This book is about a particular way of creative writing. It’s a guide for pantsers. Pantsers are the opposite of plotters. A plotter is someone who plans out their novel before they write it. When they start to write they already know how it is going to end. Because they made an outline. A pantser is someone who doesn’t plan out anything. Pantsers like the freedom of not being stuck following an outline. They can take their novel in any direction they want. That, speaking from my own experience, can be nowhere. Having no plan can mean you end up moving in circles and you don’t know where to go with your story or your characters. You get stuck.
If you are a pantser like me, with unfinished stories hidden in a drawer, read this book. It has great tips on writing in an intuitive, disorganized, untamed way, without an outline or previous plot. Thus, the importance of revising is well explained in this book.It presents pearls of wisdom on a pot. Really. The whole book is written with a great sense of humor. It’s really easy and enjoyable to read. The author’s writing is vivacious and funny. I recommend it to every fiction writer, not just pantsers.

There was some useful information but having read numerous books on being a pantser vs a plotter. I didn't feel that there was anything turly unique in the book.
It was well written and will likely afford some useful information for writers so long as this is their first or second book on the subject.


Due to my less than 4star rating, I have chosen not to post a public review.

When I came across this book, the title piqued my curiosity. When I think of writers and authors that I've chatted over the years with, I never came across anyone who hadn't used some sort of an outline so I was open to a new possibility. I'm not going to lie, I had a little bit of resistance going into the book but objectively took in the information and saw some highlights in the author's perspective but my overall opinion is that I wished it offered more.

Despite my initial reservations, I thought the author had some good info but I sort of wish the book structure was different. It felt more conversational rather than instructive. I know I'm not the only one who will think this but when you see “how to” you are expecting to follow some sort of correlated subject structure chronologically. I get the author didn't want to come across rigid or presenting the book by any rules in supporting her concept of no outline but there were some parts of the book where I wish she had explored them more rather than other parts that felt like floating thoughts.

I will say that the best part of the book was the author. Regardless of your opinion on whether an author should or shouldn't, you can really feel the enthusiasm and devotion that she has to wanting to help authors succeed.

Overall, I felt the book covered some helpful general information that for an author that has been writing a while could find useful. I'm uncertain for someone who is just beginning who might be all over the place if this is the right fit for them because I think they need an outline to get to that place where they can feel comfortable and confident with their writing. I think this would be more resourceful for those who are more experienced with their writing or someone who has a focused idea of where they want to go. There's no right or wrong to the process so for you writers out there, you should give her book a chance because like I said there is some good information in there and if you want the help, the author is willing to support you.

Great Advice for Writers without an Outline

If you are looking to write your first novel and are not sure how to go about it, this is the book for you. It is full of easily digestible, useful advice from a qualified writing coach with an unrelenting sense of humor. It is straightforward and chock full of relatable analogies.

Parent paints a color by numbers approach to quality writing for an audience. Even if you are a seasoned writer, her approach would be very helpful. She specifically caters to those writers, known as pantsers (one who “flies by the seat of their pants”), or in this case those who prefer to write without an outline. Yes, it reads a bit scattered and perhaps a bit too heavy on silly humor but it hits its mark.

Parent's website is writing-gym which is designed for writers with the intent to publish. The same holds true for this book which offers plenty enough advice, direction, humor, and reasons to stop making excuses. Check out her offer for a free consult at the end of the book. You would be crazy not to take advantage of her offer if you are serious about writing and publishing.

I am not looking to write a novel but after reading this book, even I feel more confident should I change my mind.

BRB Rating: Read It or Own It

I received a free copy of this book from the author. I had the opportunity to review or not.

This book was written with humor and care. It was an easy read, but don’t underestimate its honesty and helpfulness. There are helpful hints, good advice and printouts that help wishful would-be writers get the encouragement to give it a try, and more advanced writers the motivation to finish that novel. I highly – oops, recommend this book. Keep it around to read again and as a reference when needing s little boost.

I liked the encouragement, but not the advice. There wasn't enough real meat to the work.

Storytelling for Pantsers by Annalisa Parent is a great, workshop style writing book that I would recommend.

This book is well written, clear and hilarious. Annalisa has a very clear and concise, yet funny way of explaining the science of writing as a pantser. Any writer who has a hard time planning before they write should read this book.

There are many excellent books out there that offer lessons on the craft of writing. This one gives the writer a clever and unusual twist on this topic. Writers in all genres should find many helpful hints and techniques inside. The style is relaxed and engaging, making STORYTELLING FOR PANSTERS an easy read.

DP Lyle, award-winning author, lecturer, story consultant.

This book was frankly one of the worst books on writing I've ever read, which is really disappointing because I am definitely more of a pantser than an outliner, so I thought that this would be up my alley and really give me some good ideas or strategies to help improve my writing process. Instead, what I ended up having was some really bad writing advice (such as "if you're a pantser, you'll always be a pantser so don't ever bother messing with outlines," which flies in the face of so much I've heard from published pantsers who frequently say that as they've written more they've started incorporating at least some aspects of outlining into their writing process), a lot of generic or generally well-established advice (including a bunch of quotes from Stephen King's On Writing), and then whenever a topic came up that I wanted more specific advice on, such as how to best get feedback and get beta readers, the book just told me "figure out something that works for you."
Yeah, I was honestly better off before I read this book, because at least I wasn't annoyed back then.

I mostly really liked this book. It not only had a lot of good advice, but was extremely uplifting for a pantser like who's been struggling with her writing to the extent of trying out plotting (bad idea!). Annalisa Parent breaks up the craft really well and talks about the different aspects of storytelling in a way that I could see similarities with my own process. It gave me a lot of confidence and convinced me to go back to writing in the way that is most comfortable for me, and not to get taken in by well-meaning advice on the inevitability of plotting your novels in excruciating detail.

What I didn't like was Parent's focus, more like an insistence, on "having a programme" to work with. This assertion made sense when it started to get clearer and clearer that the entire book was a lead-up for readers to sign up for her writing programme. To be fair, she does offer consultations for free, but I figure that's only the first one and further consultations will cost you. This is fine (of course) and I am sure her advice will be good, but I do not think it's fair that you buy a book to realize that it's an advertisement for a more expensive product. Also, I do not think that expensive writing programmes are the secret to a good book. (By the way, I did sign up for a consultation as an experiment to see what services were being offered, but I got held up at work that night and couldn't make the appointment. I did try to cancel it beforehand, but there isn't a way to do that.)

(Review copy from Netgalley)

Annalisa Parent, teaching extraordinaire and editor of Chair & Pen: Musings on Writing and the Writing Life, is coming out with a new book called, Storytelling for Pantsers: How to Write and Revise Your Novel Without an Outline. In fact, it’s due out tomorrow on Amazon.

If you’re someone who tends to write on “the fly,” but always seems to have a problem either finishing or figuring out where the story’s going, this book is for you.

Annalisa, a Pantser herself, understands how other fellow Pantsers tend to lose their way when they write a book because of the unorganized fashion of their creativity. This book aims to help them–you— find your way through the “muddle” quicker.

How?

By finding the patterns (or theme) in the story, and then build upon them.

This book is not your typical how-to-write book. The instructions and examples are not in your usual cut-and-dry and formal format. This is nothing like an ordinary book about writing. Did I say that Annalisa is a teaching extraordinaire? Well, she proves it in this gem. Her presentations throughout the book are personable, easy to grasp, and her witty sense of humor and uncanny culture references make for a truly enjoyable learning experience.

Annalisa believes in taking the whole writer in account and not just about providing knowledge. For the first part of the book, she turns her attention solely to the writer.

You.

Knowing and accepting yourself for who you are as a writer is half the battle in your journey to becoming a published author. She talks about brains, and how Pantsers are who they are because of the way their brains are wired. She talks about how we tend to limit ourselves by giving in to our fears, and how the wrong kinds of feedback could damage our future as writers indefinitely. Annalisa shows us how to turn all of this around. How to manage the fears and find the right kind of feedback needed to move our writing forward instead of backward.

Annalisa firmly believes that having the right mindset coupled with positive support could mean the difference between having a publishable or an unpublishable book.

The focus of the second half of the book is on the writing craft as she breaks down various parts such as character development, plot structure, conflict, setting, pacing…all geared for Pantsers. She provides tips and exercises on how to take what you have and improve upon them rather than change everything. Annalisa is a firm believer in NOT interrupting the creative flow as you create your story; but to take what you have created later on and make them better, interweaving them together so they become connected as part of one seamless story.

Annalisa truly understands you as the writer, and takes a holistic approach to helping you reach your goal-having a complete and publishable book. This book is unique and a joy to read. You learn more about yourself as a writer, gain the confidence needed to move forward while enjoying the journey.

(Appeared first on A Writer and Her Adolescent Muse)

Not the most helpful of books for anyone with extensive writing experience under their belts. Very repetitive after the first few chapters.

I am a proud pantser (sometimes plantser), but ironically, I know that I get more written when I have more notes and outlines. I'm just too lazy to do these outlines most times and just want to write. But I want the story to come out perfect the first time, every time. That is impossible, especially when you pants. That's the main reason I gave this book a shot, as I was hoping I would find some really helpful advice specifically in regards to how pantsers write (or don't write), and how to channel my random ideas into something cohesive.

Unfortunately, really none of the information here was really helpful to me, the style wasn't for me, and it all seemed like one big advertisement in the end. Things were discussed but never really delved into in a complete way, making it feel like I had to be a part of Parents' writing program to get the full scoop.

While I am one of the 80-90% of people who would love to have a published book eventually, it's not my main goal at this point. I just want to finish a manuscript for once, and be able to hold myself accountable for editing it. However, this book put too much weight on publishing in a "why else are you writing unless you want to publish?" sort of way.

The focus on the "writing vortex" was the best part for me, and it did encourage me to just embrace the randomness of being a pantser. But it also made me confused as to whether or not I should do one thing first or the other if at all.

The majority of info, although framed in some good analogies, was all variations of the same stuff I've read before. Additionally, the way it was written--in bouncy, excited, Tigger-like brief paragraphs (to use one of Parent's analogies)--made me overwhelmed, confused, and made it seem like there was never any one true focus or thesis for the book.  Parent's bio in the back of the book says she's an enthusiastic extrovert (which I have nothing against), and it shows in her style. Just go out and do the thing, even if you have crippling insecurities, no biggy! -_- It honestly made me feel bad that I'm NOT writing to publish at this point and that I'm not a part of a writing group.

The chapter on critiques and feedback made great points--you need the right type of feedback at the right times in your writing process, and you need people who know what they're talking about--but there were no examples. While good feedback looks different for every writer and every genre, what are some examples of good feedback? Parent has worked with many many authors (big and small), so I would have liked to see some testimonials from those writers, or even students, as to what good feedback they've gotten.

It also seemed to put too much emphasis on being in a writing group. There were no tips that specifically said "if you aren't a part of a writing group, or are still trying to find the right one for you..." While I'm sure this wasn't the intended message, it said to me that I cannot be a successful writer (especially a successful pantser) if I'm not a part of a group, period.

Overall, this just wasn't for me. Perhaps I'm just not at the stage where I want writing to be my everything in life, so I found a lot of the advice over-the-top at this point, or just plain unhelpful. It also left me more confused about the writing process, whether it's an organic one or a structured one.

It was okay but not spectacular. At the beginning, I was drawn in by her voice. By halfway through, I thought it was overly repetitive. Yes, the analogies matter, but there are too many. Overall, I found it uninspiring.

Great book, very informal and down-to-earth.
Parent goes through her own writing experience and encourages all who do not plan to be able to think that they can create a piece of work that is decent and worthy.
Practical suggestions and ideas that I hadn't heard before, even though I've read a great many books on the general subject of "Creative Writing".
I will recommend this book to all writing, poetry and creative workshops.

Having read a lot of writing books, I can safely say this book is helpful, humorous and an interesting read. Annalisa is engaging and it is clear she knows what she's talking about. There are several moments of genius – I liked, in particular, her take on learning from failure, which I found to be very inspiring and motivational. That said, there was a lot of repetition throughout the book, which I wasn't a fan of, and I got somewhat bored of all the 'analogies'. It seemed to me, they were used almost constantly and seemed to add nothing.

The book is aimed at 'pantsers', but to be honest, I found no real information aimed soley at people who write in this way, which is both bad (the information inside the book seemed dissonant to the title) but also good, as the book will thus appeal to a much wider array of people.

All in all, this is a good book offering some priceless advice, but I felt it was also full of padding and seemed a little unfocused at times. Worth a read but not the best book on writing I have read.

Found informative and will be very useful upon writing my next novel.