Whenever I give a talk or meet aspiring authors I’m often asked if I plot my novels, or begin with an idea and take it from there? In other words, am I a plotter or a panster?

I’m a bit of both. I’m currently writing my tenth book, the first book in a new contemporary romance series, but I also write historical romances and have written two psychological thrillers. And I write each genre slightly differently.

The one thing I do draft for each book, is a synopsis. When I initially think of an idea, I then write my synopsis, which is my basic outline of the book. This is usually one to two pages in length and when I’m writing the first draft I might add notes to it, or change bits as I go along.

The most important thing the synopsis does for me is keep me motivated when the story doesn’t flow, or as my characters develop they might take me off in a direction I hadn’t expected to take in the novel. If I lose my way, it helps remind me what I was initially aiming for with the story.

Depending on the genre I’m writing, I might also have a spreadsheet. I do this with my thrillers because they’re more complex.

What I don’t do is plot the entire book. I begin writing my first draft knowing where I’ll start telling the protagonist’s story and where I want it to end, but I don’t plot each chapter or scene. I find writing this way gives my imagination the freedom to tell me a story, as well as build the one I’m trying to create for the reader. Really, I think it doesn’t matter how you write the first draft, as long as you get it written down. After all, you can’t edit a blank page, can you?