Three Types of Writers in Relation to Character

[MrHereWriting]

Never take yourself too seriously.

 

[Plathfan]

Never take yourself too seriously.

Never listen to strangers.

 

[Plathfan]

This division into three types feels somewhat arbitrary and odd. Personally, I don’t write stories; I envision them, like a prophet or a madman. It begins with an image that unfolds into a scene, then another, and another. There’s rarely a chronological or locational connection between them, so I have to figure out the order and then stitch them together seamlessly. I am the Tailor Writer type?

 

[burgwad]

Definitely a hard three, myself.

 

[intim8]

I'm definitely a type 3, and there is a huge overlap with pantsing on that type. I don't write the stories, I just type them out.

 

[gunhilltrain]

It's hard to detect sarcasm and playfulness in social media, so you always risk people taking you seriously. I was definitely NOT serious with that post!

I have to remember to use emojis when asking such questions.

 

[Belegon]

I recently read Harlan Ellison's short horror story, "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream." .....

I consider myself to be a pure Type 3, however.
What do you think of my conception?

Most of the time I know the ending, and I build characters that will make the end happen. I don’t think this fits that scheme. Maybe Type 3?

I think I'm mostly a type 3, although I have deliberately written as type 1 on occassion.

I'm a bit surprised, on reflection, to realize how often I DO NOT know the ending, AwkwardMD. However, I think I almost always know the end of Act 2. (I retain a bit of the 3 act play style in my head, even if its not always obvious in my work.) At the end of act 2, the MC should be at their absolute lowest point. it's what gives them the motivation/need to rebound in act 3.

 

[LiterallyLiterate]

I have to agree, I’m actually writing two different stories atm that I don’t have an ending for, yet.
I usually start off with a premise or a basic cast and start writing. The story usually flows for a while, and it’s usually more or less as I envisioned it, but sometimes I’ll stop, sit back and think how the hell did I end up here?

I’d say category 3 is closest to how I feel my creative process sounds, but I agree it’s too simplistic to put labels on someone’s style, life is not black or white.

That said, I think it’s really fascinating to try and take an outside look at myself and what I’m actually doing when I write. I typically play and replay a scene visually in my head, then try to get it written down.
But the story grows and changes as I write it too, as ideas and angles I didn’t see before become obvious.
Sometimes I know where to start and roughly where to end, but the interim is a complete mystery I’ll discover as I write it.

 

[Comshaw]

It's hard to detect sarcasm and playfulness in social media, so you always risk people taking you seriously. I was definitely NOT serious with that post!

Where the hell is the elusive sarcasm emoji when you need one?

As far as the three types of writers the OP put up, I'm not gunna' even guess at what type I am. My ego tells me one type and my logical core tells me another. And I think they both are lying! I'll leave that determination to someone else to figure out.


Comshaw

 

[MillieDynamite]

here ya' go!

Where the hell is the elusive sarcasm emoji when you need one?

 

[mirafrida]

Most of the time I know the ending, and I build characters that will make the end happen. I don’t think this fits that scheme. Maybe Type 3?

I was thinking something similar. Normally what provides the initial inspiration for a story is a plot (scene / theme / mood) that I'm interested in. Many such ideas are stillborn because I can't envision any halfway plausible set of characters that would fit / produce that plot. But if I can, then I'm ready to put fingers to keyboard.

However, yes, "type 3" in the sense that once I start writing, those characters are "real," and sometimes end up doing things I didn't expect. Occasionally a story veers fairly off track for that reason.

 

[NaughteeDragon]

I’m primarily a type 3 writer. I will build scenes in my head, decide on certain plot lines or necessary developments, then I sit down and start to write and that is when it comes to life. There is one distinct problem with this, I end up discarding a lot of words. Side quests, untenable developments, story killing behaviors (I’m looking at Kaitlyn and Cecilia)[two characters in the novel I’m working on.]
The other problem is that stories grow exponentially if you don’t trim the characters back. My novel length story started as adding one scene to someone else’s story. Then it was 5 chapters, now it’s going to be 13 chapters and an epilogue.
Every so often though I have to go back and shake down the characters and get them back on track. I once lost an entire story because I let the characters take over and what started as some playful spanking turned into a knock down drag out fight and divorce with the MMC drinking himself to death. It was supposed to be an incestuous orgy….