Toward a Methodology of Discovery Writing: A Series

What Is Discovery Writing, Anyway?

Intuitive writers, often known as “pantsers,” face some unique challenges. Most writing advice is created by and for rational writers, aka plotters, and intuitive writers can struggle for years, if not decades, trying to follow it without much success.

What Is Writing For?

The most common advice available on discovery writing amounts to “just sit down and write whatever comes into your head.” That’s not really helpful, is it? There’s obviously more to it than that, but no one seems to know exactly what discovery writing is, how it operates, and what type of writer it serves.

What Does Discovery Writing Look Like?

Discovery writing can feel unstructured, and the result of it can also seem to lack structure – for example, intuitive writers who use the technique often struggle with conceptual aspects of writing, like plot. They struggle to trust their process because it feels so…undisciplined and unbounded.

What Is Flow and How Can I Use It?

I’m going to let you in on my biggest struggle as a writer: finishing novels. I can make it to the middle, even a little bit past that, and then I just…stop being able to figure out what to write next. I knew that with my current novel I needed to try something different.