The thrill of a blank page

Admit it. That title surprised you, even just a little. After all, as the much lauded rumour goes – writers hate blank pages. We are supposed to sit, tearing our hair out as we attempt to put down words of meaning – and in the right order – and slowly fill the page. A blank page is supposed to be the stuff of nightmares, able to strike the fear of God into the most assured writer among us.

Well, I have news. I love a blank page, and I am sure I am not alone in this.

The thrill of a blank page. Credit Samantha Mattocks

There is something so inviting about this open space, just waiting to be filled with dreams and adventures. The page is ready to be caressed with words that will take you far away from the here and now, carrying you across oceans and desert sands, forgetting about the day-to-day humdrum of life.

Magical, isn’t it? How words can transport. When I open a book, I feel as though time suspends itself and the pages transport me to Whitby with witches, on horseback in Lexington, or hiding in a maze during World War II in Italy. And a blank page can evoke that same feeling within me.

What words will come from my fingers as I write? Which letters will my fingertips scurry to find on my keyboard, as they desperately try to keep up with the speed of my brain as it breathes life into ideas and dreams, fiction and fact, and – truly – creates something out of nothing.

New worlds waiting to be explored on paper… Photo by Francesco Ungaro on Unsplash

With my company, The Arabian Magazine, I have written 130 editorials since 2005, plus 8 for another publication. I never know what I am going to write when I open up the blank document on my screen. But words come tumbling out, often evoking deep emotion in those that read them. I never have a plan, sometimes I have the odd idea, but it just happens. Like magic, 500/600 words fly out in 10 minutes, and then the piece is sent for proofing.

Does this mean I am a pantser – someone who just writes with no plan? Maybe. But I do know one thing – it means I am not afraid of white space. A blank page. For me, it is full of possibilities, with the only question being in which direction will I choose to go?

In the same vein, I relish silence. So many people are afraid of silence, but I find it incredibly powerful. I can be out with one of my best friends, having the most amazing time, yet we are not saying a word to each other. Rather, we are living in that moment, observing what is going on around us in nature, and enjoying the experience together.

I find silence an incredibly powerful tool when interviewing people – maybe I’ll write more on that another time. Because suddenly, I’ve reached the end of this post of around 500 words, and this blank page is now full. And I just know that the next page is also just waiting to be filled with creative adventures and dreams.

I cannot wait.

Samantha x