Let’s be frank, if you are going to have a blog that people will take time to read, you are going to have a writing discipline. However, you want that discipline not to hurt, because if it does, you are not going to keep it up. Ever been to the dentist? If going to the dentist hurt too much you wouldn’t want to go back, even knowing that it’s for your ultimate own good. By nature we flee from what hurts. That’s why dentists make it pretty much painless these days.
So, how doesn’t that apply to writing on your blog anyway?
Why Writing Hurts for Some?
For some people, finding ideas to write about is pretty painful. They don’t know how to find a way to write fresh and valuable content on a regular basis.
If you are using a blog to promote your business you are going to have to write on a regular basis. For those who really don’t like to do the actual writing, you can use a digital software that allows you to “speak” your content. However, if you don’t have ideas coming, you still won’t be able to speak your content, will you?
So, whether you are going to write or dictate you content, what you need is new ideas to write about a regular basis, week in and week out.
Where do you Find Ideas?
Have you ever tried to think of a name or word that was on the tip of your tongue, but couldn’t remember it right this second? We all have had that experience. What do you think happens in cases like these? I’m no expert myself on the subject, but I have read once that when this happens, we can’t remember the word we are specifically looking for because we get frustrated, trying to remember it so much that it creates a mental block. Such mental block makes it impossible for that specific word to come to mind. We are blocking it out.
When we stress out to find a specific answer, such stress blocks any possible answer. So, what do you end up doing when you have that word on the tip of your tongue, but can’t come up with it no matter how hard you try?
You End Up Letting it Go…
When you finally let it go and forget about it, a while later, when we are focusing on something totally different, the word or name that you were looking for comes back to mind out of nowhere. The word comes back when you have released the pressure and relaxed your mind.
What Does this has to do with Finding Writing Ideas?
When you are looking for ideas to write about with your head in your hands or looking at that desperate blank page, you’re definitely not able to find a single idea to write about. The last thing you want to do is sit in front of your computer screen empty of ideas to write about thinking that they will come. They won’t. Not that way. You are creating a mental block just like in the case of finding that word on the tip of your tongue.
Take a Break Away From your Computer
Take a break outside of the neighborhood of your computer. Take a brake outside of your niche, and take a break outside of writing all together.
I find my best writing inspirations while walking. When I am walking, I am free from focusing on what to write about. I am free from any frustration looking for ideas that I can’t find.
When I go for a walk, I relax my mind and think about a whole lot of things. That is usually in those moments that terrific writing ideas pop up to my mind. However, there is a thing about those kinds of ideas, is that they don’t stick around very long at all.
Some terrific ideas can be here a minute and gone the next. I suggest that you either carry a note pad or a recorder to make sure you can retrieve them when you get home. If you don’t record your idea, chances are that it will be gone forever. Taking a few notes about your idea should be enough to give you all the information and energy to start writing when you get home.
Ask Questions to Yourself about Whatever you’re Write About
If you were a reader of your own blog, what would you like to know? What would you like to learn? What questions might you have? Your blog is either around a theme, a service or a product, whichever one it may be, what do YOU want to know about it?
Maybe you haven’t noticed yet, but most blog posts are written for beginners. Yes, that’s right! and that’s the case ALL blogs. Let me say it again… Most blog posts are written for beginners. So, write for people who don’t know anything about your subject or topic. You don’t have to, and I would even they shouldn’t write for geeks, there are not that many out there.
Sleep on Your Ideas
Once you have written about an idea, but are maybe not quite satisfied with it, or you feel that you have not completed such idea, leave it and sleep on it. When I start writing a blog post and get a bit stuck or feel that I haven’t said all I wanted to say or I’m not satisfied with what I have written and would like to change it around a bit, I don’t try to find the answers right away – this would be the painful way and I like my writing not to hurt, remember?
So, what I do is just leave it and sleep on it. It’s amazing what a night sleep will do to your writing. An unfinished post will get finished with the greatest ideas the next day. Again, it’s because you have released the stress and relaxed. Once you do, Ideas come back again just like that word on the top of your tongue.
There you Have it… A Writing Discipline that Doesn’t Hurt…
Walking, asking yourselves questions about what you want to know and sleep on your ideas. It’s very easy to do, and what’s more is that it works, just about every time. Try it!
So, what’s your opinion about this? Do you have a way to find writing ideas? Bring it on in the comment area!
Hi Sylviane,
You’re so right we do tend block things out when trying to over think them. Like you said take a break and things tend to fall into place, maybe not right away but they’ll come.
When I post on my blog it is normally about what I am doing online and the journey I’m taking in certain areas. by doing that I hope to be showing others how they can apply things as well.
Some times when I’m visiting blogs and reading their posts an idea may strike home and when it does I make a note of it so if I ever get one of those blank spots (and I’ve had plenty over the years) then I refer to the notes and pick a topic that is hot at the time.
I have just checked and I currently have 4 pages of ideas for blog posts to fall back on 😉
Sylviane I noticed your plugin for sharing is out of shape, have you recently updated the plugin?
Thanks for sharing your tips Sylviane,
Take care,
Barry
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Hi Barry,
What plugin are you referring to? You know tech stuff is not my thing What should I update that I don’t know about?
You are definitely doing the right thing by taking notes when you find a source of inspiration. With 4 pages so far, you are covered in case of “blanks” for a while.
Thanks for passing by, Barry and have a great week.
Hi Sylviane, it’s you share plugin that sits beneath your post and allows us to share your post on Facebook, LinkedIn, G+ etc. Is it just me or are they sitting funny across your photo?
I don’t have many blank moments these days Sylviane (to busy ha ha), but keep notes just in case 😉
Well you have to have everything covered “just in case” 🙂
Have a good week,
Barry
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Oh, I see what you mean, but they are sitting just fine from my computer here. That’s weight 🙁
It’s so hard to relax sometimes when we know we are trying to think of ideas. You are right though Sylviane, just go for a walk or do something else. It never fails, those thoughts just come flooding in.
When I’m out walking I take my iPod Touch with me and I have a free app downloaded that lets me record. So I can dictate into my iPod the thoughts I have so that I won’t forget about them before I get back home. That has been one of the best investments for me I must admit.
I have almost two pages of blog post ideas jotted down. Some have been suggested to me while others were some topics I’ve come up with that I would like to share in future posts. You just never know when those ideas will hit so be sure you have them jotted down.
Great advice Sylviane so thanks for sharing your ideas with us.
Have a beautiful week.
~Adrienne
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Yes, Adrienne, I remember you telling me how you record you ideas on your ipod. I do the same with MP3, before that I was literally walking around with a note pad and pen all the time.
I see that just like Barry you have a few pages of ideas for post, that is what I do as well, so I never run out of ideas, or not in the near future anyway:)
So true Sylvianne, when you are about to write you actually don’t know what are the things you want to write but I think focus is really important to have effective writing discipline.
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Yes, once you have a focus on what you want to write, you can go and relax, do something else, and then you’ll have plenty of what you want to say, when your brain is not crowded with stress. Those are the moments you will get inspired.
Hi Sylvianne,
You are so right, focus is really important. You can get more brilliant ideas when you are focus to think the things you want to write.
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Hey Sylvianne,
I loved the point of sleeping over ideas. That is one thing I normally don’t do. Sometimes I write an article and send it right away. And after some time I am reminded of intelligent things I should have included or said in it! And yes, later it hurts! Because I become a harsh judge of what I see when the article is published.
As for inspiration; I would always recommend having something to write your ideas down. There are many ideas that will come to your head throughout the day and the best you can do is work on them. But how many will actually be remembered when we sit to write them down! So I always am typing on the notes of my mobile!
Thanks for this Sylvinae; I needed to read this today! 🙂
Hi Hajra,
Tell me about it! We’ve all done that. We write and rush into publishing and then, only then, after a night of sleep, superb ideas come out, but there are not on the post, it’s too late… Gosh, have I done that before as well! That’s why I learned not to rush into sending my post away right away, and sleep over my writing.
You’re not alone, Hajra 🙂 Try it next time, you’ll be glad you did 🙂
Thanks Sylviane. i can often come up with idead using keyword sites such as the one at WA or Jaaxy or even Google itself. Coming up with a readable articleis my problem after that.
How came up with this idea Roger Shann @Cats Improve health
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Hi Roger,
Let me try again. I replied to this comment of yours but it when all the way down, may be because it was another computer. So here it is again…
Yes, keyword research can give you ideas to write about, indeed, and so is forum question browsing.
Thanks for coming by
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You are so right, it’s impossible to think of anything when you “have to”. Like you, I get ideas when I least expect it so I always have one of two things handy: my phone (so I can either make a note in Evernote or just email something to myself) or a notebook and pen.
I even keep a pen and paper by my bed because sometimes I have these great ideas in the middle of the night or at odd hours when I’m staring at the ceiling so I write it down. Even in the dark, just write big!
I have a running document on my desktop of all the ideas I ever had. Good ones, bad ones, stupid ones. I just write them down and if I need inspiration I read through the list.
Also, sometimes I jot down things people say that catch my attention. For example, if someone says something funny or dumb or interesting… I write it down because sometimes you can turn that into an idea or anecdote.
Finally, I “borrow” ideas from other bloggers. Sometimes you read a great headline and think “wow, I could write about that!” so it goes on the list, and becomes inspiration for later.
You are also right that a break is necessary. Your brain just gets tired and if you stop and do something else (preferably fun or relaxing) you can relax your brain and open it up to new ideas.
One last thought because I know I’m going on… “sleeping” on it is so great, because sometimes I literally dream about it and wake up with something new in my head!
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Hi Carol,
Don’t worry about going on, nothing wrong with that 🙂 I like it 🙂
I have a lot of ideas when I just wake up in the morning as well, it’s like something cooking while we sleep and we wake up with it.
I see by the comment here that a lot of people do save their ideas by jotting them down, and that’s great.
Thanks for coming and have a great day
WOW put your cat pic on Pinterest and it had 20 likes, 2 repins and several comments. Where did you find that photo?
Roger@worlds oldest cat
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Wow, really? I actually took it down, because I just read that some pictures can attract the wrong crowd, meaning people will to sue you for putting their pictures on Pinterest, so I took most of them down and will rethink it slow.
As far as I know this picture is a free picture found on Google images.
Hey Sylviane,
I am glad that you mentioned the phenomenon of Insight – You are right, when we look for something, we usually won’t be able to find it, like you mentioned, we get frustrated and create a block in our mind.
I usually get my ideas when I am doing something completely unrelated to blogging – like watching TV/movies, reading books, cleaning my room and while having discussions in my mind – I like to have my own discussions about prominent news and topics that I am interested in – these discussions really help because it helps me to realize the importance of both sides. I usually stand neutral so I am able to discuss from both sides of the topic (The only negative of mental discussion is that when I am out in the public doing this, people think of me as a crazy guy who is talking to himself :D).
Anyways, back to the post. I usually don’t like to sleep over my ideas (If I am not able to finish a post in one sitting, it will more likely end up in the trash can). This is because I don’t find myself comfortable in thinking over and over again about it – while I am not writing the post.
Thanks for the post,
Jeevan Jacob John
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Hi Jeevan,
It’s always interesting to have different point of views. That’s what the comment area is for. For me sleeping over my ideas work, but I am not surprise that it doesn’t for everyone, because we are also all different.
Yes, we live in a society that will think something is wrong with you if you speak to yourself, when really all normal person doesn’t it on a regular basis on their own.
Thanks for your insights 🙂
Hi Sylvianne, your tips on “Walking, asking yourselves questions about what you want to know and sleep on your ideas” truly do work. For me i always find that when i get into bed that is when my imagination is most creative and active. I always say i need to keep a note book next to my bed and i can kick myself when i think of something and don’t write it down. Thank you for your post, i am pretty sure a lot of people are going to realize how simple it is just to take a step back, relax and everything will come rushing back.
Hi Sarah,
Nice meeting you here 🙂
If you have most of your ideas when you go to bed, you definitely need to have a not pad of some sort, either digital or else, to take notes. You’ll be glad you did.
Thank for coming 🙂
Early mornings are when I’m ripe with ideas, but need to slow down to make them come to fruition.
I think writing can be painful when you know what you want to write, but somehow the words just don’t flow. Other days, you start, and before you know it, an article is done and dusted.
For finding ideas, I read, read and read some more 🙂
Dee
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Hi Dee,
Yes, I agree, early morning is great for me too. As for ideas, reading is certainly on the top of my list to come up with ideas as well.
Thanks for coming by again, and have a fantastic week!
Writing is a passion and one way to improve our grammar and it is also a way to let our thoughts be read by all.
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I love your idea of writing discipline and totally agree with you that it shouldn’t hurt. Otherwise, it would be a torture and we’ll be trying to escape it.
I recollect one of my favorite quotes about writers – “A writer never has a vacation. For a writer, life consists of either writing or thinking about writing.” (Eugene Ionesco). And I must confess that it is totally true for me. I do not force myself to think about writing, but I have my best insights when I least expect them.
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