Fifteen minutes long, because you're in a hurry, and we're not that smart.

Writing Excuses 7.37: Pantsing

Pantsing! What are we even talking about?

We’re talking about discovery writing, but apparently some folks think it’s more fun to call it “seat-of-your-pants” writing. In this cast we cover this exhilarating process, and how it might best be applied.

Mary uses the “yes-but, no-and” trick. Dan starts with an end in mind, and then ignores it in order to write today’s chapter. Brandon, despite being a fairly rigid outliner, often finds himself discovery writing when under odd sorts of pressures. Howard likens discovery writing to improvisational music.

Fundamentally, seat-of-your-pants writing is like seat-of-your-pants anything else: the more practice you have within that discipline, the more of the techniques you’ve mastered, the more likely you are to succeed in the endeavor.

Homework: Cheerful ruffians, civilized louts, yes-but, no-and, ready, set, go.

Thing of the week: Existence, by David Brin, narrated by Kevin T. Collins, Robin Miles, and L. J. Ganser.

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