Fortunately, just because your story seems to have lost its point, doesn't mean it's a lost cause. There are some tactics you can try before throwing in the towel.
Outline
I don't like making outlines and it's a step I often skip (and usually end up regretting). But, the truth is, you're less likely to hit a dead end in your story if you make an outline for it before you start writing. If you have an outline, you'll always know where the story is supposed to go and the major events that are going to take it there, lessening the chances of a dead end creeping up on you. But not eliminating them.
Brainstorm
Brainstorming is a good way to dig yourself out of a hole. When you're faced with a dead end story, grab a paper and pen (sometimes it can help to actually hand write it instead of typing) and write down any ideas you have of ways the story can progress. Even if you think the idea is dumb, write it down. The goal is to write down any ideas to get the story moving again. You don't have to use one of them, but it might give you the inspiration you need.
Discipline
If you make yourself sit down and write the story, you might find that once you get some words out, it will start flowing more easily. Give yourself a goal and stick to it. When you sit down with your story, tell yourself you're not getting up until you've written 100 words or 1000 words or give yourself a time frame where you do nothing but work on it, like one or two hours. Do it consistently for a few days and see if you get back into the natural flow and the story is slowly starting to come back to life.
Don't Limit Yourself
Whatever your plan was when you started the story, know that it's perfectly acceptable to change it and head in an entirely different direction. If you made an outline, you don't have to stick to it, especially if it's not working out for you. You are the writer, you can do anything you want so don't think you're bound to write it one way if it will work better another way.
Keep Calm and Carry On
Don't stress out if you feel like you've lost the story. Just take a break from it for a while and then come back to it and see if it's going better. Write it even if you feel like it's dumb or not working out. It might be dumb, it might not be working, or it might be going really well but you're not going to know until you're finished. It's okay to have doubts about where your story is going, but don't let it keep you from writing.
Get a Second Opinion
It's common to not want to share our unfinished work with others, but if worse comes to worse, you might want to give it a try. Having someone who doesn't know the story like you do read it with a fresh pair of eyes can be beneficial as they can tell what doesn't seem to be working from the reader's point of view. But you want to be careful. Don't hand it over to just anyone. Let someone see it who knows what they're doing and how to spot things that don't fit into the story too well. If a reader can help pinpoint why you seem to be at a dead end, you just might be able to write your way out of it.
Deadline
Set a deadline for yourself and work to finish it by then. The pressure of a deadline can be more help than you might think. Knowing you have to have it completed by a certain time motivates your brain to work harder on getting back into the flow of your story.
Re-Evaluate Your Story
Take some time to look over your story with a critical eye. Look for things that may have caused it to come to a stand still. Is there a character that keeps getting in the way? Get rid of them. Is there a moment in the plot where everything seems to start heading downhill? Fix it. Is there a specific scene that seems to bring the story to a halt? Change it. Did something happen in the beginning to make it unfold into a dead end? Rewrite the beginning. Just make sure there's not something in the story that's causing it to seem like a dead end story. Maybe all you need to do is fill in a missing plot hole, or add an exciting plot twist. Don't be afraid to experiment.
These are all ideas you can try if you want to complete your story but feel like it's just not do-able anymore. If you want to get the story out, you can get it out. You just have to find the method that works best for you.
You also need to know when it's time to give up on the story. If you're not passionate about finishing and find the whole thing dull, then you might need to call it quits because if you're not passionate about your story, chances are the reader isn't going to enjoy it, either. If you've lost focus on your story or your gut is telling you to stop, you might need to heed those signs and realize that it might be better for you to start a brand new project.
Don't give up, though, if you're just finding it difficult and make sure you've exhausted all resources before letting it go. Ultimately, it's up to you to decide if your story is something you can complete, or if you need to give up on it.
Hopefully this has given you some ideas on things you can try when you come to a dead end before calling it quits. I've made the decision to quit on a few stories that weren't working out, but then a year or two later, I looked at them again and found new ideas and ways to keep it going. So even quitting on the story doesn't always mean it's over forever. Sometimes it's just a matter of time.
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