Clifford Fryman

We’ve all been there before—ready to write we sit down at the computer, open up a new document and then it happens. We sit staring at a blank page.  I’m sure any of you who have experienced it will agree that it is one of the worst things that can happen to a writer when we have the need to write.

All it may take to get past it is a little inspiration, some little something to spark that creativity that needs to be released. It could be a word, a phrase, a sentence, or just about anything. The smallest of pushes could lead to a quick write to alleviate writer’s block, give you that idea for your next short story, or even provide you with the foundation for your next #1 New York Times Bestselling novel.

I’ve created the #storystarters hashtag to provide that nudge we all sometimes need. I know, you’re probably thinking there are plenty of sites on the internet geared for that very thing. You’re right; there are tons of fantastic sites for writing prompts and kick-starting your creativity. Since joining Twitter, though, I have been amazed at the amount of support there is for us writers from our fellow writers: @JohannaHarness’ #amwriting, @WritingSpirit’s #WriteChat, and @jmstro’s (J. M. Strother) #FridayFlash to list just a few. I wanted to do something to give back to everyone for what those writers listed above and numerous others have given and the #storystarters hashtag is what I came up with.

What exactly do I envision #storystarters as and how does it work? It is a place on twitter where we writers can go to find and share creative sparks that may help us or fellow writers when faced with the dreaded blank page. I myself will try to add a few items each day and hopefully my fellow writers will join in and add items themselves. It could be something as simple as a word, something you heard someone say, an opening line, or a headline from a news story. Anything that may help to spark an idea to write about is fair game to be posted.

Although I doubt there is a need to from what I’ve seen of writers on Twitter so far, I’m going to issue you all a challenge. Rise to the occasion and support the #storystarters hashtag on Twitter to help your fellow writers beat their bouts with blank page syndrome. And if you happen to find yourself suffering from a case of it, you know where you can find the cure. Together we can eliminate the blank page!

#storystarters…writers inspiring writers!