This seemed the right place...

[lysystrata]

This is a bit of an odd problem so I thought I'd seek some advice. 'Bella's Riddles' started out as an outline and that outline served me well for a while.
About halfway through what I currently have published the characters started taking on a life of their own which from my perspective is good except for one thing. The story has diverged a bit from my original outline.
I've got about what would be 2/3rds of a full length novel on the site and the plot has become quite dense (I don't mean stupid I mean rich and complex, at least I hope so. On a side note I briefly toyed with the notion of Bella being somehow forced to go out on a date with Mike Newton the title would have been "A Date With Density") Anyone have any advice on just how to cope with that?
I find myself having to go back and re-read my own stuff to insure continuity and correct details.

~Sara~

[megster1992]

Haha. In one of my stories Bella sort of forces Alice to date Riley, as to not raise suspicion after her and Jacob split.

That's how I did it, maybe you could do something similar?

[rileylafemme]

To be honest, I haven't really had the time to read other fics lately - I'm trying to balance my school work and my writing time, and it's leaving little space for leisure reading.

I intend to read your whole story, but so far I've read only the first 3 chapters. You have (from what's I've seen) a good story coming along, and I could tell from very beginning that the plot was complex, intricate, and well thought out.

Are you asking for advice regarding how to deal with 'the characters taking on lives of their own', or Bella's date with Mike?

If it's the former, then I suggest you let it be. If, as you said, you have a rough outline of the story's plot and main events, then I think characters can be flexible as long as they complete their end goal or intended purpose.

Hope this helps!

[Enjorous]

Oh, I understand your pain. Only time I get to read is while I'm in bed and then I want a novel I can finish, not a fic I can't.