Writers may travel far and wide, but they always come back to the same place; in fact, to the exact same place…a blank page! For some, that page is like looking out at a vast universe of infinite possibilities. It’s brilliant, it’s poetic, and there’s not an obstacle in the world to keep you from bringing it to life. For others, the blank page is a challenge. It stands perfectly still, casting no shadows, giving no hints as to what it might become. It boldly draws you in, beckoning from some mysterious place for just a word or two.
Of course, the blank page has no emotions. It exists at the good pleasure of the one who will fill it up with ideas and inspiration, taking twists and turns, flowing from the keyboard as though no one was even in charge. Of course, the writer didn’t come to the page by chance. Hours of planning, praying, information gathering, and selective sampling all came first. Word lists and scriptures, quotes from great thinkers who long ago had faced the blank page were already gathered there.
You don’t find the blank page intimidating when you’ve done your homework because you’re well-prepared to take it on. You’re equipped to move forward with an important message, a nugget of truth that you can hardly wait to share with your readers. You’re excited as you anticipate their response, their renewed enthusiasm for a subject they thought they knew so well. You’ve given them an enlightened perspective and they will not be able to walk around it. They can embrace it, ignore it, challenge it, and otherwise, poke holes in it, but they can’t take away the connection they made, the opportunity you gave them to adjust their lens and see things a bit differently.
They may love it, hate it, admire it, or even feel annoyed by it, but whatever they feel, you’ve done your part. You faced the blank page, armed with those things God wanted you to share so that you could make a difference. You’ve offered a unique voice that opens new doors. Of course, your own inner critic shows up almost immediately. It will defy you to keep going, tempt you to delete the page, and assault your ego. It’ will remind you that you’re nobody special, so nobody will care about the things you’re doing. It’s an empty voice though, growing fainter as you move forward. The One who called you to the blank page is fully at work in you, guiding the incredible words your readers are desperate to hear.
So, here you are. You’ve been equipped and inspired. You’ve been challenged and encouraged. Only you can face a blank page and turn it into a masterpiece.
Get going then!