Write What You Want
How do you write when you don’t think you have anything to say?
It’s a common question, and one that tends to paralyze writers at times. You’re sitting in front of a blank page and nothing is coming out. You want to write something profound, something that changes the world, but the perfect idea just isn’t coming.
I believe that if you sit down to write looking for something to say, you might be writing for the wrong reasons. You don’t have to change the world every time you put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard).
I’m not saying you can’t write profoundly or try for world-changing depth. What I’m saying is, if that’s your sole goal in writing, you may struggle to say anything.
The way I prefer to frame the question is: What do I want to say? Or, put more simply, What do I want to write about?
I usually don’t want to write heavy stuff. I want to write brutal horror stories that freak people out and make them question my sanity. If I went looking for something to say, I probably wouldn’t end up writing what I want to write.
Sometimes the pressure to say something is goal driven. There’s an array of writing awards that many authors make it a goal to win. And if that’s your goal, that’s fine.
Personally, I don’t care about winning awards. Ultimately, they’re just something to be forgotten as time goes on.
It’s easy to find the freedom to write what you want when you remember that eventually, it will be forgotten. (As much as I’d love to think I’ll be the next Mark Twain, the odds are stacked against me). Writing should be fun.
So instead of trying to write something, find something you want to write about, and enjoy the freedom it brings.