If you're using a rack, either way will work out OK....
I like keeping them flat, but have used racks in a pinch for space & available lit Kettles also....
Flat, just bank off to one side, keep it packed back away from the center as best you can so as to give the most non-fire cooking space as possible....change places with the flats halfway thru to get them evenly heated....
In doing that, I would dump a bunch of lit on top of SOME un-lit (this is not the Jim Minion Method, more later), keep the bottom vents pinched down quite a bit to burn slower & lower heat....top vent all open to freely exhaust...
That setup, you can run pretty low if you like, or all the way up to maybe 400f if needed.....
Different angle....
Racked.....same basic set, just keep the rack back from the heat & rotate them thru the rack a time or two during the cook....
This is St. Lou's, two upright, one on top, flat in a rack...
Snaked, you could load up a hefty ring of coal, start it with a dozen or more lit & keep the vents closed down some, top vent all open.....open lowers a bit more as needed to climb UP to the temp you'd like to cook at.....260~275 seems to be a good middle ground to me.....too hot & you can scorch things; aiming for 225, if your therm or therm placement is off by just a little, you end up cooking below the boiling point of water & stuff takes forever....
If you have other stuff going on (family, yard work, kids running around) then chain/snake will maybe take less attention, BUT pay attention to YOUR SETUP either way....then it becomes easy....
By setup I mean: setting up, starting the burn, heating the kettle, placing the food & waiting just a bit until the temp is stabilized.....then do other stuff....
Minion Method is a few lit on a pile of UN-lit, vents pinched to run low heat.....developed by him at a contest when he was in a bind.....electrically operated cooker took a dive & he sent the wife to get a brand new WSM & needed to play catch-up w/ the rest of the competition....
https://patronsofthepit.wordpress.com/2013/02/18/the-long-burnthe-method-of-jim-minion/http://firefoodchef.com/smoke-low-slow-using-minion-method/And the guy himself:
http://virtualweberbullet.com/fireup2.html