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Face to Face with the Page
The blank page and you. The moment of truth: All the accumulation: the burgeoning of ideas, the developing of thoughts, the inspiring of courage should translate into coherent words on the page. But it doesn't. Instead, the blankness of the page stares back at you like amnesia--an eraser of all memory. The first encounter with the blank page stuns. Then, if we allow ourselves a few moments to regroup, the initial panic passes. However, we are no closer to translating our inspired designs on the page. Instead, we fumble for words and grope for ideas. The blank page has the power to reduce our minds to a single dimension of fear.
The encounter
There is no way to conquer the fear that assails us when we first encounter the blank page. However, there are means of approaching it that can make the initial face-to-face less overwhelming. Each writer develops his or her own individual game plan. No one technique works for everyone, but there are some processes that can help you conjugate the right moves to approach it:
The engagement
Once you have found the method that is right for you, it is time to nurture the anxieties inherent in the process of writing. Don't be afraid of these fears. Consider them your ally, and make them work for you. They yield high rewards. What happens at moments when we are most afraid? All our faculties, even those we take for granted, suddenly become heightened. All wayward thoughts converge into a pinpoint of concentration. Make that your moment of truth. Channel these fear into focussed thought and let everything you have accumulated in preparation of the assignment at hand flow though this channel. Tackling the assignment head on is, of course, the best way, but for some of us, beginning the assignment is as much a fearsome task as facing the page. The solution: Remove the word "assignment" from the process of this writing and indulge in some fun play as you engage the page:
Nonsense writing
Letter writing
About beginnings
The Blank Page
Last revised: March 30, 2002
© 2002 Meena A. Nayak