How do tapping lands work in mtg I have a card called Blighted cataract that says add 1 to your mana pool does this mean I rip up some paper and write one mana on it in my mana pool?

Answer 1

No, it doesn't mean that, that's one of the most common things new players get confused with. It is important to know the difference between the following,

'Land' - Permanents that usually generate mana,

'Mana' - 'Power' generated by other cards, that is spent to cast spells or activate abilities,

'Mana Pool' - The imaginary area where Mana resides once generated, and waiting to be spent.

So imagine I have a land that generates two Green mana when tapped. When I tap it, there is now 'GG' in my mana pool - you don't need anything to physically represent this, it's enough just to remember it. I then cast a spell that costs G, so there is still one G left in the mana pool. If I do not spend this by the time the current step or phase ends, then the pool empties, the stored mana is lost.

Once that is understood, Blighted Cataract should make more sense. When it says to add (1) to your mana pool, it just means one colourless mana is generated and stored in the pool waiting to be spent - exactly the same as if you tapped a forest for mana, which would add one G to your mana pool, for example.