Pantser or Plotter?

I learned some new terms while learning more about the writing world. Two that stuck out were "pantsers" and "plotters" (or "planners"). 

Some authors write by the seat of their pants. These "pantsers" have an idea or concept of their story but use their intuition and subconscious to write it out. On the plus side, you get started quickly and feel/see progress; from what I understand, this process also helps with writer's block. On the negative side, it could be less efficient and often requires rework when adding, removing, or modifying story elements. 

"Plotters" or "Planners" prepare outlines before they start their story. They work out all (or most) of the story before they write. There is often a high upfront cost in time, but they can make it up in the writing stage. 

I attended a workshop hosted by Martin Wilsey. He was gracious enough to answer some of my questions. I learned that he is a plotter who can write a novel quickly after spending about three days creating an outline (about 30 pages). Here is a link to his process:

https://wilseymc.blogspot.com/2016/04/tips-outline-hell-out-of-things.html

Some other well-known "plotter" authors include J.K. Rowling and John Grisham, while famous "pantsers" are Stephen King and Margaret Atwood. 

Up to this point, I've been a pantser. I am not sure that is what I want, but I felt a lot of pressure to write, write, write. The thought process seems to be, "Just write if you want to be an author."  That feels counter to my project management brain of "plan ahead," so I will attempt to outline "The Double Murder of Dr. Flynn." 

The downside is that my daily word count will be zero until I finish the outline. I simply don't have the time to plot a story and write to random prompts to keep a daily word count. 

We shall see how I feel and evaluate the return on investment. 

Daniel

I have a publicist?

Words I never thought I would hear myself say: my publicist reached out to me last week. To be more exact, she is the publicist for the Writers and Illustrators of the Future, but that seems less impressive in a conversation. She is asking for a photo since they already have my bio (thank you to those who helped me with that little project). She provided no due date, but I imagine I am supposed to do it immediately. I am not too keen on my photos (often joking that each picture takes away a little piece of my soul), so this will be another fun exercise to test my anxiety. As always, thoughts and suggestions are welcome. 

You may notice that I am working my way back into Facebook. I am unsure how I feel about that, but I've learned that many friends and family want to know more. We shall see how this goes. 

Finally, I have three stories in various stages of development:

• Clarkesworld passed on "Last Era of Mankind," so I am on to the next magazine.
• I am proofreading "Tomorrow's Failsafe."
• I am rewriting "The Double Murder of Dr. Flynn" by altering the POV and the motivations.

As always, your support keeps me going.

Prompts and Challenges

Look up good habits for authors, and you will see something like "write every day." Conventional wisdom from instructors to established authors is 500 words daily for beginners and 1,000 words for the more advanced. That can be daunting, particularly if you don't have anything in mind to write about. Enter the daily prompts.

 

I found a nice little app that provides daily prompts when I am not working on a project (or just taking a break from it). I don't edit the prompts since they are designed to be fun exercises, but I like the results. Please take a look and let me know what you think. 

https://app.dailyprompt.com/profile/kleIziFWDDf21OhLA8NWZBDjF0R2

I also look for challenges. I am notoriously bad about needing a goal to motivate myself. I found one on my habit gamification app. The goal was to write a short story in a week. I had much success!

The story is called "One Choice" and asks whether you want to change your past or future. It still needs some editing (and feedback), but I hope you like it.

I made a website

In April, I will meet many writers and sci-fi fans who may want to know more about T.R. Naus. I suspect that means business cards and some social meeting presence, but I am starting with a web page. 

I am using Google Sites because of its price point (free!) and ease of use. It is a start, so any suggestions are welcome. I will be adding a headshot and bio, but at the moment, it is an excellent place to consolidate links to my various activities. I am a massive fan of the cyberpunk aesthetic, so I always look for images to incorporate. 

I spent more than a few hours proofreading and reworking "Last Era of Mankind" (or "Thank You for the Art"). I am still waiting to receive votes on which to use. Meanwhile, I will start submitting it on 3 December, so there is little time to incorporate much-appreciated feedback.