LOL, Lab! That's a good way to put it.
Usually, I think of it like this:
I'm God, but my characters have free will.
(Not an option I could vote for this time, unfortunately.)
Which leaves me to dictate what happens around them, but leaves them to make their own choices of what to say and do (mostly).
I have tried pulling against that once. Characters were refusing to go the way I wanted them to. I had a clear plot. A logical (more or less, considering the author) sequence of major events that would bring us to the proper endning. But about halfway through the sequence, while filling in the details and the minor events, the characters insisted on going in a completely different direction. I put my divine foot down and insisted that they do things my way.
It didn't turn out so good. They went along, because they had no choice, but they acted like they were being forced to do it (which they were). The story lost its charm, ended up making no sense, and was left a broken mess.
I tried to go back and do it their way, but they were sick of the whole thing by then and refused to cooperate.
So... I learned my lesson. They do what they want now (within reasonably broad limits), and if I want them to do something else, I make something happen around them to give them reason to change their minds. If Lois doesn't want to go back to her desk, I can always make a Double Fudge Crunch Bar miraculously appear there... (Or something like that.)
Paul
