I don't even have alpha or beta readers, and I've got critics.

Somebody is looking over my shoulder and having a good laugh right now. Oh, great, his brother is here too...

Half of my serial is spent with the characters seeking the various Winds so they can locate the mysterious West Wind. They talk to the South Wind, the East Wind, and the North Wind without luck but receive many clues and tips in other directions, related to other parts of the story. After slews of adventures they finally meet the incarnation of Spring, who points them out the right way. One of the characters, Thomas, then grouses, "Why we didn't just find and ask Spring first is beyond me!"

Well, yeah, but then there wouldn't have been a story! And you had no idea where to find him or that he knew. So just shut up, Thomas.

you know what? if your characters are doing the work for you... awesome!

I often find my characters looking up out of the screen at me and saying "You want us to do what? I'm not goin' down those dark basement stairs, not me. No way." or "Okay, look - just because it sounds cool to you doesn't mean we're going to think so too. Three hours under full thrust dragging a deserted alien warship and being chased by other aliens who want it back just isn;t real exciting, thanks." or "Let me get this straight - I'm an unarmed security guard in a building suddenly infested with zombies and I have to fight 'em off and escape. Aren't there hordes of them running loose in the streets? What am I supposed to use to fight 'em, strong language? You go out there in the hallway. Me? I'm stayin' right here in the supply room behind a heavy, locked fire door until the food and water run out."

The little bastards get mad at me when I throw a plot twist at 'em that means they have to do something.

Mine usually try to communicate a lot through hard-to-write body language, darnit...