The blank page syndrome – something about nothing
You’re sitting on your comfy chair and your notebook is on with the word processor open. But, there is this little problem – your mind is as blank as the page on the word processor (and that’s as blank as it can get).
This scenario might ring a few bells to anyone who writes… well… anything! A blog post, reply to an email, a reply to a post, a post on a forum, a letter- anything at all.
Anyone who writes anything worth their time has probably found themselves in this situation one time or the other.
It feels like your mind is rebelling against your wish to write something that others would think is worth a read. Stare at the word processor long enough and you’ll start to believe that the blank page is mocking you. And again- your mind is still blank. It has got nothing going on. Nothing. Nada!
Now, you start to hate the word ‘nothing’ and its other variations and- well, yourself, for not being able to come up with anything and that’s the point where you give up- frustrated.
Stop right there. No… not exactly there. But a couple minutes behind, perhaps? Imagine a time machine with a rewind button, if you will. (That ‘rewind’ part was an oxymoron. I digress.)
You find yourself back in time! Well. That would be overstating it because it’s not like you’ve gone way into the past. It’s only a couple of minutes at the most.
Concentrate! The ball is not in your court.
You seek inspiration now. You open up your iTunes (or any other media player- anything that inspires you for that matter) and set your library to play- on shuffle. Somewhere in the deep vast emptiness of your mind, a light bulb starts to flicker. You go back to the word processor. Where you blankness you now only see possibilities. The mocking of the blank page seems half-hearted and fearful.
Sensing an opening- you attack!
En garde! You catch the word processor off guard, typing whatever comes to your mind.
Ah! Glory to the randomness.
You don’t give a second glance. It may tip the scales against you. No, you can’t risk that. No. You go all out. You type and type and type. And then you type some more- eyes closed.
Now, you look back (not to be confused with going back in time) and read. After a smidge of editing- Voila! You are done.
Pat yourself on the back.
You just posted something totally random (and possibly nonsensical- Welcome to the club).
*****
By Niranjan Sathyamurthy
*****
My mind went blank for some time. I could not think of writing anything. I didn’t have any idea which key to press on my laptop for my next blog post. So, I called my eldest son Niranjan Sathyamurthy on phone. Told him my blog’s trillion visitors a day are very disappointed that there is no new post from me – especially after seeing a T20 of blog posts from me during the IPL in South Africa.
I told him that I was still thinking about my next blog post and in the mean time could he please help by quickly writing something to be posted here? So that, my trillion fans see at least a low budget movie before the Super Star returns to the computer screen?
He obliged with an article on the very blank page that I have been staring at for the past few days. Having read that Niranjan has written something about nothing I have come to the conclusion that he is capable of writing anything. Watch out for him.
I am convinced that I have a crouching (paper) tiger and hidden (pen) dragon at home.
To read Niranjan’s English short story Click here
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Well done Niranjan. I have also had this experience in the past (several times). I close the blank screen – take a stroll and come back to start something new..
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