Planner or Pantser?

I read a question on Facebook recently that made me chuckle. The question was are you a planner or a pantser? I have to admit I’d never heard the term ’Pantser’ before but I like it, I like it a lot. And the question is extremely relevant to where I am with my writing at this moment in time.
The question was referring to whether or not a writer creates a full outline for their novel before they start writing or whether they just wing it. Are you methodical in the planning of your novel, leaving nothing to chance or do you fly by the seat of your pants, letting your imagination run riot and your creative juices flow?
Personally I’d have to say I’m a pantser although after just having written three novels this way I can definitely see the benefits of having a clear plan in place rather than a basic premise with no clue how to get to the inevitable happy ending.
I have to say I am the most disorganised person I know. Ask any of my friends or old school teachers, they’d all tell you the same thing. Also my attention span is LOW. To quote one of my dear teachers ‘Would receive far greater results if she concentrated more on the content of the textbooks rather than the content of her pencil case.’ In other words I am very easily distracted. Okay so I’m making light of this but the truth is that sometimes I need a good kick up the backside to get anything done.
So, to satisfy my curiosity, and to see which works better for me, for my next novel I’ve started to write a plan. I’m already up to chapter eight and I have to admit I’m kinda liking how it’s going.
The outcome I’m hoping for is that with a clear outline, chapter by chapter and scene by scene plan the novel will be completed in at least half the amount of time because for me the easy part is writing the story the hard part is knowing what to write.
I’m sure we’ve all had days in which the words just flow and we couldn’t stop writing even if we tried. However I’ve often found myself staring at a blank screen not really knowing in what direction to take the story. Here’s hoping that with a clear and concise plan the dreaded affliction that is writers block will become a thing of the past. After all, how can you not know what to write when the next scene is outlined for you in black and white?
I’ll keep you all updated on how the novel is working out and whether or not the outline concept is one I will be using in the future. It would be great to hear some other opinions on this. What works for you? I appreciate everyone does things differently and what works for one person might not necessarily work for another but hearing your opinions on why a particular way works for you over another can be very educational.
　
　
　

What do you do when you start a book you don't enjoy?

Sigh. I did the unthinkable today. I got more than halfway through a book and gave up. To be honest this is a new experience for me. To not finish a book I think is an insult to the author and even when I’m not enjoying a story much I always persevere in the hope that I’ll have some sort of epiphany and finally ‘get it’. Sadly this was not the case and I couldn’t bring myself to read the final 100 pages.
The most confusing thing was that I’d read several books by this author in the past and enjoyed them all so naturally I expected to enjoy this too. Even writing this I’m tempted to give it another try but I really don’t think I can face it. I won’t name names, I’m no book critic and I was brought up to believe if you haven’t got anything nice to say then you don’t say anything at all but I just find myself disappointed.
Has anyone else out there found themselves in the same quandary I wonder? What do you do? Do you quit or stick with it to the ‘bitter’ end? I’m trying not to beat myself up too much as I know I can’t be expected to enjoy every book I read. I’m quite sure there are a lot of people out there who have read and thoroughly enjoyed this book but it just wasn’t for me.
I think maybe a few years ago I would have kept on reading but now that I’m spending a lot of time writing to produce my own books I feel as though my time is too precious to spend on something I am not getting any enjoyment out of.
On the plus side I have read a few books recently that I enjoyed immensely. Sloane Parker’s breathe being one of them. I was hooked from page one and fell in love with Linc and Jay from the outset. Sloane’s characterisation is second to none and all of the secondary characters are so well written. Can’t wait to read more of Sloane’s work in the future!
　

Exciting news!

I had some great news today I thought I'd share with everyone.The second book in my Mated to Morgans' series - Cody's Revelation - has just been contracted and is set for release some time later in the year. Woohoo! Naturally I'm thrilled with the news and now working flat out to get book three in the series edited and submitted.

It's a wonderful feeling when you get that yes from a publisher and realise someone else believes in your work as much as you do.

If I can get my butt into gear now and stop procrastinating book three in the series should be finished and ready to submit in a day or two.

I must admit I'll be sorry to say goodbye to the Morgan brothers but who knows? They might yet make a guest appearance in another of my novels in the near future.

Conflict, internal or external?

When I read the cover for a new book I always look for the level of internal conflict present. That wasn’t always the case. Once, plenty of external conflict was enough to satisfy my desires.
I suppose the real issue is whether a book is plot driven or character driven. For me it’s fairly easy to create dramatic scenes in which characters find themselves in life or death situations but I find creating emotional, internal conflict and maintaining it far more challenging.
This is the problem I faced while writing the third book in my Mated to Morgans’ series. In the first two books the lead characters(all werewolves) find their mates near the beginning of the book and most of the conflict arises from outside forces that are trying to drive them apart.
In the third book in the series this is not the case. The protagonist Kelan Morgan is a werewolf but his mate Jake is human. Jake had his heart broken at a young age and swore to never get involved in a relationship again.
About half way through the novel I encountered a problem. Jake was beginning to believe the relationship between he and Kelan might actually work out thus signalling the beginning of the end of the character’s internal conflict.
Without the internal conflict I had no story and with no story no book. So then I found myself going back to the beginning of the novel and adding in more characters, antagonists who would add to the plot and sustain the story after the central characters had overcome their emotional hurdles. The novel is far better now for the changes I made.
I’m beginning to realise to make a book interesting enough to keep people turning the pages a book needs equal measures of both internal and external conflict. What do you think? Are internal and external conflict in a novel equally important to you or do you prefer to read a book that favours one over the other?