"Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success." — Dale Carnegie
Thank heavens for Dale Carnegie! Clearly I am bound to succeed.
So, here's the question of the day for those of you who plot: What do you do when, while writing the actual story, your characters veer from your outline? When you have it all figured out how to get the characters from point A to point B, C, D and beyond, and they opt to flip a U-turn? Do you go with it and see what happens, adjusting your outline accordingly or do you try to keep them on the path you have set out for them?
My heroine from my latest WIP told me adamantly last night that she DOES NOT want to work for the killer. Well, you know, I can understand that but now I don't know how she's going to find the murder weapon. And it would eliminate a couple other plot points as well. Still, every time I've tried to write the scene where she accepts the job, it doesn't work. Paula wrote about this same issue, and clearly doesn't mind taking a leap and seeing what happens.
What about you?
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2 comments:
Characters can be very headstrong at times. I look at it as my subconscious knowing better what will work. :)
Is it too late to introduce another character...one who is sort of in the background who could maybe send a note or a mysterious phone call as to where your heroine could find the murder weapon?
Found my way here via Brenda Coulter's blog.
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