by Bethany Turner, @SeeBethanyWrite
Coke or Pepsi?
Summer or Winter?
Colin Firth or Matthew Macfadyen? (That one’s for all the Pride and Prejudice fans in the house tonight…)
Tea or Coffee?
Plotter or Pantser?
None of those timeless debates have a correct or incorrect answer (apart from the Mr. Darcy question, to which the answer is and forevermore will be Colin Firth). And yet we feel pretty passionately about our preferences, don’t we? I like tea, but I barely function without coffee. For me, coffee is undoubtedly the correct answer. But I never look down on a tea drinker or feel superior because of my love of coffee. So why is it that as a Pantser I so often consider myself a lesser writer in comparison to my Plotting counterparts?
Now, I’m sure we all know the difference between Plotters and Pantsers, but just in case you aren’t familiar with the terms, Plotters plan and plot a book before they write it while Pantsers fly by the seat of their pants. Plotters enjoy mapping out the route ahead of time, while Pantsers buckle up and enjoy the ride, often having no idea where the story will take them, how they’re going to get there, or even if they’ll survive. (Or is that just me?)
I’m a reluctant Pantser. With every new book, I set out to be a Plotter. Really, I do. I’ve taken workshops from brilliant teachers, I’ve read the books, I plan accordingly. See, that’s one of the ironies. I’m a definite planner in my life. Enneagram 3. Myers-Briggs ENTJ. I am the definition of someone who likes to know where they’re going. But when it comes to writing? It’s like I’m not even capable.
My newest release, Plot Twist, takes place on the same day each year for ten years. There’s an entire decade of story. A web of overlapping and interconnecting choices, and the results of those choices. And I had no idea where it was going until I got there.
My next novel, The Do-Over, was pitched as one thing and ended up being something completely different…and I had no idea that would be the case until I reached the epilogue.
I don’t say any of that to encourage you to be like me. I’m not pressuring you to feel the wind in your hair as you take a wild and wonderful journey through Pantserville. Even this many books in, if a special author-focused genie in a bottle said to me, “Hey, Bethany…do you want to be a Plotter or Pantser?” I wouldn’t think twice. I’d ask to be a Plotter.
But here’s the thing: If I was a Plotter, many of the things I love most about my books wouldn’t have ever come to be. Scenes that I wrote out of panic because I had no idea what should happen next would never have come to be. That’s not to say that Plotters never change the plot, of course. I’m just talking about the many, many things that have come to be in my stories simply because I didn’t have a clue what I was attempting to do.
I don’t have any tips to pass along today. I don’t have any wisdom to share. I really just want to tell you, Pantsers, that you are not less-than…even though, if you’re like me, you may often feel that way. If you want to be a Plotter, keep working towards being a Plotter. Put in the work. Study your craft. Make a plan. But at the end of the day, tell your story.
Even if you don’t figure out what that story is until the very last word.
Get ready for a heaping helping of humor, romance, and second chances
Celebrity chef Maxwell Cavanagh is known for many things: his multiple Michelin stars, his top-rated Culinary Channel show, To the Max, and most of all his horrible temper. Hadley Beckett, host of the Culinary Channel’s other top-rated show, At Home with Hadley, is beloved for her Southern charm and for making her viewers feel like family.
When Max experiences a very public temper tantrum and is sent packing, his only chance to get back on TV and in the public’s good graces is to work alongside Hadley. As these polar-opposite celeb chefs begin to peel away the layers of public persona and reputation, they will not only discover the key ingredients for getting along but also learn the secret recipe for unexpected forgiveness . . . and maybe even love.
In the meantime, hide the knives.
“A delightful dish of a read! Bethany Turner’s Hadley Beckett’s Next Dish is a savory blend of wit, humor, and swoon-worthy romance, guaranteed to earn a place on the keeper shelf. Not to be missed!”–Jen Turano, USA Today bestselling author
Bethany Turner has been writing since the second grade, when she won her first writing award for explaining why, if she could have lunch with any person throughout history, she would choose John Stamos. She stands by this decision. Bethany now writes pop culture–infused rom-coms for a new generation of readers who crave fiction that tackles the thorny issues of life with humor and insight. She lives in Southwest Colorado with her husband, whom she met in the nineties in a chat room called Disco Inferno. As sketchy as it sounds, it worked out pretty well in this case, and they are now the proud parents of two teenagers. Connect with Bethany at seebethanywrite.com, by texting her at (970) 387-7811, or across social media @seebethanywrite, where she clings to the eternal dream that John Stamos will someday send her a friend request.