You Can't Edit a Blank Page

(--posted in Creative Corner Cafe)


Writing, should be easy.

Writing should be like eating cherry pie and ice cream; savory anticipation followed by joy and wonder at the heavenly, unencumbered yet simple pleasure of the act, and finally, sleepy satisfaction at the inevitable and consistent feeling of well being when done.

Writing is nothing like eating cherry pie and ice cream.
Writing is like eating cabbage....uncooked.....cold.....bitter....cabbage.

"But,I love to write," you say.

Maybe. More likely, you love to READ what you've written, you love to hear how much other people love to read your writing....the actual writing process, probably not. The longer you've been writing, the more truth in this statement. And that is ok. In fact, it's pretty normal. If after 4 or 5 years, writing every single day for at least a couple hours a day you can say you love the process. Maybe you do. There are actually people, so I've heard, that like cabbage. For the rest of us?

Do not be afraid. I know some tricks.

The most difficult part of the writing process, regardless of what you are writing, is sitting down to begin. For the average person there are approximately 2,324 legitimate reasons why you should NOT start. You, however, are creative. Your list of excuses is unlimited. So...

"just do it"

I hate that statement. As far as I can tell it only works for engineers and olympic atheletes. The rest of us are left to our own devices. Here are a couple that have worked for me.

1)Start at the same time every day - this does two things....it creates a habit and fools our subconscious. Good habits are almost as hard to stop as bad. True, it may be difficult to create the habit but your subconcious will be working on the emotional pain of giving up the OC in order to sit down and stare at a stark white blank screen. When the actual time arrives, your conscious excuse making self will have to battle with your emotionally prepared subconcious for your time. The subconcious almost always wins.

2)Reward yourself for completing your writing by a specified time-this is basically the first trick used on the back end. An example, "I will only take my heart medicine if i finish writing by 10:00 PM" If you're like me, you'll quickly figure out when you have to actually start in order to finish by the specified time, and before you know it, you're really just doing number 1. Doesn't matter. Results are all that count.

3)Plan your other activities AROUND your writing schedule-besides the obvious advantages of creating a distraction free writing period, this creates, for your writing, a sense of importance and permanence in your mind. Anything that is important and permanent has a better chance of getting done.

Ok, my brilliant suggestions have gotten you to the computer or your desk or the kitchen table. In front of you is a cloud white totally blank new page. Write. C'mon, you're creative.....WRITE.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if every single time you sat down to write, the words just flowed like a pulitzer prize flowing river. The hard part is that sometimes THEY DO. Sometimes it feels so easy......you're very own personal cherry pie. Those times just make the white screen look even whiter, so white it's blinding you and your brain has developed writing narcolepsy.

So wake it up. Here are some tricks.

1)Free write - for a specified period of time, 5 to 15 minutes, write every single thing that comes to mind and don't stop, don't edit, don't think. Write even if you have to write...."I can't think of anything to write..." over and over again. This basically has the same effect on your creativity that WD40 has on a rusty hinge.....it loosens it up, allows it to move freely with no irritating squeaks and squeals. There are many variations of this, all have the same idea.....get your brain on writing and off THINKING about writing. This works very well for me and may for you, but other people have a harder time with the lack of boundries intrinsic to this drill.

2)Edit something older first - it is always easier to rewrite a sentence to make it better than it is to write the sentence in the first place.....the creative process, however, is necessary for both. It really doesn't matter if this editing is productive, the idea is to release the creative water from your dammed up mind. My thought has always been, why waste the time. Edit a current manuscript or poem or story or blog but keep the original.....just in case.

3)Do a writing excersise - have you seen all the games and contests Mz. B has set up for you on Creative Corner Cafe? Those are ideal exercises. Don't start on your current project. It's too frustrating if things don't flow. Pick a game or contest, write on a random subject, describe someone or something, write about your vacation or your new love or your boil....it doesn't matter what you write. Again, the idea is to loosen up that squeeky creativity hinge.

4)Have a glass of wine or a beer-now I'm not advocating alchohol or anything else as a panacea for writer's block, but every now and then dropping some of those subconcious inhibitions also opens the door to your creativity even if the hinge is still a bit squeeky. I wouldn't recommend this as a regular tool but it's not bad as a last resort.

Now you're ready. You've made it to your writing place, you've unleashed your talent and only time stands between you and that book contract. A couple pieces of advice though. When you first begin on your current piece don't edit as you write. Don't do pure free write, but try your best to let the ideas that you've already formulated spill onto the page, let the characters that you've already created speak for themselves. If you hit a wall, don't try to break it down by banging your head against it.....your head will lose. Go around, climb over.....leave that part blank and move on. You can come back and kick the bejesus out of that wall another time. Now, the idea is to get words on paper.....screen.

Once the words are there, they are able to be edited, fine tuned and polished. But get them there, because as you know...

you can't edit a blank page.


We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled.
The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over
and let the beautiful stuff out.

- Ray Bradbury