Every writer starts the same way…with a blank page. For some, that page is like looking out at a vast universe of infinite possibilities, with lights shining everywhere, leaving the writer to shoot for the stars. For others, the blank page is a challenge. It boldly and quietly draws the writer in, totally aloof, waiting for the writer to bring it to life.
Of course, the blank page doesn’t always evoke emotion. Sometimes, you know exactly what you want to say and where you want to go, and the words just flow from keyboard to posterity. The reason you know, have great confidence, is because you’ve been planning for this day, praying about your idea, creating word lists and gathering quotes from great thinkers who faced blank pages long before you. You come to the page prepared, ready to move forward and excited at the opportunity to finally let it all out.
Whichever way you come to a blank page, it’s important to trust the message you believe with all your heart that God has given you. A blank page cannot intimidate you if you are well-equipped, well-trained, and ready to take it on with admiration and respect. You have to come to it knowing you have something to share that will cause your readers to respond, gain new perspective, and find encouragement for their lives. They will love it, hate it, admire it, or maybe even feel annoyed by it, but whatever they feel, you have done your part. You shared your heart, your beliefs, and your unique voice. As the words reveal themselves on your page, they may begin to show you exactly where to go, letting the story take its course, knowing the outcome is already assured.
Of course, your inner critic will show up almost immediately. You know the one. It may even be a critic like the famed Dr. Samuel Johnson who told one writer this:
“Your manuscript is both good and original; but the part that is good is not original, and the part that is original is not good.”
Your critic will defy you to keep going, tempt you to tear up the page and go back to your dusting, but don’t do it. Don’t go there. Instead, step back, take a deep breath, and remind yourself that you come to the blank page with a calling, a desire to share God’s story. Without all the work you’ve done to prepare to write, no possibilities could shine, and no challenges could ever be met. Only you can share what God has given you and turn a blank page into a masterpiece.