Write F*cking Words Now

Finding Your Process Part Three - The Hybrid

From what I've come across chatting with other writers, this seems to be the most common process. If you do a little bit of planning, or jot down a few ideas, and then write around that while shaping the story as you go, then you're a Hybrid. Sounds cool, right? Like a werewolf, or an electric car.

This can be a really nice blend, because you don't exhaust your inspiration on planning, but you're less likely to run out of plot via pantsing because you have material to refer to. The downside to this is that sometimes it can be hard to find that balance, and you end up with the cons of either organizing or pantsing if you lean too hard to one side.

I chatted with katkeenan about her varying processes and she's found that different things work for different books. With her first story, a fantasy, she says: "[...]I created a scene by scene outline. At the time it gave me the confidence to continue on. Even if I went off track, I knew I could get back with the outline. However, sometimes I changed things so much that I wound up sinking a lot of time going back and adjusting my outline. The key for this one was that I knew the ending."

So for her having an outline and being an organizer for her first book kept her going, but she allowed herself the freedom to modify things.

For her second book, Never Go Home, (which I can't recommend enough, seriously go read it!), she says: "I knew some major plot points and the ending. While drafting, I kept a moving outline about five chapters ahead of where I was writing. This was very much a method where I could see the road in front of me and my five chapters were my headlights to light the way and I knew my destination. I never felt hemmed in by a detailed outline that I then felt the need to adjust as things changed organically as I wrote."

This is a really cool way to do things, and something I think would be super useful for writers that don't want to be penned in by one extreme or the other. If you're comfortable with not knowing every little detail but still need a bit of direction to keep you working, then having a loose outline a few chapters ahead might be the way to go!

For her current story, she says: "[...]I am thinking about trying out a fast draft approach where I write the skeleton of the story to get the idea out. No worrying about prose or description unless those words are flowing for the scene. In other words, I'm still very much figuring it out, and every story requires something a little different."

I love this last sentence, and it's the best advice that any writer can give. Each writer is different, each story is different, and you have to do what feels right and what keeps you writing. And if it's not working, don't be afraid to change your approach! This fluid practice of being open-minded can really be a game-changer for your productivity.

What if this process isn't working for me?

Well, because this blend can go either way, the key is to identify which parts of this process aren't working for you. If you're finding that you're getting burned out on your idea because you're over-organizing, then you might need to free yourself from the shackles a bit and do a bit of pantsing.

If you're finding that you're running out of ideas and you can't seem to get focused on your story, then you might need to teeter the totter over to a more organizational workflow.

The key to this process is finding your balance. Outlining and planning just enough to get yourself started, but not getting lost in it so much that you never write any words. Staying excited and fresh with your idea can be difficult, but if you can learn your limits and work within them, you're set!

Check out Parts One and Two for tips on leaning more towards Organizing or Pantsing.

A huge thank you to  for taking the time to chat with me about her process! Definitely head on over to her profile and give Never Go Home a read.