You haven’t lived until you’ve been writing a scene you thought you were in control of, and something happened you never saw coming. Almost every writer who’s been at it for a while has had that experience. It’s delightful; it’s surprising; it gives you an odd feeling of confidence because the story almost seems to be breathing on its own. If you allow it, it happens because your characters are taking over. Our contention is that good storytelling is good because the characters — not the author — are in charge.
