The Right to Write

Sometimes I get bored and feel like writing. The problem with writing, though, is that every time I start, I lose any idea of what I wanted to write about. Then, I ask why anyone would even want to read it to begin with. Then I stop. That’s the pattern; the cycle. As to why this happens, I think I’ve figured it out. A blank page is the most intimidating thing in the world. Why? Well, there are innumerable options to choose from, and you are given the opportunity to become like God. At your fingertips are 26 letters that can create a million words. 1,025,109 to be exact, but that’s only the english language. Those words can then be combined to make an infinite number of sentences portraying an infinite number of ideas. But as of right now, all you have is a blank page. The shame of it is that no one really writes for pleasure anymore. Young people, I mean. I wouldn’t know what the old people do. Everyone who writes nowadays has expectations to meet, rubrics to follow, explicit directions that, if not followed, result in immediate and swift punishment. So, when a generation that only knows rules and rubrics sees a blank page, they panic. Rather than use words to make whatever world they can imagine, they search for directions, for answers to questions that aren’t even being asked. How are they supposed to know what to write? No one has given them any direction, any subject, any vague idea of a plot. So, when given the undeniable right to write whatever they want, a generation has chosen to walk away.

We forget that sometimes. We forget that it is a right; something others have and are still fighting for. Men, women and children have died so that we, the seemingly ordinary ones, have the opportunity to make something extraordinary. And yet, we have taken advantage of our rights. We don’t write because we want to anymore. We write because we have to, which kills all the joy in it. It isn’t entirely dead though. The joy can be found. But to do that, we have to change our perspective. When we see a blank page, we must remember that it is anything but empty. There are, in that blank page, more wonderful and extravagant things than one could jot down in several lifetimes. But we can certainly try. And that’s all you need to do, is try.

So with that, I give you the key. You can’t hold it, and you can’t see it. In fact, you can’t even prove it exists. However, this key is very important. It is the key to the treasure trove of creativity locked away inside your brain. Unlock it. Show what you can do, what you can make, amazing things only you can imagine. There is truly no limit to what is possible inside your head. Good luck.

Author's Note

go easy on me, I'm new.