That’s right. You read it here. Tyro — the main character for my project going into next year — hijacked the outlining process of her novel. Is this a symptom of schizophrenia? Let’s find out.

I was outlining a scene where one of the other characters is drawing a magic circle to return back to where their Master was waiting to get the second in a long line of McGuffin’s that may or may not be crucial (I honestly don’t know). I didn’t stop to think ‘what should happen now?’ like I usually do. Pen was firmly planted on paper and butt was firmly in seat when the amazing happened: Tyro did her own thing.

That thing she did was snatch the chalk out of the other servant’s hand and start drawing her own magic circle. I’d been describing how she had been collecting magical glyphs here and there earlier. She thought she had enough to get away from wherever their Master was holed up to somewhere that wasn’t there. As I continued to write the aftermath of this scene — Tyro getting roughed up by another servant and ending up going on her own, I asked myself: What just happened?

I always talk about my characters as if they were alive in my head. If I had to describe the acting of writing for me — it’s me watching what my characters do, then writing the after-action report. This was a little unnerving to say the least, but it ended up being good. I got to introduce a couple of new things that I wasn’t going to involve until later, and I have explored a little more of the dynamic among the ushabit. All in all, this was fortuitous.

But it’s weird. It’s like that moment in Baldur’s Gate 3 where one of the characters breaks the fourth wall and asks how we’re doing. I didn’t stop, I didn’t plan on it, obviously. It just happened. I had a different scene in mind, with Tyro looking in at a family and her memories pointing out that this is what they want, and one of them makes the offer to help her get away in exchange for that family situation. Well, that scene isn’t going to happen now. I don’t know if it is going to at all now. I might have to save it for later.

I want to ask you, the audience and especially of you’re a writer like me — have you ever had moments like this? Moments where the characters do something and you’re left standing there confused and shouting “YOU CAN’T DO THIS TO ME! DON’T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!”

Well — in spite of what happened, I am continuing on with the outline. What’s going on next? Don’t know. Can’t wait to see. Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are looking forward to Christmas. For me — it’s donuts for breakfast, horror films and hamburgers! Ta-ta for now!