Let an expert explain...

Some people look at me like I'm crazy when I tell them that characters direct my writing more than I do at times. It's true though! The characters decide something's going to happen and there's no arguing with them. I can see why some people would find this a hard concept to grasp.

I recently read one of Dean Kootnz's newer novels, Relentless, and his main character (being a writer) explained this vary phenomena. He worded it beautifully. And, maybe you'll still think the concept is crazy after you read this, but at least I'll be in the same crazy category as Dean Koontz.


Relentless pg. 79:

This happens often when writing fiction. Outlines are a waste of time. If you give your characters free will, they will grow in ways you never anticipated, and they will take the story places you could not have predicted, raising themes you might or might not have intended to explore. Characters shape events; events illuminate the characters. The people in a story begin as seeds, become buds, and blossom in ways that surprise the author...

I love when famous authors slip stuff about writing into a book. In this case, it was easy because the main character is a writer, but still. These words might as well have come straight from Dean Koontz's mouth, and it's nice to know it's not just me who feels this way when a character grabs the reins and takes me for a ride.