It's rare to hit a complete dead end, but if it happens, yes, backtrack and try again. But it's not like it's all going to be wasted. I've explored one branch

It's rare to hit a complete dead end, but if it happens, yes, backtrack and try again. But it's not like it's all going to be wasted. I've explored one branch of something that doesn't work, but I've explored. Some plots/character developments/scenes/places can still be reused in a different way when I try again.