Don't Think Too Much: On Overcoming the Blank Page

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”

― Ernest Hemingway

As hard as it may seem, using templates to write something is harder for me to write than writing on a blank page. Nevertheless, I too have experienced blank page fright and that is why today I want to try this experiment of writing on a template about writing on a blank page. Ironic, yes?

Introduction

I’m a Biomedical Engineer currently pursuing my Masters in A.I. Aside from technology, I also like writing about Sports, Finance, and Art. Additionally writing a blended combination of one or more of such topics--like Sports with Tech--is always interesting. I also occasionally write stories. So yes, I do a fair amount of writing.

How did you start writing?

I was a big reader when I was young and reading encouraged me to exercise my imagination. That is how I started my writing career. I wanted to write stories just like the writers of my books. In the same way, I tried to emulate their style. My writing and writing style evolved as I grew older but it all had its root in my books and my imagination.

When was the first time you noticed a reasonable improvement in your writing?

The first time I noticed an improvement in my writing was when I first got published on an online sports website called 90Minutes. This proved to be a significant milestone in my writing career as it gave me the confidence to write more and I did go on to write quite a few articles for the website. The growing confidence and readership helped me in improving my writing because it encouraged me to do more research for my articles and provide more accurate information for my readers.

What writing tips do you have to share?

The thing that really helped me with my writing--especially at the beginning-- was that since I loved sports, writing about it was just an extension of the same activity. That’s why I didn’t really mind if a particular topic required more of my time than others. Basically, the idea is that if you write about something you like, you’ll find that it’s not only easier but also that you’ll improve more naturally.

Another important thing that I’ve learnt is that whenever I want to write about something that’s not my area of expertise (maybe it’s more of a hobby) then I look at the idea of the topic from a 10,000 feet view. Basically what I mean is that instead of going into the details and looking at the smaller picture, I try to distance myself and see what the big picture looks like, and how that particular idea or topic connects to other topics. If your main idea connects to some ideas that haven’t been explored as much, even better.

What are some writing tips that you think people should ignore?

This is an interesting one. In our commercial world, we value quantity over quality. This is true of writing as well. The need to write as many stories or articles as possible supersedes the need to write unique or interesting ones. For my part, I find it challenging to keep writing articles just to increase the number when I know that I’m not really offering anything unique or interesting. That’s why whenever I write about something, I try to offer something new. Now I know that there are many people better than me who are able to write quality material at a fast pace, so obviously this doesn’t apply to them. But if you are contemplating sacrificing quality over quantity, my advice would be not to do that.

Conclusion

In conclusion, writing is great. Whether you are a hobbyist or a professional, writing is a great way to express yourself. So don’t let the fact that you’re good enough right now stop you from writing in the future and you can only do that if you keep writing. So Happy Writing!