PENPILOT -- However, on your point about not allowing the MC to take the path of least resistance, I must disagree. As you said, it's instinctive, therefore, a person is likely to take the easier path. When they have a choice, why would
they chose a path that would clearly be more dangerous? It seems to me, such a decision makes the character seem foolish. The wise MC would take what he assumes is the easiest path to achieving his goal. It is up to the author to then prove his sensible choice was not so sensible after all. It's incumbent on the writer to make his characters appear smart, or who wants to read the story? All we have to do as writers, is to make certain the easy or safest choice is anything but that. Just one man's opinion. But in the end, what do I know? I'm just a hermit in the woods. Thanks for your input.
I think there's a slight misunderstanding. We're on the same page on this. When I said we take the path of least resistance, I didn't mean the MC. I mean authors. Instead of having the MC make the hard choice, the choice that, to sum it up, throws the crap into the fan, the author has them make the easier choice. Why? Because it's easier to write, for what ever reason. I'd wager a lot of times it's fear.
This is not to say the easier or simpler choice is always the wrong choice, but it should be chosen because it's the right choice for the story, not because it's easier to write.
For example, put a MC in a no win situation, they have to choose between saving their spouse or their child. To me, the safe and easy choice is save the child. It's the simpler one to write, specifically in the justification. But what if the MC saves the spouse instead? That's a little more tough to write and justify.