It has been a long dry spell between drinks as they say. In my case between writing posts to this blog.
My feeble excuse is that I have been working on the draft of my work in progress, and I managed to finish it on cue just before Christmas.
For me this was both a milestone and huge learning curve. I learned a few things about myself during this time, or to be more accurate, confirmed what I already knew- that I am easily distracted (otherwise known as procrastination), and that I am a proud, flag carrying PANTSER. (Not that I would classify myself with the ilk of Stephen King and Margaret Atwood. )
Pantser Loose Definition: a person who prefers to write by the seat of their pants without a plan or an outline. There are variations on the theme but you get the drift.
I have tried the other way. In fact I joined an online writing course during this period but failed miserably to fulfill their dream of my potential. There was nothing wrong with the way they taught the course, but I was unable to do as they asked; submit planned outlines and scenes until after the event. That is, until after I had written them. Why? Because I didn’t know what was going to happen until I had written it. (Much like my posts to this blog.) And going backwards was, well a backward step for me.
I admire writers who have it all planned out, with data cards pinned to their wall in order of outline; their chapters neatly named ready to be filled by equally neat scenes. Mine have yellowed, the writing faded, covered with pictures of the dog.
People have sometimes been aghast that I don’t know what is going to happen. But I tell them it is like reading a book; you don’t know what it going to happen until you read it. And that is what makes it exciting.
Pauline Rutherford: Writer 