The Blank Page
"Starting is the hardest part."
A character staring at a scary blank canvas.
About this page
Every writer knows this moment. The canvas is empty, the character is frozen, and starting feels like the hardest thing in the world. This page gives children permission to feel that wobble and then move through it, because the blank page is not a wall, it is an invitation. Placed near the start of Chapter 6, it teaches that courage is part of storytelling, and that the only way to fill a page is to make the first small mark. Coloring this scene is itself a gentle rehearsal, one crayon stroke breaks the spell.
Talk about it while you color
- What do you think the character is feeling while staring at the blank canvas?
- What could be the very first thing they draw or write to get started?
- When starting something feels hard for you, what helps you begin?