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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/31710
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

One thing I'm surprised no-one seems to have mentioned is the architect-gardener distinction.

I get the impression your current writing style is that of the gardener, meaning you see what happens and react to it as you go. This is sometimes called writing by the seat of your pants (and such writers pantsers), but I think the pantser-plotter terminology is simplistic and unfair. George R R Martin coined "gardener" and considers it his approach, whereas an architect plans the plot and then writes it. You can see why this might help you.

In my experience as someone who's finished a few novels (none as yet published), both approaches can work depending on the author and story, what happens in practice may be somewhere in the middle, and if you've only tried one you should experiment with the other. A better idea for an ending is just one benefit such switching may bring.

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