Falling down the Rabbit hole?

As an author do you sometimes feel like Alice in Wonderland? 

Have you fallen down the Rabbit hole of your story? 

Is your manuscript taking you on a ride that makes no sense with characters that confuse you? 

If so, welcome to the club. Many authors work from an outline and use it to guide the story. I am not one of them. Story ideas come to me, characters appear and I just follow them along for awhile to see what happens next. The story doesn't always follow the path I thought it would and that is not always a bad thing.

If you truly allow the main characters in your story to guide you, the story can evolve in surprising and unusal ways. I'm not saying we should all try writing truly fantastic characters in a wonderland world, but you can if you're compelled to do so.

I've found with all of my books that once I truly knew my character inside and out, they showed me what happens next. I've been pleasantly surprised, shocked, and even happy to see a scene develop in my minds eye. What a magical experience it can be.

What I'd like to share with all you authors out there is this:

• It's okay to write nonsense - sometimes that's what it takes to get to the heart of the scene.  
• It's okay to write weird characters - humans are all unique in their own strange way. 
• It's okay to let the story grow organically - sometimes the best things happen when you allow it to just tumble down the direction it wants to go.
• It's okay to be surprised where the story leads - it is usually a wonderful gift.

You can always edit out the parts that don't fit, but keep them in a "rambling thoughts & ideas" folder - you might need them for the next story.

Enjoy the writing journey, it can be quite a ride.

http://bdtharp.com
Author of the "feisty family series" and a nove of romantic suspense: "Your Every Move."