This talk explores the beauty of limitation, whether it be something as simple as a deadline or a self-imposed structure for a scene, a poem, or an essay. Even the constraints of our lives (time! job! space! family!) can serve the muse. Many Writing Festival participants say, “I write more here in Iowa than I do all year—how can I do this at home?” or “In doing the assignments for this class, I actually found my real story. Why doesn’t this happen more often at my own desk?” Sometimes we forget that pragmatic practices lead to surprising creative leaps. Come discover how perceived obstacles can become tools to help our writing flourish.