The vile blank page. This specific blog post was blank for weeks before I got started. The intimidation is real, and it applies to novices and more seasoned writers as well. Nowadays, it's more typically the blank screen, but the same rules apply (with a few unique caveats I'll mention in a moment). There are three main ways to get started here. Choose a topic and begin reading When I was an instructor, I was amazed at the number of students who would pull a topic out of their heads and expect to begin writing at that moment. They assume that's what all writers do, and, more tragically, that's what our public school system teaches them. Let's all be honest--if there's nothing in your head on a topic, don't write yet because you have nothing of interest to say. I was writing for a law firm once, and I had no knowledge of their industry. Before I could have an intelligent conversation with the client, I read. I read their site, their competi