Writer's Workshop: Ideas For Your Blog

Writer’s block. Probably the two most used words by writers of fiction, but also for bloggers. Coming up with new and interesting things to share with others doesn’t have to be like pulling teeth. Every day, you are assaulted by hundreds, maybe thousands, of possibilities.

It begins when you wake up and had a strange dream you vaguely remember. Idea. You take a shower and the radio in the bathroom plays a song from childhood that reminds you of the house you moved into across town and the first friend you made that summer when the song was playing in the background. Idea. Then, you turn on the TV to listen to the news as you have your breakfast and are presented with global warming, a kidnapping, a 15-car pileup on the interstate. Idea. Idea. Idea.

Surfing the Web, you have endless possibilities to write about; a funny video on YouTube, news of a new ancient pyramid found in China, a medical breakthrough, a message from someone with an attachment that makes you laugh.

You love to collect lawn gnomes and want to do a post about it? You could take pictures of them and talk about how you fell in love with gnomes and where you got the pretty one with the red apron, but why not try a new approach to a straightforward subject? What if you boxed up your lawn gnomes and take them on the road with you, shooting them in different stopping locations like a scenic overlook, a bar standing next to your mug of frothy beer, next to the height sign at the waterpark slide. Then, tell about their travels and the mischief they got into.

Another great possibility is the sharing of knowledge. You’ve accrued in your lifetime either amazing wisdom from tough times, talents for dealing with angry customers, and hobby and work knowledge. Did you have a bad day? Did you have a funny day? Did you notice something about humanity that you need to share?

Ultimately, remember your original premise for your blog. When I started “Ghost Hunting Theories,” my goal was to see if anyone else out there had the same questions about what ghosts are and how the phenomenon works. I had no idea there would actually be people who had some of the same questions I had. I hoped I might get one person to say, “yeah, I always wondered that too.” I found instead a huge network of people who not only have a lot of the same wonderings, but have some interesting concepts.

What it comes down to is this; if you find interest in it, thousands more people do too. We’re not as unique as we like to think. But, in the blog world, that’s to our advantage.

Make an observation. Then, report it.

Happy blogging!