This morning I opened a new page on my blog. It was white and grey– without any words or photos. For a short moment, that blank page was intimidating, as though it were challenging me to fill it. But I did what I do anytime– I start typing.

There are days when thoughts and stories swirl in my mind and don’t make it to the page. They continue to swirl, and invite me over and over to consider them, to write them down. The best antidote is to get the pen and paper, or put fingers to the keyboard and start typing.

First,  write any words and phrases that come to you. Free writing that puts no limits on you, no conditions.  No saying, “You think you can write?” Push that little critic off your left shoulder, or wherever it sits, and say, “Don’t bug me. I’m  going to write.”

Start with words of some sort and watch the momentum build. Just words and phrases. Thoughts that are running around in your head, begging to be heard.

You are not alone. Every other person who writes begins with a blank page; they get to fill it with words. Hemingway, Wordsworth, Margaret Mead, they all  started with a blank page  and filled it with words, thoughts, ideas, creativity.Scientists, world leaders, artists– they all began with a blank page and filled it with their stories, results of experiments, their reasoning.

For you, what will it be? A poem, a short story, an article, perhaps a letter to the editor on something that concerns you? Will it be the beginning of a book, one page at a time? Will it be a story of your experience written in a way that can help someone else?  Or a story for your children or grandchildren?

And if  you don’t sit  down first thing to write because you have to get to work or take care of children, take a notebook along so you can jot down ideas that come to you. That way you won’t forget them. And then you can write later and the ideas are waiting for you.

This is the beginning of my words for today. What will you write?