STALLED IN THE WRITE LANE

I believe that writer's block occurs when you face the blank white page or monitor and no story ideas flow from your fingers. No characters march, or stroll, or jog leaving plot footprints. No inciting incident startles you, no turning point shows its dramatic face. So I can't say I have writer's block. I prefer to think of this thought bare state as a stall in my novel.

I have characters and plot, the inciting incident has run its course, I know the main character's goal and I know some of the obstacles that will befall her. But still I am stalled. I've revised this story several times and suddenly that goal has shifted. Usually I know where I'm going but have to find the ways to get there that provide a good read. Right now I'm not sure where I'm going. I'm trying several exercises to figure that out.

I'm writing more character profiles and trying to rework the plot trajectory, but I'm not getting too far.

It's at this stalled point in a novel when I have to decide whether to let the story go and begin a new one or struggle over this hump and find my story's flow again. It's a hard decision and the lure of a new plot and new characters hangs over my head. But I like my plot and I don't want to let it go, but I can't grab onto to it tight enough to keep writing.

But I will keep writing, because that's what I do.

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