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Notes -
Those of you who dabble in writing fiction, how do you keep your characters from derailing your plot? Or is just the sign that the original plot sucked?
Sometimes it's worth following where the characters go. That's easiest when it's a detour - often a big scene just needs a different setup, or to happen in a different order, or have just one character out of the room - but sometimes it means changing the crux of the story. It doesn't always make it better, and I have seen it make the work much less coherent, but it's worth at least considering.
That said, if this is for the one-handed novelette or some major climactic scene, though, that may not be what you're looking for. You don't want to switch out a big action, drama, or sex scene just because your characters are getting cold feet or wouldn't be that adventurous.
... but I'd point out that very few people are perfectly attached to their principles and character. Throw temptation: would they do it for money, or pussy (or dick), or status? Throw time pressure: would they do it because someone threw a grenade into the room and they reacted instinctively, or because they only had a half-second to say no? Throw their judgement into question: would they do it if drunk as a skunk, or enraged to the breaking point, or half-asleep, or bleeding? Throw their certainty in question: have their peers judge them for their principles, or the villain tell them persuasively why their principles don't work, or have a valued ally suffer from their unflinching behavior earlier.
Alternatively, it can be a good reason to explore why this one out-of-character moment exists. Why is your brave warrior is fleeing like a coward can make a whole movie. That's one of the more dangerous ones, because it can take over or change the themes of a work heavily if the reason is heavy, even if it has no impact on the plot, but it can be all the more valuable for it.
I see what you did there.
And thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it. It's a one-handed novella already, btw, sitting at 24411 words right now with at least eight more scenes left.
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