We all write differently and for different reasons, but when it comes to the writing process, I think we fall into four different categories. Which archetype of writer are you? Finding out might just help you learn how to lean into your unique set of skills. Keep in mind that writers are a spectrum; maybe you’re a plotter some days, and a procrastinator others.

In this article, we’ll go over the four types of writers and some advice on how to maximize your niche.

Key Takeaways:

• Learn from the other types of writers

• Always reanalyze your work

• How you write defines you

Plotter:

Let’s begin with what I consider to be my home territory. Much like the name suggests, a plotter outlines the course of their story far before ever putting pen to page. Plotters tend to be more concerned with elements of craft like plot, setting, and perspective. They want full control over how their story is interpreted. This kind of writer often spends more time planning their work than actually writing it. The result of this methodical approach is an airtight story structure: clear, concise, and connected.

Plotters commonly struggle to fulfill their own expectations. Much like how a well planned day can be ruined by one unexpected occurrence, a plotter’s idea of a story can be very fragile. No matter how perfect the outline, the writing process reveals new avenues for exploration, and plotters might feel wary of altering their outline to accommodate different options. Basically, just go with the flow.

If you’re a plotter like me, you might take some inspiration from some of the next groups. It’s sometimes best to let our perfect plan adapt to our ever-evolving story. If we get stuck plotting forever, we never get to writing.

Pantser:

The term pantser is derived from the idea of ‘writing by the seat of your pants’. In contrast to a plotter, a pantser is constantly generating new content for their story. There is no outline or plan, simply the act of creation. As a result, pantsers are typically much faster at completing stories and manuscripts than plotters. They also put emphasis on the expressive side of writing, choosing to focus on craft elements like character and tone. In this way, pantsers can communicate more emotion through their work, at the cost of the clarity of their writing.

Pantsers encounter a predictable set of issues that can be mitigated with the correct habits. A lack of planning can lead to disconnected scenes or inconsistent characters. This kind of writing also falls victim to frequent grammatical errors. Both of these problems can be solved through diligent revision. Pantsers, more than any other kind of writer, must reread their work in order to catch the errors that slipped by.

Procrastinator:

The plotter/pantser categories are fairly well known and defined in the creative writing community, but in my experience with workshops and college classes, there are a couple more types of writers.

I think more than a few of us fall into the procrastinator category sometimes. The procrastinator is a writer that doesn’t write; that is, a writer who isn’t writing at the moment. Everyone’s struggled with writer’s block, or maybe the story is just being particularly difficult that day. Whatever the issue, the procrastinator puts the paper aside and focuses on something else.

Some might find this lazy, but there is a purpose to procrastination in writing. Everything about our story, from the style to the content, is informed by what inspires us to write. Taking a break to engage with some other content is itself part of the writing process. We return to the page with new ideas and a refreshed mind, ready to tackle the story we’ve put off for so long.

If you find yourself procrastinating too much, try keeping yourself to a deadline. Deadlines are effective means of enforcing an orderly writing process, even self imposed ones. If you feel that you can’t trust yourself to follow your own deadlines, try submitting your work to publications online. Even if your chance is slim, you will benefit from the structure that a deadline creates.

Planter:

The planter is a rare breed of writer that thrives under routine. Similarly to a plotter, a planter will cultivate their stories over long periods of time. However, rather than choose to focus on a single work, they may halt progress on a story to redirect focus towards another project. Like a farmer, the planter nurtures many things at once.

The benefit of having a planter type writing style is the sheer volume of work you will produce over time. Whether a planter spends the time to outline their various stories or not, the end product will be vast. Short story anthologies or blog posting fits the planter archetype because of the requirement for a large number of interconnected texts.

This type of writer requires time for their work. Typically once one story is complete, the others follow quickly; until then, it can appear to outsiders that the planter is doing no work at all. Another issue planters face is consistency. While working on multiple stories simultaneously, the work can sometimes bleed together. If you think you’re a planter, take care to separate your work so that each piece is distinct from one another.

Conclusion:

No matter which type of writer we are, it’s good to analyze our habits to fill in gaps where we see them. So, what kind of writer do you think you are? Respond in the comments!

Check out my other articles for help with specific elements of craft.

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