So.... as stated elsewhere, I'm new at the craft of storytelling.  I've been writing for decades. But I am trying to make a serious go at doing what I have really always wanted to do: write and get published.

I've got this story I've been carting around for two years, that I have taken periodic whacks at; but  have run up against my perenial problem: I'm flying by the seat of my pants and I'm not really very good at it. So I'm taking time to learn the craft, how I can approach it differently and prevent myself running out of steam.

I am sticking with this story because its the first time in a very long time that I have had a beginning, middle and end. And I  like it.

So I'm working on the plot and the characters, and I realized last night that my protagonist is not my protagonist.  He's an important player, in fact he's the goal that both the actual protagonist and antagonist have set their sights on. It is an m/m parnormal romance... and well, the guy I thought was my protagonist is actually the beta male. I was trying to shoe horn the characters into their roles, when they were obviously the opposite.

Ever happened to you? How did you realign your thoughts after realizing this or something like it?

I don't need to throw away anything, luckily; but it really does force me to realign my thinking.