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The Blank Screen Paradox
"Click, click!”, Tessa’s mind was wandering off to all the places in the world and beyond except where she wanted it to go, the book she was trying to write…
And, stop! That’s where ideas ceased to come to Zoe’s head as well. She had a story to complete writing by the end of that week and her situation was not too different compared to that of the girl she was writing about. The pleasant scent of petrichor, the gentle breeze blowing through the open window beside her desk, and the sweet, slow music her roommate Beck was playing, were all simply enthralling her mind way too much for her to be able to continue with her writing.
When presented with the chance to fulfill her lifelong ambition of being an author for a published magazine, Zoe had been super-enthusiastic to grab the opportunity with both hands, but now that she had to actually write a story, second thoughts were beginning to seep into her mind. She scrutinized the cursor blinking on her laptop screen intensely as if it was going to move out of its own will and start sprouting sonnets, but alas, such magical things were simply not meant to be in this reality. The abrupt stop of the music being played was what eventually broke Zoe's stare at the empty white screen.
"I'm gonna go pop over at the cafe now", rang Beck's voice from the kitchen, "You coming? The weather is too irresistible to not go and enjoy ourselves out there."
Zoe contemplated the idea for a solid minute before finally giving an answer in the affirmative. Maybe a temporary hiatus was all she required to unwind before jumping right back on track after getting some fresh inspiration.
She opened her closet, put on her favorite after-rain-cafe-visit hoodie, jeans and shoes, and skipped out the door behind her roommate, locking it as she did. Moving out into a room with her best friend while attending her sophomore year at University was one of the best decisions Zoe had ever made. As Zoe pranced along the footpath, her eyes wandered around her surroundings, taking it all in in a delightful stride. She observed the park right in front of her building, the post-evening-shower view making it look too majestic to not be noticed.
As the pair passed the transparent doors of the cafe, the sweet aroma of coffee and drinks hit their nostrils and instantly breathed life into Zoe. The coffee shop was bustling with customers, as was almost always the case after a particularly wet afternoon. A soft chuckle escaped her lips as she heard a loud yelp from one of the tables, occupied by a trio laughing at their friend who had just spilled his drink. She followed Beck to one of the tables packed away in the corner. She was just about to sit on the chair opposite Beck when she spotted something out of the corner of her eye, the cover of her favorite book, Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. This was one of the main reasons she liked this coffee shop, it was more of a cafe cum pseudo-library, its walls being docked with glorious bookshelves which, to be honest, were a sight for sore eyes. Beck's eyes followed Zoe's until they finally reached their destination, the wall on which the shelf was.
"You know what the best thing about writing books is Zoe?", she asked. The girl in question slowly turned her head towards the speaker and shook her head. "It's not just ink on paper anymore, it's you. It's your emotions, your feelings, your thoughts." Zoe kept staring at Beck confusedly, not really comprehending what she was talking about, but motioned her to continue. "People say that inspiration can come from anyone, anywhere. But one place where you will always find something is from within yourself."
The gears were turning fast in Zoe's head before she had a eureka moment. "It's you", Beck's words resonated in her mind just before Zoe ultimately got it. She realized that she had been going about it wrong this whole time. She was never meant to be a copy of her favorite authors. She had her unique writing style, experiences, and personality, all of these ready to be used to their full capability.
Tessa swayed on the swing, under the warm winter sun, racking her brain while clutching her notepad. The light basked her freckled face as she thought of how she could further her story. The chirping birds seemed to synchronize with the voices of the angels in her head. Maybe she was an angel herself, Tessa thought. Weren't they all characters in this story of reality anyways? Their destinies spun at the hands of the Fates themselves...
© archaios <3
And, stop! That’s where ideas ceased to come to Zoe’s head as well. She had a story to complete writing by the end of that week and her situation was not too different compared to that of the girl she was writing about. The pleasant scent of petrichor, the gentle breeze blowing through the open window beside her desk, and the sweet, slow music her roommate Beck was playing, were all simply enthralling her mind way too much for her to be able to continue with her writing.
When presented with the chance to fulfill her lifelong ambition of being an author for a published magazine, Zoe had been super-enthusiastic to grab the opportunity with both hands, but now that she had to actually write a story, second thoughts were beginning to seep into her mind. She scrutinized the cursor blinking on her laptop screen intensely as if it was going to move out of its own will and start sprouting sonnets, but alas, such magical things were simply not meant to be in this reality. The abrupt stop of the music being played was what eventually broke Zoe's stare at the empty white screen.
"I'm gonna go pop over at the cafe now", rang Beck's voice from the kitchen, "You coming? The weather is too irresistible to not go and enjoy ourselves out there."
Zoe contemplated the idea for a solid minute before finally giving an answer in the affirmative. Maybe a temporary hiatus was all she required to unwind before jumping right back on track after getting some fresh inspiration.
She opened her closet, put on her favorite after-rain-cafe-visit hoodie, jeans and shoes, and skipped out the door behind her roommate, locking it as she did. Moving out into a room with her best friend while attending her sophomore year at University was one of the best decisions Zoe had ever made. As Zoe pranced along the footpath, her eyes wandered around her surroundings, taking it all in in a delightful stride. She observed the park right in front of her building, the post-evening-shower view making it look too majestic to not be noticed.
As the pair passed the transparent doors of the cafe, the sweet aroma of coffee and drinks hit their nostrils and instantly breathed life into Zoe. The coffee shop was bustling with customers, as was almost always the case after a particularly wet afternoon. A soft chuckle escaped her lips as she heard a loud yelp from one of the tables, occupied by a trio laughing at their friend who had just spilled his drink. She followed Beck to one of the tables packed away in the corner. She was just about to sit on the chair opposite Beck when she spotted something out of the corner of her eye, the cover of her favorite book, Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. This was one of the main reasons she liked this coffee shop, it was more of a cafe cum pseudo-library, its walls being docked with glorious bookshelves which, to be honest, were a sight for sore eyes. Beck's eyes followed Zoe's until they finally reached their destination, the wall on which the shelf was.
"You know what the best thing about writing books is Zoe?", she asked. The girl in question slowly turned her head towards the speaker and shook her head. "It's not just ink on paper anymore, it's you. It's your emotions, your feelings, your thoughts." Zoe kept staring at Beck confusedly, not really comprehending what she was talking about, but motioned her to continue. "People say that inspiration can come from anyone, anywhere. But one place where you will always find something is from within yourself."
The gears were turning fast in Zoe's head before she had a eureka moment. "It's you", Beck's words resonated in her mind just before Zoe ultimately got it. She realized that she had been going about it wrong this whole time. She was never meant to be a copy of her favorite authors. She had her unique writing style, experiences, and personality, all of these ready to be used to their full capability.
Tessa swayed on the swing, under the warm winter sun, racking her brain while clutching her notepad. The light basked her freckled face as she thought of how she could further her story. The chirping birds seemed to synchronize with the voices of the angels in her head. Maybe she was an angel herself, Tessa thought. Weren't they all characters in this story of reality anyways? Their destinies spun at the hands of the Fates themselves...
© archaios <3
