How to Start Writing: Conquering the Blank Page

So, you want to write? There is nothing more noble, nothing more fulfilling and at the same time nothing more difficult than staring at an empty screen. Where does writing inspiration come from?

How do writers do it? The truth is, most of them started in exactly the same place you are now. Everybody looks at a blank page, and everybody wonders what to write next, or even how to start.

As I tell my students, writing is very much like eating an elephant: you just start with one bite, and you keep on going. It might seem difficult, but if you’re determined, you can do it. It works for children, and it works for adults, too.

You can try using a prompt, on this site I have many story prompts as well as a photo and a museum image prompt.

Choose Your Weapon: The Tools of the Trade

Most of us have a phone in our pockets all day. I like to use the Notes app on my phone to dictate. In fact, I am dictating this very page on my website right now. When a burst of writing inspiration hits, you are there to catch it before it fades. I can guarantee that you will forget, and that is doubly true for those wonderful ideas that hit in the middle of the night.

The Zen of Dictation

Being able to dictate means you can create as fast as you can think. I admit, the first pass can be disjointed, but dictation technology is becoming so accurate that it is mind-blowing.

There is a “Zen” to dictation that I have learned out of necessity. Because I have carpal tunnel syndrome, it would be physically impossible for me to type the content I am creating now. Dictation takes the strain off your arms and eyes, leaving you with a block of text to mold later.

It takes practice. When you get to a point where you don’t know what to say, force yourself to be quiet. I close my eyes to feel the rhythm of the words. You don’t have to fill the empty space with noise. Just slow your mind, wait, and know it will be okay. It took me about two years of practice to master this, but now I can produce 1,000 words in a single sitting.

The Classic Notebook

If you are the type of person who needs the physical sensation of writing on paper, get a small stenographer’s pad or a classic Moleskine notebook. It is the perfect writing utensil to carry throughout your day. The moment inspiration hits you, scramble it down before it fades.

Finding Writing Inspiration in the Wild

So, what do you write about?

As you go about your day, take the time to look at the people around you. Stories come from what you see. Everybody has an interesting story if you look close enough.

Try this exercise: Next time you are in a grocery store, look at the line of people.

• Where are they going?
• What conflict are they living with?
• What nefarious thoughts might be hiding behind that polite smile?

Marry those observations with your own experience. We all have heard and seen a unique life, experienced something only we can fill in the blanks. Ask yourself: How can I extrapolate my own life story and fit it into what is happening around me?

Beating Writer’s Block

If, despite all the above, you are struck with writer’s block, stop. Take a break and walk around. All is not lost, writing inspiration come and goes in waves.

Many writers, long before we had the digital tools of today, would take a walk to clear their minds and plot their stories. It is the movement of the body that awakens the brain and allows your thoughts to wander in new directions.

Feed Your Brain

You can also break the monotony by forcing yourself out of your desk to learn new things. Read the news, learn how to paint, or visit a museum.

Stephen King, my favorite writer, makes the point that writers must “read, read, read.”

1. It keeps you in touch with trends. (We all hope to make a little money with our writing, after all).
2. It gives you insight. You see how other writers handle plot and pacing.
3. It sparks inspiration. Watching TV shows and movies counts, too—observe how dialogue drives the action.

The “Driving” Theory

When I am really stuck, I listen to music on a car ride. There is a meditative quality to driving. It is muscle memory, it takes time, but time runs different in a car. My theory is that because our attention is on the road, our subconscious mind is free to contemplate predicaments and plot holes. There is a quiet movement when you drive that unlocks creativity.

The Mechanics of Starting

A great way to start a story is by asking the question: “What If?”

People don’t read to see what they know will happen; they read to find out what might happen. They aren’t curious about the path they are on; they are curious about the detour.

• What if the man fell in love while engaged to someone else?
• What happened next?

Trust that your natural drive to observe human nature is enough to create a twist on the path.

The 300-Word Challenge

Finally, just telling yourself that you are going to sit down and do it is the best way to start. Do not procrastinate.

Sit down and say: “I am going to write 300 words before I stand up.”

Just start writing. It might not be good. You might throw it away in the end. But you might surprise yourself with a gem of a story. Repeat this every day. Decide to write, and you will become a writer.

The Writer’s Toolkit

When you have an idea but the scene won’t come to life, the Writer’s Toolkit generates random elements to unstick you.

Use the Details tab for sensory scene-setting; color, weather, texture, sound, smell, object. Names gives you the character name, sensory gives you specific physical details, atmosphere sets tone and mood. The tropes option gives you common genre blocks to keep in mind and use as desired.

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