Thursday, August 11, 2005
The Law of Blank Pages, and a Corollary Thereof
The Law of Blank Pages (familiar to any writer):
A writer, when faced with one or more blank pages (or alternately a blank computer screen) will at best feel a sense of vague unease at destroying the blankness, and at worst will succumb to complete paralysis comparable to writer's block.
Corollary to The Law of Blank Pages:
A writer will always come up with his or her best words, phrases, characters, and events, and plots when no blank page or other suitable writing material is available. Similarly, a writer whose muse has been completely paralyzed for the entire time that the writer was sitting in front of blank pages will, as soon as said blank pages are no longer available, suddenly have a breakthrough leading to one or more *brilliant* ideas. Which, of course, cannot be written down.
Yeah. I was just thinking about how every time I close a file, I always think of what I want to happen next, down to the exact words--but if I try to open the file up again to write it down, I usually lose my train of thought before I get there. The Law of Blank Pages strikes again! ΒΆ 9:04 PM
A writer, when faced with one or more blank pages (or alternately a blank computer screen) will at best feel a sense of vague unease at destroying the blankness, and at worst will succumb to complete paralysis comparable to writer's block.
Corollary to The Law of Blank Pages:
A writer will always come up with his or her best words, phrases, characters, and events, and plots when no blank page or other suitable writing material is available. Similarly, a writer whose muse has been completely paralyzed for the entire time that the writer was sitting in front of blank pages will, as soon as said blank pages are no longer available, suddenly have a breakthrough leading to one or more *brilliant* ideas. Which, of course, cannot be written down.
Yeah. I was just thinking about how every time I close a file, I always think of what I want to happen next, down to the exact words--but if I try to open the file up again to write it down, I usually lose my train of thought before I get there. The Law of Blank Pages strikes again! ΒΆ 9:04 PM
