I have met several people over the years who when faced with an empty white page, feel utterly defeated before they have even tried to write a word. Given a theme for an essay at school or a mathematical problem to work out they fill up the paper with little trouble, but they do not know what to write when it comes to their ‘book’.
They are not alone. Writers the world over have hit walls when even they, brilliant though they have been, are tired or stressed or lost for ideas. It comes down to motivation, as much as intellect. Words pander to the literate and literate people can write reams and reams of nonsense – just look at the vast amounts of poor journalism in the world and the artifice of the marketing manager’s ‘genre’ specific writing.
Writers write for many different reasons foremost amongst which are the desire to share their minds. In order to do that you have to have some confidence that what you have to say is of interest to be read. It may come as a pleasant surprise when it is, but when you start you want to express something about the world. I would like to say it is never about the money but that is not true, it is often about making money usually to pay creditors.
But the writer is not daunted by the empty page, but by the million and one things that cry out to be upon it and how to choose the one they should express.