Beyond the Blank Page

Many of us are terrified at the concept of the blank page. I mean, there it is, staring up at us and we do not even know where to begin. This happens in both creative and business writing, but it does not have to. In my younger days, I thought writing was all about inspiration and, to some extent, inspiration is important. However, it is much like the Thomas Edison quote about genius

"Genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration."

How do you break a sweat with writing, you may ask? You "banish the internal critic" as my writing teacher used to say and go for it. It could be a steaming pile of trash on the page but it will take you one step closer to your goal. Disciplined writers aren't born, they're made. I didn't believe it myself until I was forced to discipline myself for a job I was doing. It wasn't earth shattering content I was being asked to write - it was limited to a set number of characters and I had to research for the information. The hardest part of the job was to have the discipline to sit there, do the research and write the copy. After a few months, I was no longer afraid of a blank page. Words flowed every time I sat down and my life was changed, in a good way, forever.

Now, my biggest problem is finding time to write. However, once I sit down I can write and fine-tune an article in about an hour or two. Just think of what an article a month could do for your business or your personal career? With all of the venues out there for publishing, you could become an expert in whatever area you desire.

Think about it. Until next time,

Victoria

P.S. I am also the Office Coach on ModernSage.com. Stop by and check out some pointers for making it in the corporate world:

Getting Ahead at Work Part I 5 ways to sabotage your performance in a corporate environment.
Getting Ahead at Work Part II 5 ways to prove your worth and get ahead in a corporate environment.