Empty Pages

Empty Pages

Blank notepad on someone's lap, person is holding a writing instrument.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

What is Empty Pages?

Quite simply, it is my personal podcast designed to pull back the curtain to give a fly-on-the-wall view of what goes into writing, starting with the initial idea, going to first draft, and beyond. I have been interested in becoming a writer for several years. As such, I have read a bajillion articles, watched hundreds of YouTube videos, and listened to more hours of podcasts than I can count. Every one of these had nuggets of wisdom, bits and pieces of useful information, but none of them actually explained what you were likely to encounter (aside from writer’s block, of course).

A lot of writers tend to start out as avid readers. Much like musicians who listen to their favorite artists and get inspired to make music of their own, avid readers often times get inspired to write stories of our own. Countless comments under articles and videos have a consistent theme to them: “I want to write, but I don’t know how.”

Every article, video and podcast episode that I encountered would often tell you things like “how to craft the perfect opening line”, “how to craft believable dialogue”, “how to submit your work to an agent”, etc. Not one of them ever covered the time frame between getting an idea and getting to at least the first draft. There’s plenty of how-to’s for creating characters, creating an outline, tropes to avoid, but none of them have given a day to day expectation for getting your idea down on paper (or computer screen). This is, for the most part, understandable. What struggles I experience with getting a story out might not be the same as the struggles you experience, and vice versa, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t common ground. Most of us struggle with finding time to write in between jobs, bills, taking care of pets and family and livestock. If you happen to have a family member that’s suffering from ill health, or if you’re struggling with health issues, that can make it even more difficult.

This is where Empty Pages comes in. I’m not going to tell you what to write or how to write. I’m not going to tell you how to craft that perfect first sentence that hooks the reader and keeps them reading. There are plenty of resources that can help with that. All you need to do is Google it. No, dear reader, Empty Pages will do none of these things (though I will certainly do episodes that will cover this stuff if desired). Instead, Empty Pages aims to be the podcast that lets you see what we aren’t usually shown: what it’s like to write day to day, empty page to full page.

So come along with me on this journey. Let me be the light that guides your way. Together, we will work together to get our stories out of our head and onto the page. Whether your desire is to simply write for yourself or to see it published, I want to help you get there. And along the way, I will certainly share any tips, tricks, and information that I gather so that you too can become a writer.

Stay classy, and write those pages! – Ian

© Copyright 2021 Ian MacTire, All Rights Reserved, except where otherwise noted.

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