The Blank Page Plunge

Writers’ Block is a terrible thing.

Or so they tell me.

Personally I’ve only actually had it once or twice (and only mildly). But there is something about a blank page (whether real paper or computer-generated), that is always at least a tiny bit intimidating. It sits there, all white and smooth and silent, and just sort of…stares at you. Hard. And at least for a moment you have to stare back and wonder if you can actually write something on it that’s worth reading. As an author friend of mine recently observed, “Beginnings are a lot of fun and very exciting…But they’re also pretty challenging sometimes.”

Which probably explains why it’s taken me four or five tries to get that first paragraph the way I wanted it!

Blogging is a whole new adventure for me. Although I’ve periodically read some other people’s blogs over the years, even that wasn’t a regular thing. And my own writing has been geared exclusively toward the book/magazine venue. So this is definitely a plunge into the unknown. And, I must admit, I’m not what most people would call the “plunging” type. Remember that kid sitting on the edge of the pool, shivering as she gradually put her toes into the water about three quarters of an inch at a time?

Yep. That was me.

Thankfully, I’ve managed to get over that when it comes to water (pretty recently, I’ll admit), and I guess now is the time to get over it when it comes to blogging! You can’t very well do this by gradual stages. You know, half a sentence one week, and then next time maybe a whole paragraph.

It just doesn’t work that way.

So this is it. The blogging blank page plunge. Hope the water is nice….

“Cannon ball!!!!!!”