Fetters, Shackles and other chains

Fetter (noun )
Etymology: Middle English feter, from Old English; akin to Old English fōt foot
1. A chain or similar object used to bind a person or animal by its legs (usually in plural).
2. Anything that restricts or restrains in any way.

I came across a word in conversation today that I had to pause and think about. "Fetters". This is a word that has a historical context going back as long as we have been restraining people. Not a positive word in most associations, fetters have a long dark history. They were used in Roman Gaols, in Slave Ships leaving the Ivory Coast, and even today in places like Guantanamo Bay.
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Fetters in a metaphorical sense can be the things that restrain us. Many good stories have been written about characters breaking free of shackles. In terms of a fictional character that can be oppression, captivity, duty, debts and more. Identifying and addressing these ideas in your stories can turn a good story into one that inspires.

As a writer fetters can be defined as all the barriers to your writing. I don't mean making supper for the family, I mean lack of confidence, a lack of knowledge or vision. Don't beat yourself up if you are fettered, do something about it. Read, learn, dream and above all write. The best way to escape any prison is with time and effort. So go chain yourself to a keyboard and know that the only way out is to write that story.