Katie Runyon

Different people have different writing styles. Some have to plan out every detail and make sure the story they write sticks to the plan. On the other side of the spectrum, some will just wing it and see what happens. I think of myself as some where in between the two. I do a bit of planning before I begin writing, but not too far in depth. This includes most of the big things, like knowing some of the major plot points and at least having some idea what the ending is going to be like (the bad guy is killed by the good guy). As I write though, things tend to have a mind of their own. This means that something I might have planned will have to change. Usually, there are no major changes, but you never really know how far off the path I will veer from the original plan. Most of the time though, I make things up as I go along. Things just seem to connect and ideas pop into my head. And sometimes it’s a bit like the lottery, trying to pick the right option when I get to a place where things can go in different directions. A lot of the time, I know whats going to happen just as much as any of my readers do (and am sometimes just as surprised).

When things change, sometimes they mean rethinking my plans and sometimes they can even make the path of my story come in clearer. Writing does keep me on my toes that way. Just the other day, a fight scene suddenly changed dramatically. At first I had it in my head that it would go just as the protagonists planned. But as I moved closer to writing that part of the scene and things fell into place, my mind chose to make a 180. The outcome went from a success to a devastating failure just like that. There was no conscious decision on my part. My brain seems to make these decisions without consulting with me and I blindly follow along. I guess it must have realized that success would have been too easy. But whatever the reason, I always listen. I guess we’ll see how it turns out.

I already have the final scene for The Dark Within tucked away inside the folds of my brain. I even have an idea on how Legendary Race/the series will end. And I can’t wait. It feels good to know what the ultimate goal is, even if it’s a long time coming.