Beating the Blank Page

The Blank Page Problem

You sit down to write. You stare at the cursor. You type a sentence. You delete it. You check email. You try again. You give up.

Sound familiar?

The blank page is intimidating because it has infinite possibilities. That freedom is paralyzing. Every writer, from beginners to professionals, faces this.

AI ends the blank page problem. You don’t have to generate those first words from nothing anymore.

Why First Drafts Are Hard

Your brain does two conflicting things when writing:

Creating: Generating ideas, finding words, making connections. Judging: Evaluating quality, questioning choices, editing as you go.

When both run simultaneously, they fight each other. You write a sentence, immediately judge it, delete it, try again. Progress stalls.

The solution: Separate creating and judging. First drafts are for creating. Editing comes later.

AI helps because it generates without judging. You get raw material fast. Then YOU judge and shape it.

Getting Words on the Page

The minimum viable prompt:

AI: "Write a first draft about [topic].

Context: [Who's this for? What's the purpose?]
Main points I want to cover:
- [Point 1]
- [Point 2]
- [Point 3]

Length: [Approximate]
Tone: [Formal/casual/professional]"

Example:

AI: "Write a first draft about our new project timeline.

Context: Email to my team about updated deadlines.
Main points:
- Phase 1 moves from March to April
- We need to reallocate some resources
- This doesn't change the final delivery date

Length: 3-4 paragraphs
Tone: Professional but not stiff"

Result: In 30 seconds, you have words to work with. Maybe they’re not perfect—that’s fine. They’re something.

Idea Generation When You’re Stuck

Sometimes you don’t know your main points yet. AI helps with brainstorming.

Brainstorming prompt:

AI: "I need to write about [topic] for [audience].

Help me brainstorm:
1. What angles could I take?
2. What questions might my audience have?
3. What points are most important?
4. What examples could I use?"

For blog posts or articles:

AI: "I want to write a post about [topic].

Generate 10 potential angles or hooks I could take.
Consider: what's surprising, what's useful, what's contrarian?"

Pick the angle that excites you, then draft with that focus.

The “Explain It to AI” Method

Sometimes the best way to start is to talk.

Method: Instead of asking AI to write, explain to AI what you want to say. Then ask it to organize your thoughts.

AI: "I'm going to explain something. After I'm done,
organize my thoughts into a clear structure.

[Just talk through your ideas casually—don't worry about organization]

OK, now turn that into a structured draft for [audience/purpose]."

Why it works: Talking is easier than writing. You already know your ideas—the hard part is organizing them. AI does the organizing.

Quick check: Before moving on, can you recall the key concept we just covered? Try to explain it in your own words before continuing.

Multiple Drafts, Different Angles

Don’t commit to the first attempt.

AI: "Give me 3 different ways to open this email.

Context: [What the email is about]
Audience: [Who's receiving it]

Option 1: Start with the key point directly
Option 2: Start with context/background
Option 3: Start with why this matters to them"

Compare options. Pick elements from each. Combine.

This takes 60 seconds and gives you choices you wouldn’t have thought of.

The Speed Draft Challenge

Try this exercise:

1. Pick something you need to write (email, message, short document)
2. Write your key points as bullet points (30 seconds)
3. Give those bullets to AI with context (30 seconds)
4. Get the draft (instant)
5. Review and edit (2-3 minutes)

Total time: Under 5 minutes for something that might have taken 20.

The goal isn’t to publish AI output directly. The goal is to have something to work with immediately.

When to Ignore AI’s Draft

AI gives you a starting point, not a finish line.

Use AI’s draft when:

• The structure makes sense
• The tone fits your purpose
• You can see your ideas reflected

Ignore AI’s draft when:

• It missed your main point
• The angle isn’t what you wanted
• It sounds nothing like you

Both are progress. Knowing what you don’t want is also valuable.

Building the Habit

Before AI: “I need to write this email. I’ll do it later when I have time to think.” [Never gets done]

With AI: “I need to write this email. Let me get a draft in 60 seconds and refine it.” [Done in 5 minutes]

The shift: Writing becomes something you can do now, not something you need to schedule time for.

Exercise: Beat Your Blank Page

Pick something you’ve been putting off writing.

1. Write 3-5 bullet points about what you want to say
2. Give those to AI with context about audience and purpose
3. Get a draft in 30 seconds
4. Spend 3 minutes making it sound like you

Notice how much faster this is than starting from scratch.

Key Takeaways

• The blank page is hard because creating and judging fight each other
• AI separates these: it creates, you judge and refine
• Give AI your key points and context; shape its output into your piece
• When stuck on ideas, use AI for brainstorming angles and questions
• The “explain it to AI” method turns talking into structured writing
• Generate multiple options quickly; pick and combine the best elements
• Writing becomes “do it now” instead of “do it later”

Next: Organizing your writing so readers follow and remember.

Up next: In the next lesson, we’ll dive into Structure That Works.