Ever write a story and see two obvious paths: the hero does this, or s/he does that? Both are telegraphed from the beginning, so neither one comes as much of a surprise at the end. What is wanted is that creative third option: the one that was there all along, but no one saw coming–the inevitable surprise. Gee, those story endings are hard to find. I woke up Sunday morning with a creative third option for a story I am working on…was happy to find it, but not sure it really fits the size of my story. Maybe I need a creative fourth option…