Had a character walk into a scene I wasn't ready for last night

I was writing at my kitchen table around 11pm, trying to get a detective to just leave his apartment and go to work. Instead he sat down and had a full conversation with his dead partner's cat for three paragraphs. I deleted it twice before I realized that weird detour actually showed his grief better than my original plan. Has anyone else had a scene completely hijack your outline like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

diana_bell742d ago

That cat scene wasn't really a hijack though, it was your brain finding the right way into the character's head. Deleting it twice just proves your instincts were fighting your outline. Sometimes the best stuff shows up when you stop forcing the scene and let the weird happen.

faithrodriguez2d ago

Oh man, here we go, @diana_bell74 coming in with the actual wisdom while the rest of us are just flailing around! I mean, you're totally right though. That cat scene in my first draft was pure garbage until I just let my brain wander into it sideways. Deleting it twice is basically my signature move at this point. My outlines are like those strict diets you start on a Monday and abandon by Wednesday. Maybe it's just me but the weird stuff is usually the only part worth keeping anyway.