The End is Near

I'm stuck. After barreling through scene after scene in June, aiming for that magic 30,000 word finish line, I've led my characters into some wonderful messes. Well, at least I think I have.

And now it's time to lead them out of those messes and to the finish line. I know where the finish line is - I can see it from here. The problem is, I can't figure out how to get there.

Yes, I have a synopsis, but I strayed from that a long time ago, as my characters led me down first unpaved roads, then dirt paths. Since dirt paths are very promising when you're looking for a mess, I duly followed.

I'm happy I did, but now I need to clear away the brambles that block the finish line. As I said - I can see it - but just barely. If the brambles were merely obstacles for my characters to overcome, there would be no problem. Been there, done that.

Compounding those obstacles, however, are the obstacles that I have to overcome. Making myself sit down at the keyboard when I don't know what I'm going to write. Putting something - anything - on the page in an effort to move forward, and perhaps even leading my characters into the cave at the end of the dirt road. I don't wanna go in there. It's dark and scary, and from there, I can't see the finish line at all.

I haven't lost faith, though. I might have lost my road map - okay, I've definitely lost my road map - but not my sense of direction. Though I wish my writing GPS was as persistent as the cursor on my computer screen, I know I will figure this out, just as long as my characters keep talking to me.

But that's a blog for another day.