No ideas.

No clever opening.

No topic demanding to be explored.

Just you and a blank page staring at each other.

The good news is that you don't actually need an idea before you start.

You can write your way into an idea.

Start With Exactly What Is Happening

If you have nothing to write, write that.

It might seem pointless, but it removes the hardest part: beginning.

I have nothing to write about. I've been sitting here trying to think of something, but nothing is coming to me.

Then continue.

Why do you think nothing is coming?

What were you thinking about five minutes ago?

What are you avoiding?

What would you rather be doing?

One sentence gives you somewhere to go next.

Write About What Is in Front of You

You don't need a profound subject.

Describe your surroundings.

What can you see?

What can you hear?

What is happening around you?

You might write about:

Ordinary things can become interesting once you start paying attention to them.

Write About What Is Annoying You

Annoyance is surprisingly good writing fuel.

Something is probably bothering you.

A person.

A habit.

A rule.

A problem.

Something everyone seems to accept that you think is ridiculous.

Start there.

One thing that has been annoying me lately is...

Then explain why.

You may discover there's an article hiding inside the complaint.

Write About Something You Don't Understand

You don't have to know the answer before you write.

Questions can be better starting points than answers.

Ask yourself:

You can use writing to investigate the question.

You don't have to reach a conclusion.

Write About Something You Changed Your Mind About

Think of something you once believed strongly but no longer believe.

What changed?

Did someone convince you?

Did experience prove you wrong?

Did you gradually realise your old position didn't make sense?

This gives you a natural story:

That's already the beginnings of a piece of writing.

Write About Something You Learned the Hard Way

You probably know things now that you wish you'd understood earlier.

Write one down.

Something I had to learn the hard way was...

Then tell the story.

What happened?

What did you get wrong?

What did it cost you?

What do you understand now?

Your lessons can become useful material for someone who hasn't learned them yet.

Write a List

If full sentences feel difficult, forget full sentences.

Make a list.

Try:

Don't judge the ideas as you make the list.

Get them out first.

Then choose the one that creates even a little bit of interest.

Finish a Sentence

Sometimes all you need is a starting line.

Try completing one of these:

Pick one and keep writing for five minutes.

You don't need to know where it will lead.

Write a Bad Idea on Purpose

Sometimes you're not out of ideas.

You're rejecting them too quickly.

An idea appears.

You immediately decide it's boring, obvious, silly, or not good enough.

Then you tell yourself you have nothing to write.

Try lowering the standard.

Come up with the worst topic you can think of.

Write about something completely trivial.

Explain why socks disappear in the washing machine.

Argue that Tuesdays are the worst day of the week.

Write a passionate defence of toast.

Once the pressure disappears, ideas often start appearing again.

Use a Memory

You already have a huge collection of writing material.

Your life.

Think back.

Write about:

You don't need to turn it into a polished story.

Just start remembering on the page.

Ask Yourself What You Really Want to Say

If you keep circling around ideas but can't find a direction, try this sentence:

What I really want to say is...

Then finish it.

Don't make the answer impressive.

Make it true.

You may discover that the thing you actually want to write about has been sitting underneath everything else.

Try a 10-Minute Nothing-to-Write Exercise

Step 1: Set a Timer

Give yourself 10 minutes.

Step 2: Begin With This Sentence

I have nothing to write about, but...

Step 3: Keep Going

Write whatever appears next.

If your mind changes direction, follow it.

If you get stuck again, write about being stuck.

Step 4: Don't Edit

Don't stop to improve anything.

You're looking for material, not perfection.

Step 5: Read It Back

When the timer finishes, look for one sentence, question, memory, observation, or idea that could be explored further.

That's your next starting point.

You Rarely Have Nothing to Write

You may have nothing polished to say.

You may have nothing important to say.

You may not know what you think yet.

But your mind is rarely completely empty.

Something is happening.

Something is bothering you.

Something interests you.

Something happened yesterday.

Something doesn't make sense.

Something made you laugh.

You don't always need to find something to write about.

Sometimes you just need to start writing and let the subject find you.