It's Nice to Subvert Your Own Expectations With Your Own Work
Now that I’m really moving on Book II of the Barbarians of the Storm series, things are just flowing out of me creatively.
I went into chapter two with a clear idea on what was supposed to go down. However, I got to a point where I decided to take a turn in a different direction to see what would happen and how it would change a straightforward battle into something else.
In doing that, I loved the end result and how it sets something neat up for the future and how it also added some much needed depth to one character in particular. A character whose motivations aren’t clear to the other characters or the reader, at this point. Sometimes I’m not sure if they’re clear to me, as I’m still not settled on how this character’s journey will eventually end.
This is also why I’m not a meticulous planner when it comes to writing. Sure, I map things out in bullet point form and write down notes about my ideas and eventual events. However, I think you need to let shit just flow and if that shit makes you feel like you need to follow a different path in a moment, try it.
What happened in the case of chapter two is that I ended up with something that had more meaning and also had an effect on multiple parts of the broader universe the story is set in.
Additionally, I was much happier with it and it helped motivate me to keep pushing forward. It was also really cool to go into something with a plan and subvert my own expectations, just letting the story sort of take shape on its own.