Blank is Beautiful

Clean, clear, crisp, conducive, contemplative: these are words every writer should associate with a blank page.

Despair, dubious, daunting, doubt, drivel: are another collection of words that typically stick to the blank page like a stubborn sticky note and give these white building blocks a bad rap.

Part of the challenge in writing is moving from crisis to opportunity, and this is never more evident in the writer’s routine encounter with the blank page or screen. Though the white wasteland is a perilous place, the writer must embrace the chance to create, to give life to unknown thoughts and personalities.

The blank page is simultaneously the writer’s friend and foe. Without it the writer is nothing; it is the only tool that enables fresh creations. Nevertheless the threat of swallowing up the creative mind is always present.

In order to win over the blank page as a partner in creativity, try the following:

- Always have cards, a journal, or a scrap of paper handy for scribbling down ideas throughout the day. These precious raw materials can be laid out on the blank page in order to lay the foundation for more writing—that’s how this article came about.

- Begin your day by typing out something you’re already written out on paper. This is a great way to warm up before starting from scratch.

- Another great warm up is using a writing exercise. Many of these are available online, but one need only take a fragment from an overheard conversation and dive into it.

- Plan out a story or a series on a particular topic and stick to it. You will be surprised how focused time on a particular topic yields a wealth of writing.