It's funny how some scenes flow onto the page effortlessly, while others seem like an all-out brawl. This latest chapter was a struggle, fighting to be completed all the way to the last paragraph. Every time I thought the characters were done deviating from the outline, they kept surprising me.
I purposely build in enough space within the outline for spontaneous deviations such as these, and when I come across a change I - or in this instance the characters - want to make, I always ask, "Will this be able to serve the narrative later down the road?" If not, then it is probably not an idea worth spinning my wheels on. But in this chapter, every single deviation seems like a strong enough idea to see how they play out. I'm curious how my thoughts will change further on in the development of the book. Who knows, maybe these scenes won't survive the dreaded editing knife.
But for now, I'm excited to jump into the next chapter!