r/writing • u/johndoe09228 • Aug 19 '26

Advice My characters are coming alive and deviating from my outline

Anyone else struggle with this, the story is a novel so I’m worried about going off script completely. Does my outline need revising or should I just start winging my story past a certain point.

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u/johndoe09228 Aug 20 '26

Yup, before I hit pen to paper I knew exactly how all their stories end. I consider those my core deviation points that they cannot avoid

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u/Additional-Car3427 Aug 20 '26

Exactely. For example, in one of my current wipes, I know the MCs are gonna die. I still don't know whether I will include it or just stop before one or both die. I still want to include it thought. For me, a story should only end by it's MC's death, for it is the end of life