The Doldrums
The "doldrums" is a popular nautical term that refers to the belt around the Earth near the equator where sailing ships sometimes get stuck on windless waters.--National Ocean Service
Sailors often get stuck in the doldrums on long voyages. If you pass near the equator, I'm not sure they're even possible to avoid.
A book is, in every way, a long voyage that passes near the equator.
I'm in a place right now where I wake up every morning and work, without fail, but feel no enthusiasm for doing so. Absolutely none. It's not that I'm producing crap; I'm working effectively, and I like what I'm working with. It's just the energy is entirely missing.
This happens for almost everyone writing a book, I think. I don't see how it could be avoided. It's a long, long voyage (about five years, this time), and looking at the ocean every day is incredibly repetitive.
This is how it works, though, at least for me. I keep looking for wind, and one day--out of nowhere--there will be a fresh breeze and the sails will fill for the first time in weeks.
It will be a relief.
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