The Curse of the Blinking Cursor
Every morning there is another page with a blinking cursor, staring me down like a predator. I’ve discovered that If I stare back, I will always — always — lose that game. The blinking cursor has hypnotic power that leads the onlooker into a deep sleep, from which you might never wake up.
Or at least won’t wake up until it’s too late to write something for today.
And I have to write something today. It’s my rule.
So here’s the way to defeat the curse of the cursor.
Make the blinking stop.
Write something. Write anything.
It doesn’t even have to be great. Or even good.
Writing software is also called “word processing” software. You can edit later — and it’s not that difficult.
Words make the blinking stop. Words break the hypnotic spell. Words turn you into the predator.
I defeat the cursor every day with a variety of techniques.
Try jotting down random thoughts and ideas in a couple of different places throughout the day. They are not complete thoughts. They’re often mere breadcrumbs. But it’s all you need in the morning when the blank screen looms large in front of you.
If the blinking cursor seems particularly ominous, I look away and grab a book. I start to read.
Most days I write down one sentence and use that as a starter culture for the next day.
Whatever you do, the bottom line is this:
The blinking cursor will turn you to stone if you stare into its Medusa gaze for long.
Don’t (let it) blink.
Get rid of your blank page as quickly as possible.
