Planning and Spontenaity

I’m sure I’ve mentioned before that when it comes to writing I’m a bit of a seat-of-the-pants girl. I tried for a number of years to do all the recommended in-depth planning before writing and it just never worked out well in terms of the story. But in the rest of my life? I’m a compulsive planner.

Case in point: We’re taking the boys to Disney World in the fall and I’m already neck-deep in planning our week down there with the mouse. And I’m loving every minute of it. We’ve got dining reservations and I’m making a list of attractions I think we should use our Fast Passes for. And it just continues to amuse me how much I love to plan things.

It’s gotten me thinking, maybe I’ll give in-depth planning a try on my next novel. See if it helps or hinders. Maybe I’ve gotten over the mental fog that has plagued me in the past.

My husband laughs – he’s a very spontaneous guy. The idea that I’ve already booked dinner reservations makes him cringe just a little, though he seems to be okay with me doing some planning now that I’ve explained how crazy Disney seems to have gotten lately. And I’ll admit it seems a bit odd to be planning a vacation in that much detail…but I’m enjoying the process, it’s kind of like starting the vacation early.

Are you a vacation planner or do you prefer to wing it when it comes to time off?