{"id":8751,"date":"2021-02-08T17:08:58","date_gmt":"2021-02-08T22:08:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pat-matthews.com\/stories\/?p=8751"},"modified":"2025-12-03T16:21:15","modified_gmt":"2025-12-03T21:21:15","slug":"the-blank-page","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pat-matthews.com\/stories\/2021\/02\/08\/the-blank-page\/","title":{"rendered":"The Blank Page"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Have you ever gotten lost? Maybe you were out on a hike and lost the trail, or you were exploring a new city and your GPS signal cut out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it happened, what did you do? Panic? Did you sit down and wait for someone to find you? Or maybe you tried to trace your path back to somewhere you recognized?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All valid options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Depending on where you are, there’s another possible choice: continue exploring.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Lost<\/a>
Never thought we\u2019d find a bike trail under a bridge that ended in a waterfall<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about blank pages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As a fiction writer, staring at a blank page is intimidating. You can start your story in a million different ways. Of those, probably nine hundred thousand won\u2019t work. They\u2019ll lead you down false paths, cause you to question your own ability, and waste more time than you have available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what do you do? Panicking is an option. Tell your friends you have writer\u2019s block, and head outside for a bike ride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sitting and waiting is also possible. At some point, inspiration is sure to come, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe you should do some research. Re-read some of your favorite books, and see how they handled whatever type of scene you want to write.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps more outlining is the answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those approaches are all valid, but they don’t resonate with me. Instead, I prefer the most dangerous alternative possible: charging forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the worst that can happen?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When I started Dragon Run<\/a> (the first time), I chose the wrong main character, a dragon name Archovar. The second time I started the book, the main character was a man named Magister Lundi. That was also a bad choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You could argue that I wasted a lot of time with those main characters. I certainly felt that way for a while, but time and distance have given me a clearer perspective. The writing I did with them unlocked a world of possibilities for me. Having seen the story from their perspectives, I was able to more fully understand the challenges facing Al (the actual protagonist).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Bradley\u2019s Dragons<\/a>, I made a different mistake. I started writing the book at the wrong time in the story. I actually made that mistake multiple times. When to start the book became a topic of significant debate among my readers and critique partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did the mistake set me back? No doubt, but it led to a hundred other discussions and considerations that enriched the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solving the problem<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Here are five techniques that work for me. I hope at least one resonates with you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technique 1: Revving the engine<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Look up from your blank page and consider the kind of story you want to write. What\u2019s the tone you\u2019re looking for? Ominous? Hopeful? Suspenseful? Funny? Throw the appropriate music on and close your eyes. Think about your story. When your first idea comes to you, stop yourself from writing. Keep thinking. Keep listening. Twist it around in your head. When you can\u2019t hold it in any longer, open your eyes and start writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I visualize this approach as revving a race car at the start of a race. The engine is screaming. The steering wheel is shaking. The smell of burning oil is filling your nostrils. By the time you hit the gas, you\u2019re going to write like there\u2019s no tomorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technique 2: Stream of Consciousness<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Stream of consciousness writing can help you get the creative juices flowing. I always use a pen and paper, but you can go with a keyboard if you prefer. Here\u2019s how:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Eliminate all distractions. Turn off the music, close the doors, get yourself in as quiet a state as you can.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Pick up your pen or keyboard and force yourself to start writing. Don\u2019t wait for thoughts to come. Don\u2019t try to make things connect. Just write.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Many writers (myself included) have problems with \u201cjust writing.\u201d I find it helpful to have a key phrase that I always start with. Mine is \u201cBut Yet Not For\u201d. I write those words, and then spew out whatever words come into my head. They\u2019re kind of a trigger that puts me into stream-of-consciousness mode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I\u2019ll give it a shot right now, so you can see what I\u2019m talking about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    But yet not for I don\u2019t know how many techniques I should be including in this article. too many and the thing might as well be its own book wish I had some pizza. Shouldn\u2019t write these articles during lunch time.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    That\u2019s enough of that. The key is to keep the pen moving. Write whatever words come into your head. If none come, create them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This technique can be exhausting. It can be revelatory (was I really thinking that?<\/em>). It can be frustrating. It also can be really helpful. It gets you out of your \u201cthinking\u201d self and into your \u201cwriting\u201d self, and takes down some of the barriers that are causing the blank page to be so intimidating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Technique 3: The Conversation<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    I\u2019m including this one both for completeness and because I\u2019ve had so many people say it works. The idea is to imagine a conversation between you and your main character.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Imagine you\u2019re at a party and you\u2019re questioning your main character. Write down a question (what\u2019s your name, where are you from, what school do you go to, what do you do, etc), and then answer it from the character\u2019s point of view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This doesn\u2019t work for me, but it might for you. I know writers who swear by it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Technique 4: The Big View<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Some writers (myself included) occasionally get stopped by the details. Staring at that blank page, it\u2019s easy to start spinning about what details to write.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    With this technique, you leave them all out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For example, Al stands outside Castle Surflienne, waiting for Testing Day to start. His friends Wisp and Trilla join him. The castle gates open . . .<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You get the idea. Write a paragraph (or a page) of the big view, and then start over. Sometimes, that big view is enough to get you into the story and separate you from thinking about the blank page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Technique 5: Go Small<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    This one is my favorite, and the one I use the most. Instead of starting with the big view, close your eyes and picture what your main character is seeing in the first scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You don\u2019t have to write in first person. Just focus on the details of what the character is experiencing. Seeing those details is a window into how your character sees those details, which leads to being in the mindset of that character. Once you get to that point, you\u2019re not so much writing the story as you are channelling it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here\u2019s the beginning of The Boy With The Sword<\/a>, which comes directly from this technique:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    Al stared at the giant black-scaled head. It lay on its side, with its mouth open so wide he could have walked inside it. He shivered. The dragon\u2019s dead eyes seemed to be staring right at him.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    Now, it\u2019s your turn<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    I hope at least one of these techniques works for you. More important than any of them, though, is attitude. That blank page might seem scary, but it\u2019s really not. It\u2019s a giant opportunity waiting to be explored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Attack your writing with enthusiasm. You\u2019re not working against the page, not struggling to fight the story, not terrified to make a mistake. You\u2019re exploring a crazy unpredictable world, making discoveries and building connections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    [Writer’s note: A version of this story was originally published in 2021. It’s been updated and re-released in response to questions from readers]<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Five ways to deal with the paralysis that can happen when facing a blank page.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8809,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-life","category-writing"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pat-matthews.com\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/lostwhilebiking.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6DpYi-2h9","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pat-matthews.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8751","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pat-matthews.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pat-matthews.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pat-matthews.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pat-matthews.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8751"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.pat-matthews.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8751\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37666,"href":"https:\/\/www.pat-matthews.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8751\/revisions\/37666"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pat-matthews.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8809"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pat-matthews.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pat-matthews.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pat-matthews.com\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}