Plotter: One who organizes, plans, plots, outlines, synopsizes, characterizes, takes copious notes, and researches before putting pen to paper. Before they sit down at the computer, they know exactly what’s going to happen in their story and feel confident that every scene flows into the next and all loose ends are neatly tied up.
Pantser: One who writes by the seat of their pants, and who does NOT plan, plot, outline, or do character studies ahead of time. They generally get a basic idea for a story and/or character(s) in their head, sit down at the computer, begin writing, and trust that everything will work itself out in the end.
This month, our Plotter and Pantser will discuss characters. How do they come up with their characters? How do they build characters? And who's in charge, the characters or the writer?
Pantser: Okay, last month you got to ask the questions. Now it's my turn! (grin) I want to know how you come up with the characters for your stories. Do you think of a plot/story premise first, then create characters to play the appropriate roles? Or do the characters come first, then you find a plot/premise to go along with them?
Plotter: Oooh, good questions! Ideally, the characters and the plot should mesh so tightly that one can't exist without the other. But the first thing that usually pops into my head is a scene -- a premise. The main character is there, but the plot/story is the driving force at first. Then I ask questions about that picture in my head -- What are these people doing, why are they there, who are they? What about you, what comes first for you?
Pantser: Well, the premise usually comes first for me too. A very basic first scene premise. However, part of the reason for that could be that I've written several interconnected books, so I've known who several of my main characters are before I've started writing because they've already been in a previous book. But even when I haven't "known" my main character, the premise still came first.
Plotter: So what comes to you first with your characters? Name? Visual Image? Occupation? Personality type?
Pantser: For me, once the character appears in my premise/scene, I almost always come up with names first. Names are very important to me. A name might just appear along with the character as a package deal, or I may spend some time looking for just the perfect name. But I absolutely cannot write another word in the story until I know a character's name. Visual usually comes later unless it's extremely pertinent to the plot (like a disabled heroine, or something). Everything else just evolves as I write, as it's needed. Because remember, I'm a Pantser. I don't do any character stuff ahead of time. I just start writing the story based on the premise, so I learn the characters as I go.
Plotter: You and your Pantser ways! (laughing) For me it's an overall sketch. The biggest thing is the character's attitude. Is he angry? Is she frightened? I connect emotionally first. Then I usually get the basic occupation and personality. Name and visual image come last for me, although I always cut out pictures and write down names. I have a folder with tons of pictures in it -- and also various names that have caught my interest. Once I have the basic personality down, I page through these examples until I find the name and face that "fit."
Pantser: I usually have pictures of my characters too that I've cut out of magazines, or found on the web. So do you do have some sort of formal character building method you use? Like character interviews, character profiles, worksheets, GMC charts?
Plotter: He he he. This is where I get really anal. First I have a "Quick Character Sketch." It's one page of basic questions (eye color, height, goals). This is the first thing I fill out, right after I get the picture in my head. Then after I've done a narrative synopsis of the story, I'll go back and write my characters' life histories. I tell it like a story -- where they came from, who their parents are, what scared them in the past, etc. This can be four to five pages long, single spaced. Usually from this I can start to decipher what their GMC's are likely to be. Once this is done, I sit down and pound out about two chapters. I suppose this is the little bit of Pantser I have -- this is the time for the characters to speak up or forever hold their peace.
Pantser: LOL! You say it's the Pantser in you, but geez, you've already done a narrative synopsis of the story, and two very long life histories for your characters before you write these two chapters!
Plotter: (grinning) Okay, I get your point. It feels like Pansting to me! Anyway, once I have all this accomplished, I usually have these people DOWN! I go back and fill out a complete GMC and character worksheet. I don't answer every single question at the beginning, some just pop out at me as I write. But I'm talking pages of very detailed stuff down to skin tone, distinguishing marks or mannerisms, careers, hobbies, wardrobe, favorite drink, music, religion, their basic archetype and personality type. I also think about their regrets, ambitions, darkest secret, prized possesion POSSESSION... should I go on?? LOL!
Panster: Stop! You're scaring me! Yikes, woman, you do all this BEFORE you write the book?!
Plotter: Absolutely. Why? How do you do it? Or should I be afraid to ask?
Pantser: Be afraid! I NEVER do all this detailed stuff! It gives me a headache just thinking about it. My characters build themselves for me as they go. They kind of unfold the same way people you meet in real life do. The first time you meet someone in real life, you might notice what they're wearing, what color their hair is, maybe a speech accent. And every time you see them after that you learn something new. But you certainly don't figure out all their deep dark secrets in the first few meetings. And it's the same for my characters. I don't discover their deep dark secrets until I've gotten to know them really well, which can sometimes take many chapters. I sort of unpeel them slowly, layer by layer, like an onion.
Plotter: Well there's a lovely analogy. (grin)
Pantser: Smart aleck! It's a great analogy!
Plotter: Don't you do ANYTHING? Like a GMC chart, or figure out their basic archetype, or their personality type? Anything at all?
Pantser: My first couple of books I didn't even know there was such a thing as GMC. I mean, it was there in the story, but I did it on instinct. The next book or two I made an effort to write up GMC's for my characters, and it helped to some extent. But now I don't write it out anymore because I'm aware of my characters' GMC's in my head. Sometimes, though, after I'm really deep into a story, it's kind of fun to go back and figure out what character archetype he/she might be. And I do usually know my characters' Myers-Briggs types. But I don't use these things to "build" my characters. I'm just fascinated by psychological types, so I do it more for my own fun. I do it with everyone I meet in real life, too!
Plotter: Hmm... interesting. It seems to me that the difference between us is that I do most of the "learning" about my characters ahead of time, and you just do it as you write. I put it on paper, and you keep it in your head. But in the end, we still both know our characters very well.
Pantser: I'd say that's probably true. Okay, here's another question for you. Do you purposely set out to find characters (hero/heroine) who contrast sharply with one another in order to create obvious conflict in your story? Or do you just have two more or less normal people who come together due to some external event, and their conflicts tend to be more subtle, and possibly more internal?
Plotter: Wowza! Now that is a good question. I would say it depends on the story. If I'm writing a light-hearted piece, then it's fun to put two opposites together. But if it's a darker story, maybe the conflict needs to be more internal. I don't squeeze characters into a box -- meaning, when the initial picture comes to me, I won't tamper with the main character that appears -- with his "attitude." But when there's shading of characterization (is he messy? Is she anal?), then yes, I'll think about what would irritate the other. But I never go against the basic core of the character. What about you?
Pantser: I can honestly say... never. I don't set out to make my characters anything at all. They just come to me one at a time, and I write them as they are. Sometimes they contrast, sometimes they don't. If they don't, then for the sake of the story, I might nudge their internal conflicts in such a way that the characters have complications with each other on a deeper, internal level. But again, it's not something I plan out ahead of time. I just work it out as I go.
Plotter: So since you don't figure out your main characters ahead of time, then I can assume you don't worry about your secondary characters either?
Pantser: Oh geez! I never even know who my secondaries are going to be until they appear on the page unexpectedly as I write. And I say, "Oh gee, well hello, so and so. Nice of you to drop in. Whoever you are." (grin)
Plotter: Well, ugh, I don't do my whole process for my secondaries either. Not even the villain. If I did, I'd never write the book! LOL!
Pantser: Okay, one last question. As you're actually writing the book, do you ever find that your characters take over, lead you where they want you to go, and make the decisions about what direction the story will take? In other words, do you ever feel like your characters are in charge and you're just their typist?
Plotter: This is a Pantser question if I ever heard one! No, with my characters, I AM GOD! They do what I say. Now this doesn't mean that I won't let a character deviate a bit from my storyline if he insists. But basically, I'm in charge and I like it that way. Let me guess... you DO let your characters take charge don't you?
Pantser: Yep! Almost always. Occasionally I might already have a scene in mind somewhere down the line... the final scene of the book, for example. In that case, my characters still do whatever they want to, but I try to remind them that I do have that very basic ending in mind and while they can have as much fun as they want along the way, could they please try to make sure they end up somewhere near where I want them to be by the end of the book. (grin) Now it doesn't mean the ending always turns out the way I think it's going to, it might be in a different setting completely, or under different circumstances. But the emotion that I had in mind will still be there.
Plotter: You know, one thing I'd like to add to this discussion we've had today, is that my process for characterization took me a while to discover. I'm finally comfortable doing it this way, but for people who have only finished one book or two... well, you might still be refining what works best for you. Try different ways of developing characters until you figure out what inspires you, and also what makes you feel comfortable.
Pantser: Oh I agree. I can't stress enough the importance of trying different methods. Even though I cringe at the thought of doing detailed character studies in advance, I have tried it. More than once. And my process, like Caro's, has evolved over the years, and over the books I've written. There's no right way. Just YOUR way!
Plotter: And on that note... we're outta here!
Carolyn studied political science in college and backpacked through Europe and the Orient. She's been a ski bum, a waitress, a bookkeeper, a loan processor and an accounting software trainer. Finally deciding that she couldn't ignore her dream anymore, Carolyn started to write. A life-long reader of romance, she's written five books - fiction and non-fiction, one which finaled in the prestigious Orange Rose contest, and another in the Emily contest.
Karin's a Colorado native with a degree in English, and likes to think her liberal arts education has come in handy for something! She's been a reader, writer, and dreamer all her life, along with several occupations which she's very happy she doesn't have to do anymore. She has four completed fiction manuscripts, two children's book stories, and has published numerous non-fiction articles and some poetry. She recently finaled in the PPRW's Top o' the Peak contest
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