An update to my September 15 post on Panster vs. Planner:
I recently completed another revision of my novel and was satisfied that I finally had the storyline I wanted. I set it aside for a couple of weeks to let it gel. During that hiatus, I came across a two-hour session on the Four Arc System for Organizing Your Novel delivered by Carolyn Wheat.
If you read my aforementioned post, you're correct to assume that the concept of "organizing" my novel generated a bit of angst for me. Nevertheless, I decided to attend the class to see if I could glean anything that might assist with my next revision. Lo and behold, the interactive session had me drawing four columns on a sheet of paper and filling in those columns with salient features that generated an outline of my novel. I was eager to get started with the next revision.
There are plenty of courses that provide a roadmap for structuring one's novel around plotlines and story arcs. However, I can see where my panster inclination may collide with implementation of a structured approach in the earliest stages of crafting a novel. But once I get that initial draft going, dividing the story into discreet, purposeful segments will help guide me from beginning to end in a more dynamic manner. I'm pumped!