#IWSG Surprise!

It's Insecure Writer's Support Group day! Come join us!

http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html

Today I decided to natter on about the question presented by the blog hop-- Has anything in your writing surprised you?

Started laughing like a mad woman the moment I read that.

I'm a pantser, also known as a make-things-up-as-you-write writer. EVERYTHING surprises me. Okay, to be fair not everything. I have an idea who my characters are and how their lives are going to go sideways--but not much more than that.

Most of the wild and surprising things have been a result of me asking my brain, "then what happened?!" And my brain pulling something wild out--that somehow works.

I have had characters be revealed to be far different than thought--like a goddess suddenly appearing. A portal that led to the past. A very unique way for someone to comeback from the dead. And dozens more. They were all surprises--BUT--they actually weren't. When I'm running along, writing like mad, my mind is also working on what's already been written and finds connections that make sense, but I might not have come up with had I pondered. Most of my surprises are created when I'm in the moment and writing fast.

My characters, the trouble they get into, and surprising myself are what keep me telling stories.

Happy IWSG day!