All right, friends, it’s myth-slaying time.

There are a lot of people out there who will tell you that discovery writing (or pantsing, as most people call it) is not a viable way to write a novel. Those people believe this because their minds are capable of creating pages of outline to follow, whereas the mind of the discovery writer works a little differently.

Guess what? That’s okay. Neither way is the right way, and I’d venture to guess we all fall somewhere along the line between Planning and Pantsing.

I’ve seen too many toxic myths about pantsers, ones that all beginners must break away from in order to write their novels in a way that works best for them. Because with anything you do, your mindset is what will set you up for success.

Did you know Tolkien was a discovery writer? It’s true!

“If you wanted to go on from the end of The Hobbit I think the ring would be your inevitable choice as the link. If then you wanted a large tale, the Ring would at once acquire a capital letter; and the Dark Lord would immediately appear. As he did, unasked, on the hearth at Bag End as soon as I came to that point. So the essential Quest started at once. But I met a lot of things along the way that astonished me. Tom Bombadil I knew already; but I had never been to Bree. Strider sitting in the corner of the inn was a shock, and I had no more idea who he was than Frodo did. The Mines of Moria had been a mere name; and of Lothlorien no word had reached my mortal ears till I came there.”

-- (J.R.R. Tolkien to W.H. Auden, June 7, 1955.)

This discussion clearly indicates he wrote Lord of the Rings with a great deal of discovery. That isn’t to say he planned anything, but he allowed his creative muse to run free. I mean, if Tolkien is allowed to do that, so are you!

Time to get straight with discovery writing!

Discovery Writing Myth #1: It’s easier to write from an outline.

This is so not true. In fact, it burns me up every time I hear it.

Why is this a myth for pantsers? Because it burns our creativity to the ground. Boom. Gone in an explosion so great it sucks the joy right out of writing.

In my experience (and many other pantsers I know,) writing a detailed outline is akin to writing the story. Your creativity goes into this rather than crafting a genius world! I don’t know about you, but some of my most brilliant twists (that readers adore, mind you) have come from painting myself into a corner as I discover my characters and the world in which they live.

But a lot of people still believe only outlining will work. If you don’t outline, you risk too many plot threads, too much rambling, and so on. To that, I say… so? That is what editing is for. Let your creativity blossom and go anywhere it wants! I believe this mindset is instilled in several ways.

They went to formal training to learn to write a novel They are the protege of someone who was trained that way They read all of the novel writing books that were NOT written by discovery writers

But, even doctors will tell you all of the formal training in the world could not prepare them for some of the cases they treat.

The truth:

Don’t let anyone tell you that sitting in front of a computer and letting your mind take you on an adventure is wrong. It isn’t. It’s just different.

If you feel sick making an outline, or you feel as if the story is told once it’s done, I beg of you to try writing another way. Don’t feel shamed into a box!

Discovery Writing Myth #2: Readers can tell the difference between outline writers and discovery writers.

This one may be surprising. If you have ever read reviews on Goodreads, they are brutal! There is some delusion that independently published authors don’t know how to write… because they all pants. That is simply not true, but I have seen it argued so many times that it makes me seethe.

However, the truth is that there are tons of traditionally published authors who are discovery writers and just as many independently published authors who are outliners. The assumption that indie authors write bad books because they “pants” is frustrating because readers (who are not also authors) don’t understand what that actually means.

Discovery writing doesn’t mean we throw things together and hope they make sense. On the contrary, we usually take special care to revise, edit, and recraft our worlds to perfection because our minds see those worlds so clearly, we cannot leave them alone until they are painted with equally vivid colors in the readers’ minds.

Why do people still believe this? In my opinion, it’s because people still believe it is a lazy way of writing... That it is not honing your craft if you don’t take countless hours planning.

Honestly, that is a pretty slim-minded way of looking at it.

The truth:

Ultimately, if the end product is as clean and crisp as possible, it doesn’t matter one iota how it happened. I refuse to stifle my creative process to fit the frame of what a different mind believes is the right way.

Are there things discovery writers must do to ensure they have a quality book when they are done writing? Yes, of course. It doesn’t matter how you write, you will still need to revise and edit. The work still must be done, but we prefer to do it on the back end when our creativity won’t be squashed like a bug, thanks.

Discovery Writer Myth #3: Discovery writers don’t follow the three or four-act structure.

I can totally understand why someone would believe this, especially if you read a lot of work written by beginners who haven’t picked up a book in their lives.

I was kidding. That’s actually the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. I read an entire blog post by a woman who swore (with several curse words) that discovery writers could never satisfy readers because readers are used to a three or four-act structure… something a discovery writer cannot do if they don’t plan.

Excuse me, what?

Why do people believe this? I really have no clue. It infuriates me! So, I can’t learn how to make a pot of spaghetti by watching someone else do it? I can, and I have. You can learn the “rules” of writing by reading. A lot. Read all of the books you can get your hands on, and your brain will naturally pick up on the pacing, act structures, and format of the fiction novel.

It is a dangerous misconception to believe a writer cannot instinctually write this way. It is also pretty brazen to assume readers won’t like anything written another way (ahem, like a TON of the things we were required to read in high school that didn’t touch act structure with a ten-foot pole).

The truth:

You have to read to write. You just do. If you want to let your creativity flow and be a discovery writer, then read as much as you can in a variety of genres. See how authors create tension, pace their work, introduce characters, hit the midpoint, and so on.

Because while discovery writing is absolutely a legitimate way to write your novel, you still have to write one that tells a complete, cohesive story readers will enjoy. (Which you can definitely do without an outline, humph.)

Why is it misleading to believe these three myths?

Believing in these myths can make you question your decision to write. It will make you wonder if you are somehow broken and just a bad writer.

And I absolutely know you have everything it takes to write your novel your way. You just need the right guidance to succeed. Otherwise, you risk exhibiting these myths rather than dispelling them. Doing anything in a way that is different from the norm gets eye rolls and snide comments. Don’t listen to them.

Whatever you do, don’t give up!

I’ve seen tons of authors achieve livable incomes doing it their way. There’s nothing mysterious or special about them. They simply don’t conform to the standard presented.

They did it by sticking to what worked for them and ignoring those who said it couldn’t be done.