Blank Mind, Blank Screen: Need Ideas!
Q. I'm staring at a blank screen with an equally blank mind. I need an idea for tomorrow's newsletter. Help!
A. Most of us have too many ideas or too few. I've never met anyone with just the right number. Here's the secret: Once you start writing prolifically, you'll get ideas. Each idea will seem better than the one before. In fact, some ideas will be so good that you may be tempted to stop your current project and start over with the new idea!
Instead, keep a folder on your virtual or actual desktop or write ideas in a notebook. Some ideas age gracefully while others earn a decent burial.
But now let's say you're staring at a blank screen, desperate for an article for tomorrow's newsletter. What can you do? Here are five tips to get started.
1. Begin with your website's keywords. Let's say your site features "time management for stay-at-home-moms." You want to attract visitors who are searching on "parenting," "home" and "mothers." Write your keywords on top of a sheet of paper and free-associate. Busy. Homes. Housework. Hmmmaybe you can write about housework and time management?
2. Look around the room where you are working and choose an interesting object. For example, I see two sleeping cats and, through the window, a plant holder with the remains of my last gardening efforts.
My sad little plant could be a metaphor for some aspect of writing, such as ideas that die unless they're watered, fertilized and loved. Or it could be a reminder to focus on your strengths. Laziness often signals a lack of interest or skill. Let's face it, I'll never grow a nice pot of geraniums like the one my neighbors have.
Sleeping cats? Well, some images work better than others, and I've written a lot about my cats and my dog. Overuse of an image...hmm, there's an idea!
3. Call up a friend and describe what you're offering. Ask your friend, "What seems most unusual, puzzling or surprising about what I just said?"
Let's say you're an office organizer. Your friend says, "I didn't realize that people who cleared clutter often found their sales increasing. Can you convince me?"
Given the state of my own office, I'd like to be convinced, too! You've got a winner here.
Heidi Challenger of Boise, Idaho, promises a year's guarantee for each home she sells.
See http://www.movinglady.com/relolinks.html to find her site. Now there's a great idea for an article -- or several! What is a home guarantee? And why should we ask for one? Does Heidi have unique assets that allow her to offer a guarantee when other realtors can't? All these questions arise from her online advertisement -- and all could be developed into articles.
4. This one's my favorite. Ask your subscribers to contribute questions. You'll be sure your articles fit their interests. Last week's article on permission marketing came directly from a reader request and this week's article combines two queries. WL Ezine subscribers, take note!
5. Look at your calendar. What's the season? If you're writing for your own ezine, choose the current season or, if you're right on the border, next season. If you're writing for print media, ask the editors for a calendar. You may need to submit in June for a Christmas issue.
You can go deeper, choosing month and even holiday within the month. You can get whimsical, writing about the astrological sign that governs this month.
About The Author
Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is an author, speaker and career/business consultant, helping midlife professionals take their First step to a Second Career. http://www.cathygoodwin.com.
"Ten secrets of mastering a major life change" mailto:subscribe@cathygoodwin.com
Contact: cathy@cathygoodwin.com 505-534-4294
MORE RESOURCES:
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The One-Plot Wonder
Back in the mid to late 1980s I was a security guard. The pay was
lousy, but it gave me many hours in seclusion to write short
stories and novels.
Another Way to Show Your Expertise: Write a Book!
Maybe you should write a book! This is not as difficult as it sounds. You're already an expert in a field by virtue of your work experience and/or academic credentials.
English Grammar - Seven Outdated Rules You Can Ignore
No matter what your fifth-grade English teacher says, some grammar "rules" no longer apply. The style mavens of our day all agree that the ability to communicate clearly and concisely takes precedence over archaic grammar rules.
A Writers Tools
If you are like most writers, you're constantly searching for tips on technique that will help you to increase your chances of publication. You eagerly pounce on articles that tell you how to plot better, write better and sell better.
8 Ways to Write a Winner Book Fast!
Have you given up on getting your book out of your heart into
the hands of your readers? Don't give up. There's an easy way to
do anything and a more difficult way.
Pairs/Groups Of Words Often Confused - Part 1 of 6
ACCEPT, EXCEPT
Not commonly seen even from unpublished writers, who are probably familiar with the difference because they're all waiting for an acceptance!"We accept your invitation to your party, except for Bill, who will be away on that day."ADAPT, ADEPT, ADOPT
Adapt means to adjust, adept means skilled and adopt means to take as your own:"Some people cannot adapt to new surroundings.
Is Now the Time for a Play about the War in Iraq?
Everone knows that comedy is mostly about timing. If you hit upon the right nerve (is a funny bone a nerve?) at the right time then, usually, you don't even have to be original or even marginally funny to win laughs.
What you Dont Know About Book Publishing Can Cost You
Dream that your book can be a number one best seller? Read books or visit Web sites that say they have your answers? -- All you need to do is get their program, follow their advice, and the world is yours. Or, you think I'll write it, but someone else can market and promote it.
The Importance of Writing Clearly for Business
Creating written documents reveals so much about you and your business skills. Your writing tells the reader about your educational background, pride in your work and business expertise.
Write On! - Key Components of Successful Business Communication
Written communication is often the first impression you make on potential customers, business partners, or employers. Because of its significance to your marketing message, it is one of the most important aspects of your business.
Write With Passion: 4 Steps To Emotionally Charge A Nonfiction Article
You have just completed a draft of an article. It seems
flat, even to you.
The Many Paths to Plotting
For several years before I left teaching to write full time (over a decade ago now), I was a specialist reading teacher. I dealt mainly with two categories of kids:
those who were struggling to read at all (I had to turn them into readers) andthose who could read, but did it slowly and reluctantly (I had to build their enthusiasm and level of expertise)Before I became a specialist in this subject, I had been a classroom teacher for some time.
How To Stay Fit While Writing
Day after day, writers tend to sit for hours writing that novel or story, and over time, this can become a potential problem. Their metabolism may slow down and the pounds can inch up.
Suspense Novels Made Easy
Suspense novels are probably the easiest novels to write. Suspense novels require a simple formula, which will make your work truly suspenseful.
Writing About Writing
What am I going to write about?Which topic is the best?Who is going to be interested in my article?
You can ask yourself endless questions on 'what' is going to be the subject of your article. Don't despair! This is not a problem .
Becoming the Total Package
Being a great writer is no longer enough if you plan to score a big publishing deal, especially as a nonfiction author.Particularly if your book idea falls into the how-to or self-help categories, you not only have to sell your terrific writing, but you also have to sell yourself as the books conduit to the world.
Building Character
Names are important. Names give clues about us, where we live, who we are.
Finding The Book Writing Resources, Tips, And Help You Need!
Writing can be more difficult that just compiling your thoughts on a few pieces of paper. In fact, it can be a challenge to find something new, interesting, and publishable to write about.
Writing With Power: 5 Snappy Rules For Success
Almost everyone could profit from enhancing their writing skills. From writing more crisp meta-tags - which search engine bots find quite sexy - to turbo-charging your blog readership by writing with punch, a skilled pen can propel any online effort in the right direction.
What Can Go Into A Plot?
Creative Writing Tips -We all tackle plotting differently. How you plot will be individual to you, as it is with every writer.
|