Are you a Plotter or Pantser?

It was interesting to find out some of the people at the PSWA conference had not idea what being a pantser meant. In case you don't know, it comes from the phrase, flying by the seat of your pants. In other words, writing without having an outline of your plot already figured out.

The panelists who discussed the subject were:

Thonie Hevron, Eileen Magill, Mike Brandt, Joe addiego, Janet Greger, and Barbara Hodges.

Some plotted, some were pantsers, and a couple were a combination of both.

They felt the pantsers might have to do more rewriting.

One panelist didn't like not knowing what to write.

Another felt that the author should have the arc of the story pretty much in mind.

Which is easier? Mixed feelings.

And one reported tha outlines are not perfect and will probably have to be changed as the writing moved along.

What about you? If you're a writer, do you plan ahead, making an outline to follow as you write?

Or do you just start with some ideas in your head and move on from there?

Or do you do a combination of things?

Let us know in your comments.

Marilyn aka F. M. Meredith