How much do you plan your novel?

I'm eternally torn. I'm a good pantser but tend to get lost in my story and since I'm bad at plotting and at constructing side characters I usually end up with a short story instead of a novel.

But if I try to plot, I just sit down and stare blankly at my piece of paper. And what is worse if I do get to figure out the story and know everything about it, I get bored and want to start a new project, since I know how this one pans out.

Both those things plus procrastination are a problem in my life.

Jamesaritchie said:

Pretty much zero planning. Even as I'm writing it, I never think a head to the next page. I know the genre, and I know whether it's going to be a short story, a novelette, a novella, or a novel, and that's it. Once I know this, I sit down and start writing.

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This.

I usually plan out things chapter-by-chapter. A few bullet points or so. I usually plot out the whole thing before I start. Also I'm not super strict with it. A lot of the times I'll find out along the way that maybe a character wouldn't actually do a specific thing I thought they would or chapters will combine.

Generally I just have the concept and major conflict and then I start writing. Sometimes I don't even have the major conflict at the beginning, but that can get me in trouble. ^.^ I'm not against the idea of outlining - actually I'd like to try again sometimes because it's been a long time since I tried - but in the past it's just made my brain shut down and I can't think of anything interesting. I also have this weird fear that if I over think the story it'll be like watching a film too many times when you have loved the book - the short idea from outline (like the image in a film) will get stuck in my head and I won't be able to see things differently (and I'm totally aware this is a personal issue that people who outline generally don't have).
Mostly I'm content with pantsing, even if it does occasionally end up with projects I can't figure out how to finish.

Well, let's see... I have this idea that comes to me, either from a bit on the nightly news or a conversation with someone or... whatever, for a great story. It comes to me with a concept of the MC, the issue, and to one degree or another. After that point, once I start writing, I just pretty much know the point of the story, I just have to throw obstacles in his path to overcome before he gets to the end. So, planning? Nah. Not really.