I don't like the pantsing v plotting thing out there. I think the best is to go somewhere down the middle. You need to have a fair idea of where you're going with it, but then it's best just to write.

The one I'm going to be sharing (hopefully) before Freyja's Fire is mostly a pantsing exercise, but I already knew where the characters had to end up, so again, there was a definite sense of direction. I think that's the main thing - to have a sense of direction.

I've watched several TV series die as a result of having no clear direction. They get caught in a groove because there was no plan of action.

Sounds like you've been busy.

I'm not sure if I will do Nano again - depends on whether something coincides with it like it did this year. November is a terrible time for it, in many ways... Too much stuff going on. If I have my Christmas and Thanksgiving stuff done in October (my goal for next year - as December finds me with low energy anyway), then maybe...

Hope you are having a great one and that your 2020 is even better.