I’ve described my writing style as one of a “pantser.” When I start writing a story, I don’t have an outline, just a vision. I discover what happens as I go along. That is not to say that I don’t have an idea of the destination; it’s just that I find my way there by feel, by the seat of my pants, or, as others prefer, by planting a garden full of ideas and watching what grows — a “gardener.” Other novelists’ approach writing completely differently. The “architects,” as those writers are sometimes called, like to have a full outline of their story, a well-defined world and its magic systems, and carefully worked out characters before they begin writing. You can say that the “pantsers” and the “architects” are at the opposite ends of story crafting spectrum. Obviously, no one is 100% pantser, and few people are perfect architects. Most are somewhere along the continuum. Personally, I do have the shape of a story in mind before embarking on the journey of writing a book. I have an idea about the characters, and I’ve sketched out the setting in my mind. But I’m often surprised where the story leads me.…
