I Don’t Know What to Write

A blank page doesn’t mean you have nothing to say. Usually, you need a way to get your thinking moving.

1. What Kind of Stuck Are You?

• I don’t have an idea yet.
• I have an idea, but I don’t know how to start.
• I started, but I don’t know what comes next.
• I have too many ideas.
• I know what I mean, but I can’t get it into words.

2. Choose Your Next Move

I need an idea.

Make a quick list. What do you know, notice, remember, wonder, believe, or care about? Don’t judge the ideas yet. Give yourself choices first.

I don’t know how to start.

Say what you want to write out loud as if you were explaining it to someone. Write down the first useful sentence you hear. You can improve it later.

I don’t know what comes next.

Ask: What would my reader need to know next? Add a detail, example, reason, explanation, event, or piece of evidence that helps the reader follow your thinking.

I have too many ideas.

Choose the idea that best fits your purpose. Save the others. A strong piece of writing doesn’t have to include everything you know.

I can’t find the words.

Use ordinary words first. Get the meaning onto the page. Better wording can come during revision.

3. Try It

Imagine you need to write about a time you learned something the hard way.

1. List three possible moments.
2. Circle the one you remember most clearly.
3. Write one sentence telling what happened.
4. Add one detail that helps someone picture or understand the moment.

You’re writing now. The blank page is gone.

💡 Funky Tip

Your first sentence does not have to be brilliant. It has to exist. Writing gives you something you can improve.

Still Stuck?

Ask for help without giving away the writing:

“I’m trying to write about ________. I have ________, but I’m stuck on ________. Can you help me think about my next move?”

I am smart.

Being smart doesn’t mean words always appear instantly. Writers generate, choose, try, revise, and keep going.

🎒 Take It With You

Don’t wait for the perfect idea or perfect sentence. Get something onto the page, then make it better.