How do you write? Are you a planner or a pantser? Do you plan to such an extent others might call you anal? Or do you just sit at a keyboard and see what flows from your fingers? What’s buzzing around inside my head right now is the wonder if I’m making my writing life so much more difficult than it needs to be. I’m definitely a pantser. But worse than that, I’m now finding I rarely write in chronological order. I’ve become even less organised than a pantser. My current writing is such a mess, its taken me two weeks of rewriting to get it manageable.

Writing chronologically, even without a plan, at least gives a writer the chance to slip in backstory and any foreshadowing. My free spirited way, well its turning out to be a pain in the backside. I put in a little backstory and discover in a scene which will ultimately be about three chapters previously, I’d already given that piece of information. The same has happened with my foreshadowing. Do I need to foreshadow something more than once? Hell, no. Or not the way I’ve done it twice already.

Plan my story? I have tried. And dismally failed. But after so long away from writing, I need to make a note to self. Do not choose what I feel will be “exciting” parts of the story to write first and then try to put them together. Start at day one and finish with the necessary happy ever after. Hmm, well I guess I’ve spent a couple of weeks sorting out 30K of disheveled story. I now should listen to myself and begin taking my characters onto the next day, not necessarily the next exciting adventure. Okay, I’m off to give this a try. Wish me luck.