Hitting a Wall...

Novel on the shelf?

I've heard it said many times that people who write fiction often "hit a wall" and can't seem to keep things moving along in their tale. They can't concentrate on developing the story or characters, and the enthusiasm for writing at all seems to wane. And that appears to be what has happened to me recently. I've lost interest in the characters and the story itself. Perhaps it's time to put it on the shelf for a while and move to another writing project I've been thinking about. 

I'm not ready to completely give up on the novel, but I'm having some strong reservations about the direction it has taken into Chapter 15. Sadly, that's as far as I am at the moment. So I'm thinking that Rick and Karen and the rest of the happy band of "folks" who are populating my tale need a bit of a rest--a hiatus, as it were. I'm sure one of these mornings I'll awaken with resounding verve and sprint to the trusty MacBook and once again have Rick and Karen and "friends" back with me! My fingers will fly over the keyboard and the plot will get back on track and the conflicts will work well and...

...just thinking. I could easily use last week's travel to Ohio as an excuse for feeling so very blasé about my writing project, but that would be way too much of a simple "out." For what it's worth, I'll just live in the current doldrums and hope that the "spirit" will be rejuvenated eventually. Right now, the hour is late, the mind and body are weary, and it's time to post this and head to bed. Maybe there will be an interesting dream that will lead to breaking through that "wall" I've collided with! We shall see.

Down that road I go...MLA