Like marathon runners poised at the starting block, every writer starts at the same place as every other writer: the blank page.
You ask “So what? Who cares about a blank page?
Ah, but the value of the blank page isn’t in its appearance, the value lies in the opportunity that it offers.
How can a blank page offer value? It’s blank. Worthless.
Worthless you say? I disagree.
In the world of expensive gadgets that do everything for you, I think the blank page is priceless.
No batteries required. No cords. No power packs. No boundaries.
The blank page offers unencumbered freedom, a priceless commodity.
Freedom to do what?
Freedom to do whatever you can imagine. Fold the blank page into an airplane and sail it across the room or break out the crayons and markers to color your world, or write a poem or story.
And where does that get me?
…To an exciting, magical place that ignites the imagination and engages our creativity!
Walt Disney understood the magic. His mouse started from a simple sketch. Now, young or old, almost everyone in the world has a soft spot in their heart for Mickey and his friend, Minnie.
In the world of adventure/fantasy, all heroes and heroine have one thing in common: they all began in someone’s imagination before their images were transferred to the blank page. Before Superman appeared in books and movies, he was just an idea. Many are surprised to learn that high school students Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster collaborated to invent the infamous superhero.
Today’s superheroes are equipped with super powers, but the most powerful punch they pack is the power to keep us dreaming and believe that anything is possible. Where will the next one come from? Somewhere, someone, somehow will find the courage to utilize their blank page. Therefore, I guess you could say blank is bliss.
Sometimes I wonder what caused the fascination of dragons to surface. Did the Year of the Dragon spark the current generation of firedrakes? Some say the economic recession influenced people to find solace in fantasy/adventure and superheroes. If so, I suppose writers of fantasy/adventure are escape artists. Like magicians, writers are looking for a way to carry their readers beyond the realm of the daily grind into the world of superheroes where anything is possible.