Zen and the art of novel writing

Without even the slightest intention to, I am finding myself writing what apparently wants to become more than just a short story.
Now, unlike others, I do my writing off the cuff, picking up story threads and seeing where they will lead. So far, I've been moderately successful with it (and the times I have tried to force characters have ended up badly - it seems the more planning I do, the less success I have. Story of my life?), and I am confident that I will pick up any continuity errors in the revision.
I took off last night, ignored the lure of the internet, and just wrote, listening to the characters. I don't know if this will be any good, but like in zen, the path is the goal.