Write About These Things If You've Run Out Of Writing Ideas

There are times when every writer feels like they have officially run out of writing ideas.

It has happened to me several times. I have gone days without writing because I didn't have any topics to write about. Or at least, I thought so.

Having written over 200 articles online now, I can say that you never really run out of ideas to write about. If you don't have any topics in mind, it means you just don't know where to look.

There are no new ideas.

Most writers - especially those who are new to online writing - think that they need to write about unique topics. So, they search for ideas nobody has ever written before.

Understand this: People have already written about all the topics out there.

Austin Kleon said in his book Steal Like An Artist (a highly-recommended book for writers and creators):

Every new idea is just a mashup or a remix of one or more previous ideas.

Quit trying to find new ideas because they do not exist.

But that does not mean you have to copy the same thing someone else has written. You can mix things up and add your elements to the story. You can also talk about it from a different viewpoint.

Moreover, you can add personal stories and experiences to your writing. That could be something new and fresh for the readers.

Instant writing ideas

If you think you have run out of ideas, here are four things you can write about instantly.

1. Your thoughts and feelings

Research says that humans have more than 6,000 thoughts per day.

What have you been thinking about lately? Is it something you can share online with others? If yes, write about it.

You are probably thinking about something while reading this story. But you might not be conscious of every thought that comes to your mind.

Try meditating for a few minutes. Sit back, relax, and focus on your breath. You will be surprised by the thoughts that come to you.

Next, you can also write about your feelings and emotions. Maybe talk about something that happened to you that made you feel a certain way. Your readers might resonate with it, which could be an excellent way to connect with them.

If you are not sure how to track your thoughts and feelings, try doing these:

1. Meditation: It will enhance your self-awareness and mindfulness. You will be able to observe your thoughts and feelings distinctly.
2. Journaling: It will allow you to keep track of your life. Furthermore, you can reduce stress, set goals, record ideas, and express gratitude through journaling.

2. Something that happened to you recently

Several things happen to us in our daily lives - at home, work, or other places.

What happened to you yesterday (or this morning or an hour ago)? Who was there? How did you feel? Did you learn something from it?

Share your personal stories. People connect more to real stories than something you made up in your head.

If nothing interesting has happened in your life recently, go back a few months or years. I'm sure you will find an exciting event to talk about that is entertaining or informative to the readers.

3. Something you read (or watched)

We are constantly consuming content. We read stories, tweets, social media posts, world events, journals, etc. Furthermore, we also read books, papers, and other physical documents.

What did you read that was interesting? It could be related to anything. Write about it. Discuss your thoughts and lessons.

Similarly, you can also talk about something you watched online. It could be a documentary, vlog, interview, movie, or series.

There is a massive amount of content online. You can choose anything and write about it. Again, remember to make your content interesting, informative, and entertaining.

4. Your relationships

Humans are social animals. We always have friends, colleagues, partners, spouses, or kids in our lives.

Your life revolves around these people, which means you experience different things with them; things like love, friendship, togetherness, arguments, etc.

Your readers experience similar things because they also have other people in their lives. It might be a great way to connect with your audience.

Share stories about your relationships as they are easy to write and talk about.

Finally

Whether you write about your thoughts, relationships, or events, it should resonate with the readers. Don't make your story sound like a journal.

Remember: People are more interested in themselves than others. So, even if you share a personal story, add elements that make it about the reader rather than yourself.

Your readers seek value in your stories. What value can you provide to them?

Give them something to remember, whether it is a valuable lesson or a fun experience.

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Thanks for reading.

This story first appeared on Medium.com: https://medium.com/writers-blokke/write-about-these-things-if-youve-run-out-of-writing-ideas-a07364968689