It’s hard to write outstanding content, week after week, isn’t it?
Yes, I know.
I mean, even if writing comes easy to you, it doesn’t happen on its own. Does it?
– You have to make time.
– You have to be inspired in some way.
– You have to sit down and come up with at least 1,000 words for a blog post these days.
And writing something that makes sense is simply not enough. Your article has to be original, valuable, memorable, attractive, easy to understand… You name it.
That’s a rather demanding task, don’t you think?
That’s why writing blog posts week after week is not easy.
As a matter of fact, it’s challenging.
The blogger’s life is tough.
Yes.
Don’t underestimate yourself. You are one of those people who needs to write all the time for their business.
You just don’t give yourself enough credit, like other type writers do. And maybe you’re not recognized enough for what you do.
But let me tell you.
What you’re doing week in and week out is not easy. Because writing occasionally is nothing, but writing all the time… it’s HARD.
But there is hope…
4 Marvelous Places to Find Writing Ideas?
This being said, let’s pretend for a moment, that you know about those 4 marvelous places where you can always find writing ideas.
What are they?
Well, they are the subject of this article today.
So, make sure you read and save it for later (just in case).
Did you think they were 4 physical places?
Well, sorry if I mislead you for a moment, but those places can be found anywhere you live, anywhere you go, and at any time of the day or night.
Those 4 places are ALWAYS available to you 27/7.
Because they are:
- Your knowledge
- Your memory
- Your observation
- Your imagination
So, let’s analyze them one by one carefully.
Your Knowledge
Knowledge can include two things.
- Knowledge is what you already know about your field, your business, and other things. It’s your database.
- Knowledge is what you learn when doing research.
Whether you are a college student, a business owner, or a stay at home mom, it doesn’t matter.
Your knowledge is huge.
Give yourself some credit.
But, where do you start using your knowledge to find writing ideas?
Easy.
Take a notebook, and start writing a list of what you know.
It’s time to scrutinize your knowledge database, and without over thinking too much, just start writing down areas where you have knowledge.
It doesn’t have to be done in one day. Actually, it shouldn’t. These things take time.
Keep that notebook handy at all time, and write down snippets about what you know as it comes to you.
You don’t have to be an expert in any of them. Simply take notes of them as they come.
For example:
- I’m not an expert in SEO, but I have some f knowledge about it.
- I’m not an expert in child rearing, but I have some knowledge about it.
- I’m not an expert in gardening, but I have some knowledge about it.
Do you see where I’m coming from here?
That’s why you need to keep this notebook handy and fill it up over the coming weeks, months and even years.
Don’t underestimate note taking of this sort, because more often than not such notes will be responsible for writing ideas. They can inspire you to write…
- Complete articles
- Introductions
- Examples
- Conclusions
- Analogies.
- Lessons
- Illustrations…
… And more.
Your notes about knowledge will be handy to find ideas to write about.
Anytime you are facing the blank page, wondering what to write this week, all you have to do is look into that precious notebook, and something is bound to spring from those notes and translate into an article that will be useful to your readers.
Then, it’s up to you to use your writing skills to turn your article into great content for your business.
I write epic content for business owners
Your Memory
Now, I hear what you’re saying; isn’t my knowledge the same as my memory?
No, it isn’t.
Of course, your knowledge is part of your memory, but your memory, in turn, may have nothing to do with knowledge.
It’s just memory.
- It’s something you went through.
- It’s an experience you had.
- It’s stories of your life.
Good things, bad things, anything…
But what does memory have to do with writing, you may ask?
Well, a lot.
Memory can be used pretty much like knowledge.
You can use your memory to spark an article idea or even a book idea.
Memory is one of the best friends of the writer, no matter what you write.
We have an amazing brain that stored everything since we were about 2 years old.
And if you know how to reach into your subconscious, you can even go before that, but I digress.
Let’s say you have an easy access to your memory that starts at 2-4 years of age. That’s some database right there if you ask me.
Everything is in there…
- What lesson you learned
- What makes you feel good
- What makes you feel bad
- Experiences you could use for your topic at hand
- What could support your point
- What you could use to illustrate your subject
- What you could use to spark your writing in any way, shape or form
Take that notebook and write down those “memory chunks” that will take you there any time you need it.
When you’re searching for writing ideas, read through your memory notes.
I use my memory database often, to come up with writing ideas.
Our memory database is a great helper, but it can only help if we use it.
The best way to use it, is to have it written down somewhere you can look into when you need it, because even though it’s in your head at all times, it may not be available unless you SEE it at the time you need it.
Your Observation
You know what is the first thing they teach you in drama school?
Well, you might not have been in any drama class before, but I’ll tell you.
The first thing they teach you in drama school, which will serve you as THE BEST acting tool, ever, it’s to learn to observe.
And by the way, that includes your 5 senses.
- What you see
- What you hear
- What you touch
- What you smell
- Even how and what you speak
If you become a good observer, you can actually improve your memory, and attention to details quite a bit. That’s why I have an excellent memory and a HUGE attention to detail skill.
Yes, observation will help you come up with marvelous ideas to write about. It will help you with prompts, introductions, topics, and so forth.
– You could be observing someone at the cash register in a store, and come up with ideas.
– You could be observing birds flying overhead and come up with ideas.
– You could be observing how someone speaks, how something feels to the touch, and how it smells, and come up with ideas.
Not only for writing novels as you may be thinking, but useful for bloggers to write interesting, and original articles, just like your readers are asking for.
So, just as you did with your knowledge and memory bank, you could jot down whatever it is that you observe that is worthy of note taking.
I write epic content for business owners
Your Imagination
Now, this one may be the hardest one for what we call left-brain people.
The reason for this is that if you are more of a “left-brain” person you tend to be more logical, orderly, analytical, and systematic, than if you are a “right-brain” person which tends to be more creative, imaginative, artistic and spontaneous.
Now, I’m not going to pretend, and if you know me a little bit, you probably guessed by now. I am more of a right-brain person.
So, here I’m talking more to the left-brain person.
One thing you need to remember is that while we, as individuals, tend to be more one or the other, we most definitely all have a FULL working brain, (at least I hope) and we can, at any time, fetch from that other side of our brain that is less familiar to us.
One thing that you need to remember is that when you were a baby, a toddler, and even a small child, your right brain was way more active than your left brain. No matter how left-brain a person you are now.
So, if you are a left-brain person as an adult, you may want to relearn how to exercise your right brain more, with 3 easy exercises that will help you.
3 Exercises to Train the Creative Side (right side) of your Brain (your imagination)
1) Try to use your non-dominant hand as much as you can throughout the day
For example, comb your hair, brush your teeth, eat, do your cleaning, use the mouse of your computer, turn on the lights, jot down notes… with your non-dominant hand for a few minutes each day.
Try to do as many tasks as possible using your non-dominant hand for a while, and see what happens after a while.
2) Walk backward
Do this exercise once a day.
Make sure nothing is behind you, and walk backward for a minute or so.
Then if it’s safe, walk backward with your eyes close.
I do a lot of walking in parks, and I always try to find a safe place where I can walk backward for 2-3 minutes.
This is an excellent exercise to train your right brain.
3) Squatting
Now, this is a fun little exercise that will help develop your right brain in my ways.
Align your feet about 20 inches apart.
Grab your left earlobe between your right thumb and right index finger.
Grab your right earlobe with your left thumb and left index finger.
Then bend your knees in a squat position, and stand back up.
While holding your earlobes with opposite hands, squat and stand, back and forth for 2-3 minutes.
Do this once a day for 3-5 minutes at the time.
I hope you enjoyed this article, but most of all, if you feel that you could use more great ideas to write about on a regular basis, take note of this and apply those tips.
If you take this seriously and really do this, you will come up with better and more original articles.
It’s your turn now. Let people know what you think about this in your comment below.
Hi Sylviane,
We all have those times where we sit at a blank screen and our fingers do not fly across the keyboard. I like the suggestions you have given us here. The one I love to do is jotting things down. I’m big on that because I carry a small notebook around with me all the time. I get so inspired by things as I’m out and about. If I didn’t jot things down, it would be lost forever.
We do have to give credit to our own knowledge and keep in mind that what we might know, others do not. I have written the most simplest posts with some of my knowledge and it was to my surprise a big hit.
Being more of a right brain person, I do have a large imagination. When I apply it to a specific article as an analogy it works very well.
Thank goodness…otherwise I would have to walk backwards, squat, and use my other hand during the day. I did hear of these exercises and they do work!
Thanks for a wonderful post as usual.
-Donna
Donna Merrill invites you to read..3 Ways To Pump Up Your Blog
Hi Donna,
I’m so glad that you take notes. So true, if you don’t take note now it will be gone forever in a flash.
Aren’t we fortunate to be right-brain gals? I knew that you were a right-brain person for sure, even if you hadn’t told me here. I think that when I was a child I even had an over-active right brain. I used to make up stories like you wouldn’t believe. At times my mother didn’t know if what I was saying was true or false anymore. That’s why acting fit me so well. I had been acting for years before. LOL!
I really quiet down as I grew older though.
Thanks for coming Donna and see you at your blog.
Hi Sylviane, I loved this article. I am left handed but when I try to use the mouse with my left hand it doesn’t go anywhere but will keep trying what you suggested above. Although i am left handed I iron and use scissors with my right hand so i suppose you could say I am ambidextrous (I think that is the word LOL) Thanks for sharing.
Merle Gibbins invites you to read..How the Cloud Can Transform Business
Hi Merle and nice meeting you.
Yes, I think you’ve got it correctly, the word for people who can use both their hands (lucky you) are ambidextrous 🙂 My father was like you. He used to write with his right hand, but eat with his left hand. He could use a hammer with both hands equally well. Neither me nor my brother got any of that 🙂
So, in your case, I guess you make good use of both your right and left brain quite a bit.
I’m thrilled that you liked my article. I will check you out as well. Very cool!
Thanks for coming.
I love, love, love these ideas. These are not the typical ideas you read about so often where people give you sentence starters or things like “interview your customers”. All that stuff gets so cliche.
All of these things you mentioned have come in very handy for me. Talking about experiences is a never ending source of content! Everyone experiences so many things every day and often we don’t even pay attention. But our experiences provide such a rich way for us to make our content real and relatable.
Observation is also one I love because there is so much fodder out there if you just look. Every time I go to the grocery store… or wait at a traffic light… or sit in a movie theater… if you just watch what’s happening around you, listen to what people say, see how they act. You can be inspired in a lot of ways, even if it just sparks a small idea that grows into a big one.
I have to admit I never tried the squatting exercise but that sounds interesting 🙂
The past week I got a lot of practice using my other hand because I cut my finger so I couldn’t use my good hand because it was all bandaged up. Let me tell you, that’s hard to do! Drove me crazy! But it definitely changes your perspective, especially because you really have to slow down.
Now I have to go try holding my earlobes 🙂
Carol Lynn invites you to read..Generate Traffic And Business With Pinterest
Hi Carol,
So nice to see you here as always. And I love that you love it as I always value your feedback, my dear.
I know it’s so weird for me to use my left hand, but I try to do it more and more to switch the wires a bit 🙂
Frankly I’m kind of tired to always read the same tips over and over, so I thought those were more fresh ideas.
Your last statement really make me laugh. You’re always so funny. But yes, seriously, try the earlobes thing. It’s a very good exercise.
Thanks so much for coming by.
Hello Sylviane,
Thanks so much for sharing these ideas with us. I haven’t hit a thousand words on a post yet…that’s a challenge for me. :). I happy to say I use these four places to find writig ideas but I use my observation most. I’m always writing down ideas I get for a post when I read an article, hear something in the news or see something when I’m out and about. Now I just need to make the time to put them together. 🙂
I love the exercises you shared to get the right side of our brain going…I really will try these. I did not know there were such activities like this to stimulate that side of our brain.
Great article Sylviane! I really enjoyed reading it. Hope you had a great Monday and week!
Hi Corina,
I’m glad that you’re using those marvelous places to find ideas to write about and that you will try those exercises. They are very simple and require only a few minutes of your time in a day.
Now, the coach in me caught your sentence here “I haven’t hit a thousand words on a post.. that’s a challenge for me” Now my guess is that what you wrote here, is what you believe, and that’s why it’s been hard for you to hit 1,000 words.
So, here is an extra exercise for you 🙂 Write down another sentence such as, “it’s so easy for me now to hit a thousand words per article.” Write it and say it every day, and don’t forget to FEEL it as well.
And remember, it is VERY EASY to write a thousand word article. Try it. You just put the opposite belief in your head.
Thanks for coming, Corina.
Great suggestions Sylviane.
🙂
I doubt my own knowledge sometimes, but I have a lot to draw from my memories, I am always observing (minus the sight one), and I have been developing my imagination more and more.
I use both hands for a few different things, even though I am right-handed. I was sleeping in hospital once when a nurse came in and put an IV in my right hand. This required me to use my left for a few weeks. Maybe this was the start of it.
🙂
I don’t like to brag about it, but I rarely ever blank on a blog topic or something to write about. That is the most surprising thing I’ve discovered about blogging this past year. Hope it continues.
Have a great week.
Hi Kerry,
In fact, even though you may be lacking the sight sense, you guys quite make up for it with another sense that blind people tend to develop, so in a way, you still have five senses.
I know what you mean about rarely ever feeling that you blank for a post, because I’m kind of the same way, when it comes to writing.
Using your less dominant hand is a great exercise indeed. Glad you got to do that.
Thanks for coming, and have a great day!
Hi Sylviane,
Love this post. It’s very rich with ideas. Yes, you gave 4 places but within each one of them are some endless ideas.
Just yesterday when I sat to write my post I had absolutely nothing in mind to write about and I mentioned that on the post but I got the idea from what I read on my morning quiet time.
Love your suggestions and I liked the 3 exercises you shared to train the creative side of the brain.
Thanks Sylviane for a great share as always. Have a great week.
Be Blessed,
Neamat
P.S. I just read your response to my comment of last week. I used to receive an email when you respond to my comment but I didn’t. Yes, I would love to talk with you on skype. I will pm you on facebook. Thanks for your help.
Neamat Tawadrous invites you to read..How To Deal With Discouraging Remarks???
Hi Neamat,
I’m glad you enjoyed this post and the exercises. And I’m glad you got an idea for your post even though it seemed that you didn’t have any.
Oh, you didn’t get the reply? How strange.
Sure, let me know when you want to do this and we can arrange a meeting.
Thanks for coming by, as always 🙂
Squat…holding your opposite earlobes?
Really??
I have never heard of that before. Using the other side of your body as much as you can I have–when I studied combat, my focus was to do all the drills on my left side. That’s what i pushed, because once I have that down, I could do the same thing half a dozen times on my main side and have it down pat.
I’m curious where you got that earlobe thing…cause I want to try that!
Even if it didn’t work for me—squats would do this oversized body good, LOL!!!
Jaime Buckley invites you to read..Net Neutrality, the FCC & Doritos
Hi Jaime,
That’s right, squat. Not only it helps the brain, but the body, that’s right.
Where I did I get that from? Few years ago, reading some self-improvement books, but can’t remember which one, because I’ve read do many.
Try it, you have nothing to lose, except maybe a few pounds then. LOL!
Thanks for coming by 🙂
Hi Sylviane.
How are you?
Very rightly said, writing content week after week is not at all easy, no matter how good one might be at this process.
No of course, writing does not happen on its own..I have to create the time to make it happen. Sometimes, it is very hard to write my blog as there is just so much work to get done.
Indeed, the life of a blogger is not at all easy. I think I must be writing anywhere between 5,000 to 10,000 words a day..more perhaps.
Awesome tips you have shred on how to get ideas to wrote 24/7 – never thought of this concept.
Thanks for sharing, loved it.
Take care.
Best wishes and regards.
Veena Furtado
Hi Veena,
I’m great, thank you, and I hope you are too.
It’s very interesting to hear from someone who writes as mush as you do, confirming that writing is not all that easy. It’s a creation. It’s an art. And it needs to be done a certainly way. All of that and more makes it tough for all of us.
Thank you so much for dropping by and for the excellent feedback.
Hi Sylviane:
How are you?
Happy to see that you like what I say.
Just my thoughts on the subject.
Best wishes and regards.
Take care.
Veena
That’s great, Veena, and thanks for getting back here.
The pleasure is all mine Sylviane.
Enjoy your weekend.
Take care.
Regards
Veena
Sylviane,
I like how you approached finding something to write about from a different angle than most everyone else.
This has given me some ideas of how to come up with blog post topics when I have none. I think I do this subconsciously and really do not think about it but if I think about it, it should be more effective.
I really hate it when I can not come up with anything to write about.
Then there are those times when I have several ideas written down and posts just seem to be flowing out of my brain. Those are the good times.
I really like what you say about exercising the right brain. I am left brained along with most people but I use my left hand for lots of things. If I am doing something for an extended period of time and my right hand gets tired I will just switch to my left hand. So I think I do exercise my right brain some but it would not hurt to do it much more.
Thank you for all of the ideas.
Dee Ann
Dee Ann Rice invites you to read..Copywriting For Bloggers
Hi DeenAnn and nice to see you here.
Yes, what you’re describing here, I think we’ve all experienced at times. Sometimes we feel stuck with no idea to write about and at times it just flows like crazy. That’s the name of the game for all of us, I guess.
That’s a good thing for you’re using your less dominant hand often. I have to improve on that myself 🙂
Glad you enjoyed this post, and thanks for dropping by.
Hello Sylviane, I normally get my writing ideas whenever I’m more relaxed which are basically these three activities:
1. Going jogging
2. Taking a shower
3. Shaving my face
I don’t know what it is but it may have something to do with the fact that I’m not thinking about anything (or at least that’s what I attempt to do) and then ideas start flying!
The tricky part is that if I want to push it, it doesn’t work.
Have you ever experienced this before?
Sergio Felix
PS. Your recommendations to use the extremity we less use was spot on and I can’t believe the timing of this because I literally brushed my teeth using my other hand today.
I wasn’t expecting such a bad job either! LOL
Sergio Felix invites you to read..How To Find Your A-Game In Internet Marketing
Hi Sergio and welcome to my blog.
Actually, I’m often getting plenty of writing ideas in the same places you’ve mentioned here, except that I don’t shave my face LOL!
Actually there is some type of scientific/biological reasons why people often get some clairvoyance in the shower, but I’m forgetting what it is right now. But I’ve read an article that discussed that fact. When I read it I thought, Aha, no wonder I always get some terrific ideas under the shower.
But as you said, when we don’t push, when we let things flow, when we don’t resist, that’s when we get answers, so that is why when we are totally not focusing on writing, bunches of writing ideas come our way.
Hum, that’s interesting that you’ve just tried to brush your teeth with your non-dominant hand 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing this, and for dropping by. Always appreciated.
Yes, I agree that Your knowledge, Your memory, Your observation and your imagination are places where you can find writing ideas. Experiences you had are useful to craft a new writing ideas. You can broaden your knowledge by researching and jotting down things that runs in your mind.
Engaging with inspiration is a great line of attack to find ideas too. Putting genuine effort into being inspired can reveal ideas in almost any environment.
metz invites you to read..[HOT PLR] Exclusive, Expertly Written POTTY TRAINING PLR Articles.
Hi Metz,
Thanks for your feedback and I’m glad you agree with that.
Have a great weekend!
Hey Sylviane,
When I was in high school I was more of a left brain person.
But since college I’ve been evening both sides of my brain. I think it’s because I got into playing more instruments and dancing.
But those are some interesting exercises. I actually have tried using my non dominating hand more often and I tell you that you feel a lot more powerful in a sense LOL.. But you feel the wholeness within you when you can use both.
One thing that intrigued me was the squatting exercise. I never knew touch and grabbing each ear lob with the opposite hand would help even both sides of your brain. I may start doing this each day starting tomorrow when I go to the gym!
Thanks for the share Sylviane! This was quite interesting!
Sherman Smith invites you to read..5 Common Power Words You Need To Instantly Put Your Blog Audience To Action
Hi Sherman,
Well, that’s a very good thing that you try to use your non-dominant hand often, it is a very good brain exercise that many people don’t even have a clue about.
Yes, I noticed that this squatting exercise is surprising for a lot of people, but that’s a good one too. I hope you’ll try it. Let me know 🙂
Thanks for coming by.
Thanks for sharing these four awesome writing tips Sylviane!
And while I really enjoyed all four of your tips,
I really like (and will) definitely take to heart your advice about being
more observant.
That one tip alone could be worth a ton of potential blog post and videos
as well.
Plus, I can’t wait to try and report what happens when I try your walking backwards idea!
Thanks so much teaching me “how to” routinely tap into my more creative side!
Mark invites you to read..Three More Really Cool Reasons Why Your Business Definitely Needs To Be Using Email Marketing!
Hi Mark,
I’m so glad you enjoyed those tips.
Yes, observing, easy enough thing to do, yet, many people don’t take the time to open their eyes and observe things that are happening right in front of them.
Yes, walking backward and the other exercises I’ve mentioned there work great.
Thank you for coming by.
Didn’t see that coming. Was expecting a “real” place but was surprised to find out that it’s a place inside us. And I have to totally agree with you. Our knowledge, memory, observation and imagination are the best places where we can find ideas and inspirations when writing. This is a great post. Thanks for sharing!
Hospital Marketing invites you to read..Professional Association Messaging
Hello there,
So glad you enjoyed my article. Thanks for coming and come again!
~Sylviane