I’ve been asked that question a few times. Do I write the book by the seat of my pants? Or do I make outlines and plot my story? The answer is yes. You see, when I start my book I have a general idea of what I want to happen, but… ten times out of ten, that doesn’t happen.

My characters, no matter what book it is, tend to have minds of their own. It’s their story to tell, and I’m just the vessel they speak through to tell it. Without the ability to type out the words of their story they need to borrow someone to do so, and I’m just the lucky one they chose.

So, during the time I start the book, and then get deep into the heart of it, I just go with the flow. I let the characters tell me what happens, and I even get thrown for loops and excited when they drop bombshells on me and let me be privy to twists I wasn’t expecting. That, more than anything else, makes me both happy and annoyed. Happy, because I can’t wait to hear what the readers’ reactions might be, but annoyed because it throws in an extra complication I wasn’t expecting at all. More times than not, it takes the story down a windy path with overgrown grass and roots to trip over and run over with wild animals—meaning it’s usually super complicated.

However, with that being said, the story has to wrap up sometime. Whether it be a cliffhanger, a HFN, or even a HEA, that last page has to be typed. That’s when I have a little chat with my guys and tell them this story has to reach a stopping point, and we need to plot how to make it happen.

But, that’s just how I write. Each author is different, and they write in a way that works best for them. For me personally, I love each surprise my character gives me, and finding out their story as I go along makes this process even more fun.

All I know is, whether the author is a plotter or a pantser, I’m just happy there are so many amazing books out there for me to devour!