Currently following a guide to set up bspwm & sxhkd (from https://www.instructables.com/Bspwm-Installation-and-Configuration/) and I got to the point where I needed to edit .xinitrc, but that file does not exist for me in my home directory. So, I made the file manually, and unsurprisingly when I ran startx & bspwm I got a black screen.
What needs to be in this file so that bspwm will start properly?
.xinitrc is a hidden file located inside your home directory which tells your system what programs should always autostart no matter what the window manager is.
Some problem with your configurations with the Window Manager
Please follow this guide, incluide various distro included 
The easiest way to initialize bspwm is to append it in your .xinitrc file. If you are using a minimal Linux distribution this is probably the method that you are already using to load a window manager.
What version of desktop are you using? desktop or spin
However, if you are using a full-featured desktop you might need to select bspwm in your login screen.
all of the details are described in the post below…
Regards.,