When you’ve invested a lot of time in writing something, in developing a character, or a particular scene, it’s sometimes hard to admit when you’ve headed down a dead-end from a plot perspective. If you’re stuck, and can’t seem to move the story forward, sometimes it’s helpful to back up and follow a slightly different path.
You might consider creating a copy of your story, and then deleting the last several pages, or deleting up to a significant plot point, and then heading off in an entirely new direction. Your characters will tell you which way to go. It’s hard, but sometimes you have to go back to go forward.
It’s important to remember that even though you are casting off some of your hard work, finishing should be the priority. So if you find yourself stuck (for more than a day or two), try this technique for navigating out of a dead-end.