The phrase “flies by the seat of his pants” originated in the 1930s with Douglas Corrigan’s flight from the United States to Ireland. An airplane mechanic described Corrigan this way, meaning that he flew without instruments, a radio, or other technology to guide him. Today, we use the term to refer to someone who approaches life (or writing) in a carefree and impulsive manner, without much design or forethought. It is important to have the capacity to be both plotter and pantser. To have a plan but also to be able to think on your feet.
In my day job as a forensic psychologist, I am both plotter and pantser. When I travel to a prison to interview an inmate, it is essential that I have done my homework. I usually spend several hours reviewing an inmate’s file in advance of our interview so I can quickly pinpoint inconsistencies in his statements and identify areas for further exploration. I think of “plotting” as making a road map of the interview. The more I plan in advance, the smoother the interview will go, and the more I will learn in the limited time I have with the inmate. Early in my career, I made the mistake of failing to “plot” adequately before an interview. I found myself face to face with an elderly man who had murdered his wife when they were both in their fifties. He laid out his life story—his college degree; his happy marriage; his supportive children—but I was skeptical. When I returned home and reviewed his file in more detail, I learned that, in his five prior interviews, he had told five different stories about his life. And a sixth, in his interview with me. A definite failure to plot! Fortunately, since that time, I was able to interview him again on two subsequent occasions, and you can bet I came prepared.
Sometimes,
in a forensic interview, I have to be a pantser. Even though I come to the
table with an idea of where I want the interview to go and the topics I need to
cover, I cannot be so rigid as to miss out on the breadcrumbs that just might
lead to an important discovery. For example, an inmate once mentioned to me
that he used a cell phone (illegally) to talk to his family during his mother’s
recent illness. When I probed for more information about his activities on the
telephone, he confessed that he had been online and had set up a Facebook page
to meet women, claiming he was a rap artist. Later, when I investigated myself,
I also found a GoFundMe page in his name. If I had stopped with his first
answer and stuck to my “plot,” I never would have found the true nugget. His
conning and manipulation of others.
In my
life as an author, I am 95% pantser much to my own dismay. I start with an idea
of the plot and the main characters. Sometimes, I create a rough sketch to
chart my course, but I do not outline or plan scenes in detail. With Her
Perfect Bones, the latest book in the Rockwell and Decker series, I began with the
inspiration of the true life murder of Reyna Marroquín, a woman whose mummified body was discovered
in a barrel thirty years after her death. Instantly, the image of a young girl
came to me. I called her Shelby Mayfield, and she was afraid and confused and
harboring a dark secret. She was on the run to the sleepy seaside town of Fog
Harbor, the fictional town where my series is set. Once I started
writing, Shelby’s story took on a life of its own. Often, when I write, I have
no idea what will happen next. It is both terrifying and liberating. The more I
learned about Shelby, the more I understood about her killer, and the rest of
the plot began to take shape, revealing the twisted road that had led to
Shelby’s death. For me, pantsing allows my characters to take the lead, while
plotting can feel stifling. But be warned, pantsing is not without its
pitfalls. There is nothing quite as horrifying as pantsing yourself right into
a corner, which is why every pantser worth their salt needs two things: the
favor of the writing gods and an unofficial plot consultant to help work out
the kinks over a glass of wine. Cheers!
Her
Perfect Bones by Ellery Kane (Published by
Bookoutre) Out Now
The
girl’s body is curled up like a shell and almost completely buried in sand.
Only her fingertips can be seen, reaching helplessly up towards an escape she
will never find… Seventeen-year-old Shelby
Mayfield sits alone on a bus to Fog Harbor, California. Aside from a
few items of clothing, all she has with her is twenty-two dollars, the ragdoll
she’s kept since kindergarten, and the devastating secret she’s been hiding. How long will it be before her family
realizes she’s gone? Can anyone see the
fresh bruise on her cheek beneath the makeup?
Perhaps she was a fool to believe the person she is meeting in this
remote little town could help her… When
a girl’s body is found hidden in a barrel in a woodland cabin, the local police
are at a loss. The film from an old camera found looped around her neck is
their only lead, but Criminal Psychologist Olivia Rockwell’s blood turns
to ice when she recognizes the ragdoll in one of the girl’s last photographs.
She used to own one just like it, and it can only mean one thing: if she
doesn’t dig deep into the mind of a deadly killer from her past—her own father—more
innocent lives will be in danger…!
Amazon: https://geni.us/B08PNZ1SQ3Social
Apple: http://ow.ly/JLaA50CGFZn
Kobo: http://ow.ly/LX7v50CGFUT
Google: http://ow.ly/ZHu150CGFRq
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Author
Bio:
Forensic
psychologist by day, author by night, Ellery Kane has been writing
professionally and creatively for as long as she can remember. Real life really
is stranger than fiction, so Ellery’s writing is often inspired by her day job.
Before writing the Rockwell and Decker series with Bookouture, Ellery published
the Legacy series for young adult readers and the Doctors of Darkness series of
psychological thrillers. She was previously selected as one of ten
semi-finalists in the MasterClass James Patterson Co-Author Competition. A
Texan at heart, Ellery currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Ellery
Kane can be found on Facebook
and you can follow her on Twitter at @ElleryKane
