Planning or Flying by the Seat of my Pants

[knightofhyn]

I've read and discussed with writers before who talk about planning ahead and plotting for a novel, then writing it. Those that do seem to be able to do things like put out a novel a year or just write more prolifically.

I can't seem to make that leap of planning before a project comes out. I write the story, then break it down. Is there a good way to make the shift of being able to plan ahead of time? I seem to write "by the seat of my pants" to get the framework down, then plot how I can shift things and cut things.

Is that wrong? Is there a better way?

[Spokane Flyboy]

I'm more of the type that has a setting and situation in mind and then runs with it from there. There has been a bit of discussion though on the different styles of planning over on the NaNoWriMo forums as November 1st approaches. One of the founders of the NaNoWriMo "competition" actually published a book called No Plot? No Problem! A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days that has become sort of the manifesto of NaNoWriMo.