Conquering the Blank Page

by Katie Martin

Few things confound, halt, and utterly transfix authors more so than the dreaded blank page. We have all been there: document wide-open, cursor blinking, pen poised, and nothing but pixels or paper before us. We feel so ready, so inspired, so right—yet we feel so unprepared, uninspired, so empty.

Thankfully, the Lord did not create us empty. He did not set us here on earth without purpose. He did not withhold creative gifts from you.

He has given you gifts, and He has given you faith.

So no matter how daunting the blank page may be, it is not the final victor. It is never your final destination. It is a stepping-stone to wherever the Lord may lead you.

Let’s focus on four ways we can face this obstacle to our writing success, and how we can conquer and utterly overcome it.

1. Pray for Your Writing

A blank page is a wonderful opportunity for prayer. As it sits open in front of you—untouched by words—it is the perfect place to share your heart with the Lord. As you begin a project, or continue a longer work, asking the Lord’s blessing on it will align your mind, your faith, and your spirit. Ask for the Lord’s blessing on your writing. Ask for the words to touch your reader. Ask for your message to align with truth.

As you pray, your fears of the blank page will lessen. Your priorities and purpose will emerge, and your writing will (most importantly) be touched with the grace and spirit of Christian love. This is why we are here. This is why we write. To be conduits of the Lord’s eternal grace and truth.

2. Focus on Faith

If you write your prayer, you have conquered writer’s block already. You have put words on a page, broken the physical barrier of silence to sound (or blankness to writing), and articulated your thoughts. Now, you can continue, in faith, to overcome any fear or reservations that might remain.

Faith is an incredible conqueror. It overcomes. It initiates. It perseveres. Faith transforms the creative process from a self-centered mindset to a Christ-centered mission to serve others. Faith quashes self-doubt and fear of failure—because faith understands that the creative process is not about us. It’s what God can do through us, to His glory and the benefit of others.

So as you begin or continue your project, think of it as service. As humble selflessness. You are sharing God’s gifts with your readers. It doesn’t matter if your article is the “best feature story ever” or if your novel has “the perfect first line.” What matters is that you write in love, that you share selflessly, and that you desire God’s glory—not your own—to shine through the pages. This is freedom. This is creativity. This is spirit. This is what overcomes.

3. Pursue Excellence over Perfection

The Lord uses us just as we are—imperfect, humble, and works-in-progress ourselves—to share His truth and story. Whether you are writing secular or inspirational pieces, you have a joyful responsibility to explore and grow in the beautiful craft of writing. Creativity is a gift, and we are blessed to be stewards of it.

Perfectionism has stopped, plugged, ceased, blocked, and halted more writing projects than it ever should have the permission to do. Perfection is not the goal. Spreading truth, kindness, and joy is the goal. Honoring the Lord is the goal. Touching other’s lives is the goal. Embracing the joy of creativity is the goal.

So as you are staring at your blank page, give yourself the permission to be messy. To be imperfect. To write something for the joy of writing, and for the joy of sharing. Creativity is experimentation. It is a journey. It is a walk of faith.

4. Share Your Creativity

As you pursue excellence in your writing, lean on other writers of faith, their inspiration, and their ever-abundant creative ideas to lead you on your way. Explore your inner creativity and put it on the page. Share your writing with those whom you love. Share it with people who long for connection and hope. Read it yourself and let it draw you closer to God.

As you embark or continue on your creative journey, use any of the following ideas that might be helpful to you. And then create your own ideas and pass them onward. 

• The Free-Write Dash: Set a timer for 5 minutes, and free-write. Anything that comes to your mind must be put down on the page. Then, take one line from the page—any line—and use it as the first line of a poem.

• Memory Lane: Write about a memory from your childhood, using the texture of the ground (such as indoor flooring, an outdoor lane, a sidewalk, etc.) to begin your story.

• A Creative Backdoor: Write the absolutely most boring story you can think of—a dry-your-eyeballs-with-boredom story. No excitement will do. The worse it is, the better.

• Create Your Own Challenge: Create a one-week writing challenge, and either post it on Facebook to keep yourself accountable or propose it to your local writer’s group. Then follow it faithfully!

The Lord did not create you empty. He did not set you here on earth without purpose. He did not withhold creative gifts from you. He has given you gifts, and He has given you faith.

Pray for your writing. Let every aspect of your creative process reflect your desire for the Lord’s will to be done, and let your faith overcome any fear, reservation, or doubt. Put your heart into your writing. Let nothing stop you. Share your writing with those whom you love, and pass along creativity wherever you find opportunity.

This is joy. This is creativity. This is love.

I don’t think the blank page stands a chance to prevail against these odds.

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Katie Martin is a professional writer, editor, and and designer who lives in East Alabama. She earned her Master of Technical and Professional Communication degree from Auburn, and currently works in higher education. She's always working on a variety of creative projects (including her latest favoritse--microfiction, poetry, and short stories). You can find her latest creative updates at www.katiemartinbooks.com.