Do you have runaway characters?
I thought I had a plan for my novel, plotted out 15 story beats, whole 9 yards. Then I started writing it, and my characters started making their own choices as I helplessly watched, screaming "what are you doing?!?!"
Do I need a therapist? Or is this normal?
@DanIsWriting Pretty normal, especially in a first draft. The outline is the roadmap, not a prison. If you trust your characters (aka your subconscious) they generally take you where you need to go and you can work on structure, beats, rhythm, et al, in revisions. Enjoy!
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@DevonEllington I feel like this isn't just writing advice, but a deeper philosophy of life in general.