A Goodreads user asked Ed Protzel:

Hi there! I'm wondering, as a fellow writer, how do you feel when a character starts to take an unintended trajectory that upsets all you had planned for them? Do you let them go off on their tangent, or do you rein them in?

Ed Protzel Hi! Sorry I'm so long in replying, but have been traveling. To answer your excellent question: I try to practice structure, which is part of the process of a book or screenplay. That said, one of the great challenges in fiction is bringing your characters to life. You live with them a long time and should let them breath to fully become three-dimensional. Minor characters are the easiest. When they follow their own path, they can really add a whole dimension to the story and its themes. My minor character Ellen, in The Lies That Bind, is an example. She only appears about 4 times, but readers love her, with her innocence and limited view believing she is being guided by God to free all the town's slave. As for the major characters, they must have a trajectory and change as they learn and experience obstacles. I like to have an end in mind for the work and, while letting them be themselves, kind of bend their behavior to fit situations--and throw obstacles up that require them to change. Mrs. French and Devereau fit where I put them in TLTB, but their conflict and tense relationship really developed them. In that I believe in constant conflict in every scene, the people must learn to deal with their different challenge. Incidentally, you'll find great dialogue popping into your head as the characters you live with express themselves fully--and that comes from their strong motivations. My dialogue has been cited in my novels and scripts. Hope that helps a bit. -- Ed

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