Coming up with ideas on the fly can be incredibly draining. Many writers including myself have the mindset that there’s not much to talk about — that we’ve already said everything we have to say online.
The fact is if you’re living a life of struggle, pain, heartbreak, growth, success, failure, and so much more, then you’re never going to run out of ideas.
I’m someone who’s been on top of the world and at rock bottom — we all have. It’s how we perceive these moments in our lives that turns a vague idea into a powerful message.
You can come up with something new every single week, every month, and so on. It doesn’t have to be on the scale of daily writing. But you have a lot more to say than you think.
Let me help you unpack your brain and turn it into actionable article ideas.
Write about the first thing that comes to mind.
Most of the time I begin writing, I sit in front of the blank screen for 30 seconds to a minute without a specific plan in place. It sucks. I feel the writer's block and don’t know where to start.
So I type out my thought into the headline and slowly begin to unpack an idea in my head. Nothing makes sense at first, but I’m getting closer to the message I want to send.
Little by little, the gears start churning and I’m in a flow state. A flow state is when you’re unfazed by anything else and continue to grind without anything holding you back.
It’s pure bliss to achieve a flow state, and I do this nearly every day. You can too if you stop doubting yourself and just write something. Don’t overthink it, just do it and don’t stop.
Think about your childhood, your core memories, and anything that sparks emotion inside of you.
Allow random thoughts to filter into your brain when you sit in front of your blank page. One of those random thoughts will stick to you like glue.
When an idea hits, you must act on it fast before it drifts away. Something so trivial can turn into a life lesson you get to write about.
Never downplay any idea that you have because it could be exactly what someone else needed to hear.
Something that happened in my life may seem insignificant, but if I can get started, unpack the idea, and turn it into valuable information, then I’m going to do it. That’s my trick.
Most of my writing gives me clarity about my own life rather than someone else. I understand myself better and give myself closure through writing. The same thing can happen to you too.
Understand that there’s no such thing as a bad writing idea.
You may think that your ideas suck. That no one cares and it’s pointless. But that doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.
It’s time for you to be selfish and write about whatever it is that you want to write about — not what your audience wants, what you think people want to read, or what’s trending on Google right now.
Pick a thought, build on it, and run with it. Spread your wings and fly away with your ideas. Don’t let fear, uncertainty, or doubt cloud your ideas.
The moment you cave into self-doubt or a lack of confidence is the moment you lose. Write some words, overcome those negative thoughts, and write some more. Rinse and repeat this cycle until you get your finished product.
Final Thought
We all have a lot to say whether we realize it or not. When it comes to writing, the hardest part is understanding structure, the big picture, and the message you want to convey.
Once you get a good understanding of how to construct an article or meaningful blog post, then you can do this a hundred times a year — even more.
You don’t have to limit yourself to a certain niche, a certain audience, etc.
When it comes to writing, I believe the more freedom a writer has, the more enjoyable it is. After a year of writing, my theory has served true.