There’s been a change of plans.


Welcome back to another blog hop, with #OpenBook. Here’s this week’s prompt.

Don’t forget to click the link to see what everyone else has to say on this week’s subject. It’s at the end of my post.


How do you deal with a change in ideas halfway through your book? Or do you save it for a sequel/prequel?


I guess I’m lucky, in that I don’t get this problem. The reason is simple. I’m what they call a pantser. That means I’m someone who doesn’t plot my novels.

To be totally honest, when I type the first line or see the first glimpse of an idea, I have no clue what will happen next. Or even which genre my story will eventually occupy.

I just write things down as I watch them happen. I start and stop when I’m told. It’s all linear, no jumping about. It’s a bit like life, you never know what will happen next.

Because of that, I have no need for the effort of plotting, and all the associated angst that’s sure to occur when things change mid-way.

I let my characters tell the story, via a film of the action that plays on a screen in my head. I simply type a sort of precis/report on events.

There are no plot holes, everything lines up.

If the narrator wants to change things around, that’s on them. How would I even know?

Anything that happens after I’ve seen it the first time is nothing more than material for a sequel, prequel or spin-off.


What do you think about this week’s subject?

Let me know by leaving me a comment.


While you’re here, please click the InLinkz link to check out what my fellow writers have to say about this week’s topic.


Until next time.



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8 Responses

    • Richard Dee

      I love being a pantser. The lack of control used to bother me, until I found that a lot of people worked the same way.

    • Richard Dee

      They can be a devious bunch. Try to reason with them and they’re apt to sulk!!

    • Richard Dee

      It’s a lot more common than I thought among my peers, which was a relief to discover.

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