The benefits of being a pantser

There have been books where I wish I'd have started with a definitive outline, one that plotted where my story was going and how it played out. There have been books where I had to stop writing in order to plot where the story was going because I was getting lost, or writing "blah blah blah" instead of anything that might move the story along. Being a pantser (defined as someone who writes by the seat of their pants) has its downsides. But then...

I'm working on my new book, and yes, I'm pantsing my way through it. I have a pretty good idea where I'm going and what comes next, but the mystery part has been hanging over me. I have a villain. And I have a red herring villain. Today, as I was trying to figure out what comes next--and I should have had this thought sooner, when I wrote down the motives and reasonable cause for the murder--I found yet a third potential villain, one that makes a lot of sense! 

Sometimes we write characters to fill space. Someone needs to be somewhere and they need someone to be there with. Oftentimes, those filler characters don't even get a name because they aren't critical to the story. Sometimes, they need a name because they're going to have a spot in the story later, or they will be a recurring character. Sometimes you just need to call them something other than "the other guy." Many times, I've discovered that if I've gone as far as to name the character, they need to have a reason to be there--sometimes, even to be the unexpected villain! This is when being a pantser is fun. You write things you didn't know you meant to write and they suddenly come together to make the story richer. Deeper. As if your brain knows before you do and sets the stage, just waiting for you to have that "a-ha!" moment. 

I just plotted my "a-ha" moment. Which makes me excited about the story all over again. Which keeps me writing. Of course, I've been pretty interested in this story from the beginning, so that makes it that much more fun.

Stay tuned for more information on Unidentified Remains!