Writing by the Seat of My Pants

I tend to write without thinking at first, meaning I write my emotions first and then flesh out the story from there. I guess I'm what you'd call a pantser… a writer who flies by the seat of their pants rather than plotting every detail in advance. Not to say I don't have an idea of where a story is going... but rather, I try to imagine how a situation would play out in my mind, letting the characters lead the way.

I might write a scene where two characters are mad at each other, but they have to go to the store. I will write out the emotions, then the conversations I have in my mind. What would character A say in this situation, and how would character B respond? For me, that gives my characters an organic conversation. It's not planned; it's written in reactions. If that makes sense. I know what I want my characters to do, and where they need to end up... now... what would they say in that situation?

I rarely outline my stories. For me, if I plotted, I would put too much emphasis on staying within the story's lines. I like to discover my character's motivations, choices, and even flaws through reactions that may drive the story in a more interesting direction. When writing a story, I just go with it, write the emotions, the conversations, the feelings, then I go back and flesh out the storyline, then I do it again... and again.

This approach to writing allows me to tap into something more authentic than what might emerge from rigid planning. When I write emotions first, I'm accessing the raw material of human experience before my analytical brain can sanitize or overthink it. The emotions guide the narrative, and the story structure emerges naturally from these emotional beats rather than being imposed upon them.

Some writers might find this approach chaotic or inefficient, but for me, it's the only way that produces work that feels alive. When I've tried to outline more rigorously, my writing often feels constrained, like I'm just staying in predetermined lines rather than exploring the territory.

There's an authenticity to scenes written this way that's hard to fake. When characters react from genuine emotion rather than serving a predetermined plot point, the scene breathes; it has its own life force.

This doesn't mean there's no direction in my work. I do have a sense of where the story is heading, but it's more like a distant landmark than a detailed roadmap. I know generally where I'm going, but I'm open to unexpected detours along the way. Sometimes these detours lead to places far more interesting than my original destination.

I think sometimes the best path forward reveals itself only after we've taken the first few steps, and that embracing uncertainty can lead to unexpected discoveries.