Discussion: Do Your Characters Surprise You?

Photo credit: junxdelux on Flickr

Here’s something that never ever gets old, at least not to me—I absolutely adore it when my characters surprise me.

Whether it’s a side character who out-muscles another for the role of love interest, a minor character who makes himself a major player, or a character who does something so completely shocking and unplanned that I have to pay attention to him…I love it. And those were all real examples.

To me, when my characters start taking control and doing things I hadn’t planned, it’s a sign that the story is taking a life of it’s own. It’s exciting, because it’s then that I know I’ve made the leap from writing to connect the dots (because I’m an outliner), to actually falling into the story.

And while I don’t like to make definitive statements, I suspect it’ll never get it old.

Now I want to hear from you: do your characters surprise you? 

Twitter-sized bite: 

Writers, do your characters surprise you? Join the discussion at @Ava_Jae's blog. (Click to tweet)