Is Karen Tucci a Pantser or a Plotter?

I’ve had so many people ask me lately: “Karen, where do you get your ideas from?”

Under my website's “About” section, I state: “Karen Tucci writes sweet romance stories inspired by everyday moments to bring joy to her readers.” My ideas really do come from everyday moments.

Just yesterday, my daughter and I drove to church, listening to Toby Keith, remembering the legendary country singer. Not only did I plan out the theme for my cowboy series coming out in 2025, but I outlined two different books within that series…just from music and conversations with my daughter.

You may recall that during the summer of 2023, my daughter had an episode at a sporting event we attended (you can go back and read the Racing into Love blog if you’d like). Since then, her situation has evolved into a novel, which will also be published in 2025. I only have the first two chapters written, but the rest of the story continues to swirl around in my mind.

An example just as close to my heart is Emmanuel from The Perfect Kiss. He is based on my darling son, Dominic. Later this summer and fall, two more books in that collection will be released. Poor Emmanuel will endure the same medical difficulties as Dominic. Many families are struggling just like mine, but I hope those who read my book can find light in a dark situation.

That brings me to the question heading up this blog post. Am I a pantser or a plotter? First, for those who are wondering the difference, a panster is an author who flies by the seat of her pants, while a plotter is an author who writes out a complete outline of her novel before writing it.

So, what am I? I’m both. The outlines I’ve mentioned above are still evolving in my head. I may think of scenes or quotes I want to include in those novels, and I’ll write them down, but I don’t outline or map out my stories on paper — I let the characters lead me where they want to go. Please don’t let my children know this since I’m their teacher, and they're still in the process of learning what works best for them, so I make them map out their stories 🤷‍♀️.

All this being said, I know other authors like myself who are pantser, letting the characters lead them on the journey. I also know authors who map out their stories and then type them up. After reading many stories from both types of authors, the result is the same: well-written, fun, sweet stories!

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I hope you have a blessed week.

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