A White Blank Page
In the war between the words and the blank page, the blank page is most definitely winning.
But if I'm honest, it has been winning for a while now.
Don't get me wrong I still spend far too much of my time listening to my characters have conversations in my head, and dreaming up new and deadly ways of putting them into danger, but for some reason it is getting lost before it makes its way into the reality of my notebook.
So what is it about a white blank page (or screen) that fills a writer with absolute panic and causes the hand to freeze and the mind to shut down.
After thinking about it for some time I realised it comes down this.
The dreaded writers block.
Most writers out there will know what I'm talking about. Those times when the mind goes blank and no matter what you do you can't write the words.
You can sit for hours staring into nothing, willing the words to come, but nothing. Empty lines with no meaning and no story.
And why is it that the moment we sit down to write, a million other things happen to need doing. And they are always more important, let's not kid ourselves. I mean that bottom draw in the kitchen that's been there for the past five years, just has to be tidied right this minute.
You know you've done it.
We can all try to rationalise it too. We're too stressed, too tired, uninspired but really I think a lot of the time this block come down to just one thing.
Fear!
I can't speak for everyone here but I know that's where most of mine comes from.
That fear of failure; of not being good enough, of being judged and criticised. Of not being able to bring your words to life and feeling like you've let yourself down.
I've learned over the years that tt's scary to put yourself out there, but if we let that fear of failure rule us we will never achieve anything. I guess the saying "It is better to try and fail, than to never try at all" is true.
Because we surprise ourselves.
The mistakes are how we learn, how we improve and keeps us growing.
We need to face those fears and take a leap of faith.
As one of my favourite writers, Stephen King once said "The scariest moment is always just before you start"
So now when I sit and stare at a blank page, I take a deep breath and jump.
No holding back.
We just have to remember that a blank page is only blank until we write the first letter.
And then our imaginations are free to paint any picture we want.
But if I'm honest, it has been winning for a while now.
Don't get me wrong I still spend far too much of my time listening to my characters have conversations in my head, and dreaming up new and deadly ways of putting them into danger, but for some reason it is getting lost before it makes its way into the reality of my notebook.
So what is it about a white blank page (or screen) that fills a writer with absolute panic and causes the hand to freeze and the mind to shut down.
After thinking about it for some time I realised it comes down this.
The dreaded writers block.
Most writers out there will know what I'm talking about. Those times when the mind goes blank and no matter what you do you can't write the words.
You can sit for hours staring into nothing, willing the words to come, but nothing. Empty lines with no meaning and no story.
And why is it that the moment we sit down to write, a million other things happen to need doing. And they are always more important, let's not kid ourselves. I mean that bottom draw in the kitchen that's been there for the past five years, just has to be tidied right this minute.
You know you've done it.
We can all try to rationalise it too. We're too stressed, too tired, uninspired but really I think a lot of the time this block come down to just one thing.
Fear!
I can't speak for everyone here but I know that's where most of mine comes from.
That fear of failure; of not being good enough, of being judged and criticised. Of not being able to bring your words to life and feeling like you've let yourself down.
I've learned over the years that tt's scary to put yourself out there, but if we let that fear of failure rule us we will never achieve anything. I guess the saying "It is better to try and fail, than to never try at all" is true.
Because we surprise ourselves.
The mistakes are how we learn, how we improve and keeps us growing.
We need to face those fears and take a leap of faith.
As one of my favourite writers, Stephen King once said "The scariest moment is always just before you start"
So now when I sit and stare at a blank page, I take a deep breath and jump.
No holding back.
We just have to remember that a blank page is only blank until we write the first letter.
And then our imaginations are free to paint any picture we want.
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Heather wrote: "Well written and very true. I think we have all been there. I once told my sister-in-law when she was talking about this very subject to "doodle" when she first sits down. Write random mush that ha..."Second book is underway but still need to focus more. And Thanks for the offer, I would really appreciate it. :)
Hopefully that story has started to fill the blank pages quickly. If you need a reader or some help always glad to assist. (I assist better then I write. The stories seem to be only in my head!!)