Hello . . . I'm a Pantser and I'm Proud of It.

Up until lately I've kind of reluctantly said, "I'm a pantser" when asked how I write.  I thought I needed everything to be plotted out to the nth degree and became my own worst critic because of my angst.  I lost sleep over trying to plot by worksheets and guidelines I had found that others use until I realized my stories flow in a different direction.

Don't get me wrong, I love the worksheets and stuff I read. There are many valid points and strong materials out there and if you can use them, more power to you. I've highlighted areas in most of the material in which I can use toward my personal writing goals.  Many of the charts help me do a 'rough plot' of my stories but I just can't seem to pin-point every last detail needed.

I'm one of those people who see the story emerge as I write and the more I write the more the story unfolds, which to me makes all the sense in the world!  Then I sit down with the materials to see if I've covered the areas needed to meet the general guidelines for the type of book I'm writing.

But if I don't have the motivation to sit and write, because all I'm doing is agonizing over the details, then it becomes more of a chore and less of my escape and fun from reality.  I need a happy medium between preparing a story and just sitting and letting it flow.  This past month was one of those times in which I lacked the desire to sit and write.  I needed help.

A writer friend of mine started her blog site the other day and she was excited to announce she had accomplished a full year of writing each day.  I thought that was an excellent accomplishment and knew I could learn a thing or two.  She told me about a wonderful group that helped to motivate her and I went to check them out.

WritingGIAM http://www.writinggiam.com/about/ is a great group of writers who support each other in accomplishing their goals of writing.  They are published and non-published writers all there to cheer each other on.  WritingGIAM also has great links to other writing groups and materials to help you focus on setting goals in your writing.

I love their motto, too.  DARE GREATLY!  I think it sums up so many things and can be used in writing or whatever goals we dare to dream.

I didn't know what GIAM stood for though but when I read their logo I knew this place was for me.  GIAM stands for: Goal Setting, Inspiration, Amity and Motivation.

Yep--I think as writers, no matter if you are a Plotter or a Pantser--GIAM is what we all need.

Cheers to having the Motivation to set those Goals, the Inspiration to Dare Greatly, and the Aim to get us there in the right direction.