Growing Pains and the Endless Middle

I've known for a while that I work better when I have an idea where a story is going. Sometimes that means writing a detailed outline. Sometimes it's as simple as a sentence or two. But the words come more easily when I can see where I'm headed.


Then comes a day when I suddenly realize that the thing I thought I was aiming for will not work. Maybe it's because the ending no longer fits the characters. Or maybe it's simply that the route I thought I would take from point D to point E doesn't ma...