The "What", Not The "How"

"I have a great idea for a story..."

"Oh yeah? How the hell are you going to write this story? How could a 20-year-old female possibly know what an 80 year old blind man feels like when he's bitten by a lemur?"

"Um...
So hey, I have a great idea for a story."


Dreams and goals are made of "Whats". Obstacles and deterrents are made of "Hows". It's easy to get bogged down in the technicalities (the "hows") and forget to keep looking at the big picture; the future; your biggest goals and dreams; the "What's" that you really want. It's hard to keep going.
Shoulder Devil says: "You've already worked hard. You've gotten this far. You could just settle with getting by. You'll survive if you never know what it feels like to be bitten by a lemur once you're an 80 year old blind man."

But... that would be boring.
(NOTE: THIS IS NOT AN ACTUAL STORY IDEA, NOR DO I PLAN ON GETTING A SEX CHANGE BEFORE I TURN 80)

But if I want to write a story about a transgendered geriatric with a love of lemurs, there's absolutely nothing standing in my way that I can't overcome. No matter what I choose, society will have it's perceptions: You're insane. You're weird. You're obsessed with lemurs. How do I overcome these obstacles? I don't. I keep my eyes on the "What", ignore the "How", and the world will deal with it.


"I'm going to be with my boyfriend again..."
"How are you planning on supporting yourself in a different country?"
"... And we're going to go to the zoo and find a lemur and..."