Do you plan a plot or just wing it?

[Mechaphobic]

I won't write a story unless I can imagine the entire thing from start to end. It is usually blurry and needs to be filled in, but I can usually create a few hundred chapters of content fairly easily! I then make a plotline and start planning it all out and breaking it into chapters, then I write it! A plan is really important, especially when it comes to laying the groundwork through foreshadowing. The plots will get stale and bland if it isn't well thought out originally.

The one thing I hate the most is when people tell me they 'have a plan in their head' it usually doesn't turn out well, and it shows in their lack of foresight. One of the things I love most in writing is when things that seem like small details become larger and larger over time. I guess without a plan a book will always seem to lack depth, this is what I most commonly see.

 

[Minx]

Listen, you must plan your plot if you don't want to get lost like a certain author.

It's nice to write down what you think at the moment, but it became harder in the long run, and there might even be inconsistency with the plot at a certain point in the story cause you might not remember the subplot you added in the past or somewhere along the line. And you might even stop at some point because your motivation lessened.

 

[Kitsura]

little bit of both

 

[LoliGent]

After writing my first story just winging the whole thing, I realized that I should plan stories. To be frank, that story was never meant to actually exists but it got traction so I kept it going. But the problems started to arise the further I got in, trying to remember things I already wrote, keeping plotholes from popping up. It turned out to be a real chore and I had to end it.

It was a good learning experience, so my next story, I planned, planned, planned. I jotted down notes, I wrote a hypothetical synopsis of the whole thing, wrote a first draft and got feedback on it, and wrote rough drafts of the entirety of the first act. I also draw a lot of concept art, though that's because this story is going to have illustrations, but it helps with the planning phase.

Though in a way, I didn't plan every single tiny detail. I just wrote enough to give the story a foundation to work upon. My rough drafts, I pretty much just winged it, sometimes I had to because I had no idea where to take the story. So I guess behind the scenes, winging it is good because you can catch any unwanted elements and remove them instead of being stuck with it and trying to worm your way out of it.

 

[Toripuru-S]

I did! several months ago I started drafting out a complete novel+script+screenplay thingy, because I fully intended to pitch my idea as a comic (or any other medium if someone showed up at my doorstep with buckets of money ...) I eventually just went all in and thought I had nothing to lose by converting it all into a novel format earlier than expected, and I'm glad I did!

Had I not, then I would've missed the chance to flesh out other ideas and make what I have now (in my mind ) way stronger than the script ever was! I haven't bothered to check my script anymore since the first two chapters lmao.

If it fails as a novel for me, ain't nothing wrong with simply trying again with a different medium

 

[Mysticant]

I prefer winging it, though I have already thought of all the major plot points for each arc and the main hook at the end. The rest in between is more for winging so I can add plenty of new ideas I think of every day. But then again, I release very slow and haphazardly so I am not a good example. I would say planning is better for consistent quality works, though it often lacks that x factor in my view as a reader.

 

[Toripuru-S]

After writing my first story just winging the whole thing, I realized that I should plan stories. To be frank, that story was never meant to actually exists but it got traction so I kept it going. But the problems started to arise the further I got in, trying to remember things I already wrote, keeping plotholes from popping up. It turned out to be a real chore and I had to end it.

It was a good learning experience, so my next story, I planned, planned, planned. I jotted down notes, I wrote a hypothetical synopsis of the whole thing, wrote a first draft and got feedback on it, and wrote rough drafts of the entirety of the first act. I also draw a lot of concept art, though that's because this story is going to have illustrations, but it helps with the planning phase.

Though in a way, I didn't plan every single tiny detail. I just wrote enough to give the story a foundation to work upon. My rough drafts, I pretty much just winged it, sometimes I had to because I had no idea where to take the story. So I guess behind the scenes, winging it is good because you can catch any unwanted elements and remove them instead of being stuck with it and trying to worm your way out of it

I'm no expert by any means, but yeah having a balance of basic story notes/pre-planning/post-planning? and the willingness to just wing it "might" yield good results

 

[Deleted member 45782]

I got some ideas for one story now so all that's needed is just to take the step forward and actually write.
Another story I have - I got the characters' name down at last, so maybe I'll work on bettering the first ch or two, but still debating the overall story but I sort of know two paths I may decide to take.
There's another story that I got a general idea of how I want to write it but its the plotholes that make me hesitant to bring it forward and write.

Plotholes are one of my biggest fears.

 

[melbisbelbis]

It’s best to mix it. I’m bad at that because I have ADHD.
The idea I have is to plan it, but for every chapter’s plan, you wing it and then make some revisions after without deviating too much from the original ideas you wrote. Winging stories is a great way to become very inconsistent, but by winging it you bring far more emotion into your stories and it makes them just that much more alive.
But that’s just my preference.

 

[Vivian-M.K.]

We like to come up with points along the way, and then make stuff up as we go along. It's been working out quite well so far.

 

[Derin_Edala]

I start writing when I have a main character(s), a theme/concept, and one major twist. This usually means that when I start I know either the climax or the ending (this is my known twist), but rarely both. I know where I'm going, but I have to plot a course there chapter-by-chapter. By the time I'm through Act 1 I usually have enough points outlines to know where to steer things.

 

[Armored99]

Personally I have the one over-arching plot point planned out. The smaller ones for stories arcs are more generalized, and as I write can come more into focus. I don't like to plan the entire story out, as when I'm writing I like to research things. The things I learn can then create some nice twists to the story.

 

[Kitsura]

Little bit of this little bit of that.

I plan "scenes"

I guess I don't write books, by telling myself this happens in this scene, rather I plan my "scenes" by planning the result of it. Does this scene convey character motivation? does it introduce a character? Is this scene simply for flavor and world building?