AA Share

What type of writer are you?

Dear writer, if you have come this far it is because you have already written one or more stories, either because you have a very anxious mind and full of ideas or because you previously prepared to write your book, no matter how you came to the universe of the writing, the essential thing is to give yourself tools that help you improve every day in what you like to do the most, which is writing.


In this post we will not address your story or what rules you must follow to write it, in fact, it is about teaching you a little about yourself as a writer, because many of us started as paratroopers in this field and after a long time of stumbling, there are things simple that we do not know.

So, at this point, the question you should ask yourself is: What kind of writer am I?


If you know, I congratulate you, you have done your homework properly, if you do not know, congratulations, you are in the right place to learn it.


Perhaps on some occasion you managed to hear the phrases "Writer of Compass" or "Writer of Map", because in principle, this classification was established by Javier Marias, Spanish writer and member of number of the Royal Spanish Academy, and is currently the most used when talking about what kind of writer you are.



Compass Writer:

With a compass writer we mean the writer who, having the idea in his head, leaves on the way to the excessive writing of his story, without knowing very well where it will lead him, what will really be the central problem, or even what will be the End of the story.


Most of us when we started writing, we have been compass writers, divine inspiration has come to us with a phenomenal idea and we have run to the notebook, to the phone notes, to the Tablet or to the computer to download what has happened to us by the head.


Writing with a compass is going where the wind takes us, we feel free and without any kind of weight or ties, that should make our writing smooth and fluid.


In this impetuous path we forget or do not give importance to make a detailed outline of what we want from the story or the characters and in the end, it may happen that by not specifying, then we can not continue due to lack of foundations that would keep our idea strong and live.


How many has happened to her that the protagonist in the first chapter is 1.50 and has green eyes, and halfway through the story, we describe her taller and with blue eyes?

That comes to be one of the problems of being such a free writer, the lack of annotations leads us to error.


An example of a compass writer, and you may find it strange for the magnitude of the characters, is Stephen King, who we know has written countless stories that make our hair stand on end.



Map Writer:

The other side of the coin is the map writer, that writer who, in order to develop the story he has in his head, goes through a long process of preparation, planning the story, establishing chapters, character cards, creating scenarios or worlds as the case may be, among many other data you need to start writing.

Writing with a map reveals the meticulous nature of its author and the commitment he puts into every detail. This type of writer knows what he wants and how to get to his goal.


And although it sounds wonderful, when it comes to remembering and not making mistakes with the essential data of your story, this form of writer also has its weaknesses.


Sometimes the writer becomes so engrossed in planning the details that by the time he decides to start the story himself, he is already exhausted or may even spend years creating his “map,” his outline of the story, and not having actually written a single chapter. Or even, restrict your own creativity to adjust to what you already have set.


We emphasize, not all cases are the same, there may be compass writers who if they finish their stories based on their inspiration and are genius, as well as map writers who do not stop themselves planning excessively and create masterpieces.


An example of a map writer is James Dashner, the author of The Maze Runner trilogy, who confessed in an interview that when he started the first book he had even established what the end of the saga would be in the third book.


Is it wrong to be part of one stream or the other? Is one of the guys better than the other?


Not at all, everything will depend on what best suits your needs and the commitment and commitment you place on your story. Each of the types has its benefits and it is up to you as a writer to take from each one what seems beneficial to you.


Perhaps they are not one of the two types, but a mixture of them, that which we shall call a mixed writer; a free writer who doesn't rally his brains by planning scenes or chapters in advance, but who does keep a character file and a timeline of relevant events or if he plans his story long enough but not so meticulously as to stray into an endless loop .


So, "compass writer", "map writer", "mixed writer". I know what you want to be and enjoy writing to the fullest, surely there will be many people waiting to read what you have to offer, but always remember that the first thing you should please is you.


Written by Janeth Velázquez. (@jancev)

June 30, 2020, 12:23 a.m. 2 Report Embed 26

Comment something

Post!
Edward O'Conner Edward O'Conner
This is an excellent piece. I feel as though there is a fourth category because I fall sort of in the mixed category with a zing that includes pieces of... just about everything. There's a method to my madness but it's lost in the 5th dimension beyond the space- time continuum where even quantum Physics is of a novice level. I think I shall coin the phrase Ozzy Conundrum™️
February 06, 2022, 20:19

  • L Beaumonte L Beaumonte
    I feel the same on the categories. Maybe, a forth and fifth. The Platform that you use is equally important, (when they will not let you move your story anywhere else.) Research and hear say on a memoir is key in executing a life story quickly and correctly. It has been interesting, to take say the least. Notes that are taken must absolutely be correct and compared and compared again for proper information is released. While some information can be misinformed which changes the whole rhythm of a story. I am writing a book on my grandfather and his amazing legacy and it has been somewhat hard to get the right information when only a small portion is coming from actual living it and family memories and the anxious part of it all can be a big mistake as well (typos) is my problem. Which was very frustrating once it’s released. Deleting my story once I put it out there was a lesson learned as well. I am an uneducated writer but this piece must be done on my grandfathers legacy. I feel I am doing pretty good considering all the facts. I could use some advice. I love Inspire. I used another app for my first part and regret it. So rewriting the whole thing using my first part as my summary is my plan. It is on my Facebook if you would like to read it and give your input on this first piece. My book will be different just a short story with a few chapters is what I originally had planned but not enough body. Thank you very much , Leann Beaumonte April 27, 2022, 17:27
~