The blank page becomes less grand as soon as it has a useful mark.

Emptiness intimidates because everything is still possible. The first mark spoils the perfection and, in doing so, converts the page from a monument into working material, which is why starting badly is so much more effective than waiting to start well. The difficulty is nearly always the step from nothing to something. After that you are editing rather than facing a void.

With the next thing you are avoiding, write the worst opening line you can and continue from there. Give yourself permission to delete it later. The point is not the sentence; it is ending the blankness.