Best Writing Books For Pantsers

From a discovery writer who has read a lot of writing books

Photo by Eduardo Pastor on Unsplash

I’m a writer who enjoys reading books about writing. Writing craft. Writing memoirs. Publishing how-tos. All that stuff. Some work for me. Some don’t. But if one area or skill in my writing is transformed through the process of reading the book, I count it as a win.

The downside of writing craft books, I’ve found, is that there aren’t many out there for the panters — that is, those who like to write from the seat of their pants rather than from following strict outlines. (As all things, this is a sliding scale).

Or, the ones that are written for the more daydreaming, follow-your-heart, discover-as-you-go writers are so ephemeral in their sense of cultivating inspiration, they're not all that useful to me when it comes to shaping that inspiration into practicalities.

As a writer on the panster end of the spectrum and a voracious reader of writing books, here are the three best I’ve found for writers like us.

On Writing by Stephen King

It’s iconic for a reason! I finally got around to Stephen King’s memoir, On Writing: A Memoir Of The Craft, a few years ago, and had to admit that it was as good as the hype. Obviously, it is just one writer’s journey through writing and publishing, and not a step-by-step guide to success.

But learning how one of our most famous contemporary writers with tons of iconic stories with plots that burn their way onto our brains — and does it without the meticulous planning. It’s inspiring and hopeful for pansters everywhere.

Buy it now on Bookshop.org

Story Trumps Structure by Steven James

Less famous but perhaps the holy grail of writing books for pantsers, Story Trumps Structure: How to Write Unforgettable Fiction by Breaking the Rules by Steven James offers actual, actionable writing advice for those who prefer not to outline or feel confined by rigid story structures. While James himself is not a fan of the term “panster” which he makes clear in the book, he’s still speaking our language.

His advice is useful for planners and discoverers, encouraging organic writing and examining one's own story drafts to ensure that character actions and plot beats progress in a way that makes sense, rather than simply following story beats.

(It looks like this book is out-of-print now and hard to get a hold of. See, if your library can get it for you via interlibrary loan. It’s definitely worth it!)

Refuse To Be Done by Matt Bell

Matt Bell’s Refuse to Be Done: How to Write and Rewrite a Novel in Three Drafts is a writing process book that professes the power of rewriting. Of his three-draft formula, the first draft is all about writing and writing a lot to discover your story. Pantsers, can we relate?

The next two drafts are about using more systems and structures to refine and sharpen your story. For example, he recommends outlining your story after you’ve written the first draft. I loosely adapted his process for my novel, Safe Haven, which I am now querying to agents. This is my first novel manuscript where I’ve reached this stage of the process, so his method appears to work… at least for me.

Buy now on Bookshop.org.

Wrapping it up

There is a ton of writing advice out there. Overwhelming advice. Contradictory advice. Advice that’s just not right for you. For pansters out there in the world of Save The Cat and Anatomy Of Story books that are all about the scaffolding, these books show not only an alternate writing path, but will gently guide you along it with all the flexibility you need.

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