6 Places to Find Writing Ideas: Never Have a Blank Page Again

That’s not the only time I’ve gained inspiration from another person’s posts. I’ll find areas that a person has forgotten about, and develop ideas based on those ideas. It could be the layout that has given me ideas for a new piece. I’ll even read something on a completely different topic and come up with ideas within my own niche.

When you’re reading someone else’s pieces, your mind gets the chance to relax. You’re not trying to force your brain to come up with ideas. Your subconscious is able to work while you read. It’s not going to happen instantly all the time, but eventually you’ll have a notebook full of ideas being thrown at you. Make sure you have a notebook to jot all those notes down!

This idea was suggested to me by another writer, and I love it. Go into your local library, book store or just take a look at eBooks online where you get a sneak peak at the contents page. All you need to see is the contents page. Don’t be tempted to look at the actual information, because you may copy without ever intending to.

Look at books that are on the niche you write about, and take a look at the title of each chapter. For example: you write about photography and have found a book “The Seven Basics of Photography.” Each chapter will have those seven steps. You can then create seven articles from those chapter titles (making the titles your own, of course). Add your own take to the basics, and share your own stories.

Watch out for copying here. It’s fine to get inspiration from others. I get my inspiration from others. I’ll sometimes Google a topic just to see what results come up. Just looking at the first page of results will usually get my brain ticking with ideas if I’m really struggling. What you don’t want to do is actually take the content and just rewrite it into your own words. You need to make it entirely your own.

What about gaps in the market? This is where Googling comes in handy. Take a look at the results in your niche or a particular topic in your niche, and see what isn’t there. This is sometimes a little harder, and it can take some searching.

You’re looking for snippets of information that is missing. You want tips and advice that haven’t been shared hundreds of times already. As an expert in your niche you’re going to find them.

Once you have the gaps, it’s time to do the keyword research. Is there a need to cover the gaps? If people aren’t searching for anything to do with them, then it’s safe to say there’s a reason for that gap. If people are searching for them—and a lot of people—you’ll quickly find yourself with a following.

Yes, there are times that this will work to your advantage. Most of the times these are the types of articles people are searching for. But what about twisting the subject every now and then? It will give you a different angle, and make your title extremely interesting for people finding it on social media or coming across it on Google.

Try a “what not to do” style article. Cover the mistakes that people make, and share ways that people can avoid them. I recently did this on my writing blog telling people why they’re not becoming a freelance writer. It received more comments and views than any other post on my blog. It caught people’s attention, and they wanted to know if they were making those mistakes. I have a few more like that in mind, but I’m going to wait a while before I do the next one.

Think about something that has happened in your life. What did you learn from it and how has it helped you? Share that with your readers. You’ll soon find a lesson in everything that happens, and create a full list of story ideas to tell.

In the end I had 25 posts written before I’d even created my website. I had another 100+ post ideas because of all the things that my friends told me would be useful. Only around 10 people posted, but when I got one idea it spawned into another and then another. Some people also had a long list of things they needed help with or would have found useful before they lived on their own.

You’ll be surprised at the way your friends can help. They may not have any expertise, but that’s where it benefits you. You ask them what they would like to know, and they will tell you everything. It’s then up to you to craft the posts and share the information with them. As you start to run out of ideas, ask them if they’d like you to expand on anything.

There’s never an excuse for running out of ideas. Even if you think you’ve written it all, you haven’t. There are always gaps in the market, and new things that people want to know. It’s time to use your connections to your advantage and get some inspiration from the people you admire.