Let your world tell you how it wants to be built.

Just because you have an idea for your story, you know (or think you do) who your characters are, and you know how you want your story to progress, doesn’t mean it’s going to go your way.

You may start out with a clear cut idea and approach, and that’s fine, but be prepared for twists and turns that you didn’t plan on. There are going to be times in your storytelling that your story will dictate how it wants to be told.

It’s all a part of world building. The physiological and psychological characteristics of your characters will change. How they respond to their environment and to each other will change. And the situations and environments themselves will change.

Go with the flow. Use what works and discard what doesn’t. Allow your story to tell you where it wants to go. If it wants to go astray, let it. If it goes too far off the trail, stir it back onto the path; reign it in, go over what you have, then regroup and make the necessary changes to continue. It will work itself out.

If you work with a synopsis, remember, that too will change. But in the end, you’ll be where you want to be. And have a better told story as a result.