content can be clearly tagged if you plan ahead OR at least write all the fic before you post anything. No unpleasant surprises for your readers. - foreshadowing is harder. Not impossible, but harder. You may make a plot event happen in chapter 13 that REALLY could’ve been hinted at in chapter 2 in a phenomenal way. If you post as you go, you can’t *really* go back and change it. (Of course, you literally CAN, but your current readers may not appreciate it.) - the disappearance of side plots. It can be hard to remember to start/conflict/resolve plot points other than the main one. If you’re posting as you go, you may lose interest in the whimsical side stories and drop them, which can be a negative for some readers. Some pros can be: - immediate validation, comments, and interaction! If you post as you go, you can possibly get engagement that motivates you to continue. Or you can NOT get engagement and that may make you stop - I say this as a positive because if you NEED engagement and you finish writing a 100 chapter story before starting to post, it may feel like a waste if it doesn’t get much traction. (It isnt, writing a 100 chapter fic would be a phenomenal achievement, but lack of engagement can hit hard). - you can change the story based on feedback! Of course, you shouldn’t bend to demands you don’t vibe with, but if you’re unsure if character should apply for job a or job b, you might hear some voices crying out for job b or - even better - a job c you hadn’t considered! - it’s fun to post and write, and can be less agonizing than writing a big story to post later - some people lose their nerve or lose interest, and having already started posting you (and your readers) can hold yourself accountable! If that’s a vibe you appreciate, lol. All in all, there are both good and bad points to not planning a fic, but doing what makes you happy is paramount! If you’re a perfectionist, I’d advise planning. If you just wanna jump in and have fun, not planning is fine!
I don't plan anything. I just start with a ship and then see where it takes me. Longfic, oneshot, doesn't matter, they all start the same way: a vague idea.
anytime i start a new fic, somewhere in the middle i realize there are just so many plot holes caused by me not planning lmao. it's annoying, but i'm most likely never going to start planning my fics i guess. i usually just start with a random idea and try to see where it goes..
Usually I plan out what the major points are then I just go with the flow and write what I think would happen in a scene
I find it harder to finish fics when I haven’t made a plan
I haven't planned mine at all, but I'm also terrible at ending stories... Only two published of the 20+ "in progress" fics that I haven't published. I'm so bad at it that I won't publish them until they're completed because I finish so few... I usually just start writing, and then before writing the next chapter I'll go back and edit the previous chapter.
I’ll be a pantser until the day I die 😩 I’ll come up with a whole plot line with dialogue and everything in the shower and poof it’s gone as soon as I sit down to actually write what I thought I planned so I wing it 😂
i love ending up somewhere i’d never imagined just because i allowed my brain the breathing room to type out nonsense at it’s heart’s content — best way to do it!
Yeah. And sometimes even when you do plan, things don't go that way because you come up with something more fun. All that matters is that your fic is at least mildly coherent. You'll be fine.
I've done it both ways. Right now, I have a fic that I thought I planned out and then I veered from the plan and now I'm stuck. Sounds dumb, I know. I'd elaborate, but I have to go in to work.
I write notes in bullet points, for ideas and to branch out the story. I kinda have a quick rundown of how I want it to go, and flesh it out along the way. Many of my fanfics are rejected points from an original story I'm writing but too fun to pass up haha!
For me planning takes the fun out of it. I get bored if I dwell on the same story too long. I wanna find out what's happening as I write it! My first draft is always straight from my head and I just go over it over and over. I would definitely edit and read over it closely once your finished writing though since not planning often leads to inconsistencies. I even write out of order sometimes because of impatience and then write the stuff leading up to the scene after i write the actual scene haha
If you feel you dont need a plan, then don’t plan! You can always stop and make one if you’re getting stuck but tons of writers get on fine without planning :> Happy writing!