By John Bond

To many people, the blank screen or page is daunting. It blinks at you. Or calls to you. Or it might even laugh at you, daring you to commit to a thought or an idea. It may seem as if you are etching something in stone that can’t be sandblasted out. Not true. Typing or writing that first line can be a challenge, though it need not be.

I’m not a big believer in “Writer’s Block.” It is not to say I don’t have real empathy for people that feel that they’re at a creative impasse or are paralyzed by the process or where their work is going. But I do think that the most common way to address this condition is tried and true. It all just comes down to writing something. Anything.

Whether you are typing or physically writing, nothing can’t be undone. The act of committing your thoughts to the page is the key part. You might be writing what turns out to be the middle part of your work, or it may just be a creative exercise that allows you to solidify your thoughts. Just getting started on the activity of writing will be the solution, or cure. Don’t take your time. Just get started.

Remember your computer comes with a backspace or delete button. And that yellow legal pad comes with a blank sheet behind the one you’re working on. The process of being immersed in writing is the tonic you need for what ails you. Don’t let the thought of not writing become the boogeyman in the room. Try writing about anything dealing with your topic. Consider it, then consider discarding it. I find the act of simply typing to be an encouragement. It makes you feel better about the process and that there is hope.

Or try to write a part of the work, perhaps not starting at the very beginning. Sometimes writing the nuts-and-bolts section such as Materials and Methods, or the Literature Review will help you feel you’ve made progress or begun. Even if it is only a part of those sections, it is something.

Writing (and creating in general) is a process that is nurtured with positivity (or at least a lack of nay saying). If you write part of an interior section of a book or paper, you’ve made progress! You’re on the path to success!

Even more value is having a plan (however brief) and a schedule for your writing. Allow for bumps in the road or misses. But try to stay on track, even if it is only small sections of a much larger part. Feel good about small victories. The effort (and your writing career) is a long game with small incremental wins.  I’ve got confidence in you, and you should in yourself as well. What are you waiting for?

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John Bond is a publishing consultant at Riverwinds Consulting. His most recent book is: The Little Guide to Getting Your Book Published: Simple Steps to Success. He is also the host of the YouTube channel “Publishing Defined.” Contact him at jbond@riverwindsconsulting.com.