Thursday, July 6, 2023

Blank Paper,. No Idea. Now What?

 


Our photo today shows a blank page. Wow! The sky's the limit for what you can put on it. The paper is fresh and clean, surrounded by flower petals. What an invitation. Pick up you pen and begin.

Begin what? That's so often our problem when we have that clean sheet of paper or a blank screen in front of us. We have the time. We have the will to write, but we don't have an idea. Or perhaps we have too many ideas and can't settle on one, flitting like butterflies from one to the next to the next. 

What can you do to give you the push you need to write something? A few ideas below:

Write two words--I remember. Then close your eyes and ponder a bit. Mentally repeat the words I remember and see what comes up. Even if it is one small bit, start writing. Let the idea take you forward. You might write several unrelated things. Out of that basketful, one can rise to the surface and be your inspiration to keep going. 

Look around your writing space. Settle on one item. Maybe it's the calendar on the wall or the container you keep pens and pencils in, or a decorative candle. Once you've selected an item, write about it. Describe it in detail. Continue with what it brings to mind. Personify it--instead of an inanimate object make it human. 

Pick a color, one you like a lot. Write a paragraph letting the reader see the color but don't name it. Example:  She slipped on the robe of royal color. The writer didn't say 'purple robe' and yet, we know it is purple. 

Use another prompt to begin. Try My mother said... Any number of things will come rushing to your mind. It could be the beginning of a fiction short story or a personal essay. 

With all the above exercises, relax and free your mind of all other things. You might be surprised what results you achieve. Your paper or screen is no longer blank, and you could have the start of a brand new piece of writing. 

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