When Reality Blocks Creativity

Every once in a while a story idea hits me. I'll burn to tell it for days or even weeks. It doesn't leave my head. I absolutely love when this happens. It's the kind of rare inspiration and passion that makes me love writing.

Inevitably, something concrete outside the world of my imagination gets in the way of the idea. Sometimes this is just a fact of being busy. Maybe you don't have the physical resources to write.

Or, you're faced with the type of block I am now. I know what story I want to write, but I'm missing a critical piece.

A couple weeks ago someone told me about a girl with a rare genetic disease that causes blindness in four years' time. It intrigued me and developed into a character and a story in my mind. The only problem: I don't know the name of the disease and neither does the teller. It seems impossible to invest critical details and truth into the story without research. All Powerful Google has turned up nothing.

As writers, we must have the courage and persistence to overcome all types of 'blocks.' When boiled down, the infamous writer's block is only fear. Good writing takes courage; the rest comes with practice.

With time and will power I may conquer this block and hopefully turn out a project. We'll see how this battle ends.