Writer's Block

I love fiction and have always been puzzled with my evident lack of talent in producing it. I think it is common with writers to find it difficult to get past the initial problem of beginning. But having spent at least six years honing my writing skills (mainly through essays) I don't think that or any other technical aspect of writing is the problem. Style and technique are things that with discipline and practice become less difficult. I also have very little problem stringing together sentences; I tend to be verbose more than otherwise.

It struck me today, however, that a deeper problem for me is that to create one particular character, for instance, is to exclude all other possibilities for that character. Descriptions essentially limit possibility. I enjoy reading of other peoples' created worlds because it opens new worlds to the imagination but to create one myself is to exclude all other possibilities. So I suppose my being a reader who cannot herself write is in a way rather a selfish position.

Maybe knowing this will help me overcome my writer's block. I guess we'll see!