Last week I recommended making a plan before you begin to
write. This week the advice is:
Tip 8 – Break a Plan
Once you have your blueprint for success and start writing
your book, you could find that something quite extraordinary happens. The
characters might begin to think for themselves, and act in ways that were not
in your mind when you wrote the outline.
Sometimes entirely new characters suddenly appear, fully
formed and complete, taking the story in directions you hadn’t anticipated.
If either of these things should happen, you should send a
silent message of thanks to the story fairy, and write until your fingers ache.
This development means that your tale has come alive in your mind, and is now
going down a path of its own.
For some writers, this never occurs, but, if it happens to
you, now is the time to break the plan so carefully thought out in the last
section, and go with the story as it unfolds in your mind.
You may still find you end in exactly the same place you had
plotted, but the route to that point could change dramatically.
You might wonder why anyone should go to the trouble of writing
a detailed outline and then not follow it to the letter. The reason for the
effort is that it is highly unlikely your story will take on its own identity
unless you have a very clear idea of who your characters are, what motivates
them and what you are intending as the eventual outcome.
Every writer is different and, for some, regardless of the
characters taking over, adhering to the outline is best for them. Follow your
instincts and either stick to the plan or allow the story free rein. Go with
whichever feels right for you.
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