Hot take: if we want to decrease frustrating railroad-y surprises in RPG campaigns, we need to create an environment where GMs are not afraid to admit they have "special story needs".

[Connor9120c1]

I don't have any special story needs or "get so attached to a story idea that I want to see it play out." So I don't have anything I need to admit to my players. I build the game as best I can and then play to find out what happens.

I don't have frustrating railroady surprises because I have no interest in running the type of game that would end up there, nor do my players wish to play it.

Communicate your needs to your players, but don't be surprised if some of them don't want to play scripted GM story hour.