Fear Of A Blank Page

Introduction

I don't know whether I am scared of a blank page, it sort of screams the great unfinishedness, a place full of nothing. It is the artist's blank canvas, the musician's empty stave. It's probably just the way you look at it.

I have written many pieces on writing, and this is yet another. It's not about how I write, or what I write, but just about the feelings I get when I write.

The music I have chosen is Nick Lowe's "So It Goes" because when I write, so it goes. It's also the best Thin Lizzy song that they never wrote or played, in my opinion.

So How Does It Go?

One of the things that I do is set up an empty document with a title and then think that will inspire me to write something, but the longer it stays empty the more it becomes like a piece of homework that you don't want to do, although the reality is that you set down that idea and do want to complete it.

The answer is always, to start writing. That first word will be followed by a second and a third and before long a story will grow and come to fruition. I have a series of playlists that I am putting together one of these is waiting to be started but there was another in which I posited the question "Could certain pop and rock songs be folk songs?" I wasn't sure about it, but then a song came to mind and then others followed it. The article caused a lot of interesting discussion in a certain group and is already in my top twelve most-read stories, but it was the discussions in the Facebook Group that really pleased me.

Unfortunately, two people took offence with some huge posts against me, and while others defended me and my position and called out the people who had taken offence, I don't need that in my life so took my leave. The group is excellent but those two made me feel toxic.

This was the story, that many of you have read:

This is the thing about writing, which is an art form.

The point of art is to cause a reaction.

Sometimes that reaction may not be what you want or expect, but it means that it has worked. The worst feeling is when no one reads or comments on your work, when there is zero reaction.

For me, writing provides a release.

When I finish and publish a story, I feel proud and happy, and when people comment on it then I know it has worked and I start to feel even better about it.

I do have stories that have very few reads, and that does make me a little sad. This one has seven hearts and three reads, though it is not my least read my any means.

A lot of my posts are about music and given my age and location that might not interest all of my audience.

Although I can't break down my audience in any way, I see that generally, the age spread of creators is mostly between 25 and 44 and 65% are women, so I am outside both of those demographics, although it shows that women are more likely to be creators than men.

Conclusion

I love writing and being able to publish on Vocal, and I love the comments and reactions that I get. Whether it is a good or bad thing in your opinion, that makes me want to write more, and this is just one example of the more that I am writing.

Thank you so much for reading