Question to article writers...

[D Ambrose]

All the articles on my membership site are written for me by others.

However, I am considering doing a bit of writing myself, so was curious to know:

What inspires your article topics?

I personally find Steven Wagenheims articles very original and it makes me wonder - where the heck does he get his ideas from? (feel free to comment here Steven!)

There are other many great writers out there (and on here) that write at least 10-15 articles a day...

So where does the inspiration come from?


Thanks,

Daniel

[Sylvia Meier]

The inspiration comes from anywhere and everywhere. I can get ideas from dealing with things on a daily basis, this forum is another great mind lifter, if I really want to jum into something new I will do a brainstorm search (I belive that's what its called don't have it installed on this computer) on Microniche and get all sorts of new ideas. Life is full of ideas you just have to open your eyes and start looking.

[Mary Green]

I guess I am less inspired than others, I usually write based on the keywords I need. If you are talking about content for this site though, I would just about things that pertain to others here and have been on my mind. There is always something new, some kind of controversy, etc going on.

Mary

[Steven Wagenheim]

Daniel, this is probably the hardest question in the world to answer for
somebody who has been creative his whole life.

I've written over 700 songs, 2 novels, a 6 year stint writing a daytime drama
for the University of Miami and countless short stories and poems.

I've been writing for over 30 years. I can't think of a minute during the day
when I'm not either writing or thinking of something to write.

I used to love to listen to Paul Harvey's "The Rest Of The Story" many years
ago. He had such a way with words and could spin a yarn so that you just
had to listen. He is probably one of my idols.

I don't know where my love of writing comes from. As far as ideas, give me
a subject and I'll write about it. Doesn't even matter if I know nothing
about it. A little research, throw in some of my colorful wording, and I
can turn a lecture on dental hygiene into something interesting. Point is,
I never hurt for ideas. Putting a spin on something is all you need to do,
and for that, just look to your standard "topic starters"

How To
Dangers Of
What You Should Know
Killer Tips To
The Real Truth About
The Warning Signs Of
Step By Step Guide To

And I could go on for a week.

I call it my plug and play system.

For example, let's say somebody told me to write an article on floor tile.

I could pick out, from above.

How To Lay Floor Tile
What You Should Know About Choosing Floor Tile
3 Killer Tips For Laying Floor Tile
Step By Step Guide To Laying Floor Tile

You can do this for almost anything.

Make a cheat sheet for yourself of a bunch of topic starters. Think of as
many as you can. Can't think of any? No problem. Just look for any article
online and just read the topic starter. So many of them are so generic
that they can be applied to almost any subject.

As you write more, it becomes second nature. I can go from writing one
article to the next on two completely different topics without having to
think for even a second and I won't miss a beat.

Anyway, this stuff should get you started. There's a lot more you could
do but I'd be writing all night and some people might get annoyed.

Hope this helps.

[freudianslip27]

I think this comes easier for some people. Steve, I didn't know you wrote music. 700 songs! Yikes!

I'd suggest if you are struggling with ideas in your niche, spend some time in related forums and see what kinds of things people in that niche want to know about. You could be as upfront as asking them. Giving them what they are asking for can be a great thing.

Matt

[multimastery]

If you're writing about an array of general topics then of course your ideas are more widespread. There could be endless things to write about in this case. Just visit related forums and discussion groups on the subject, do some keyword research and a little more web research on the topic if you deem necessary ~ And Write!

Now if it's a niche topic that you're always focusing on, then it's understandable that your well may run dry sometimes - and you might get writers block from focusing on the same subject all the time. But the basic formula still remains: visit forums about your niche, ask questions, listen to what people are talking about (particular problems in your field) do some additional research if need be ~ And Write! Don't think too much when you're writing That's A Killer, it slows you down (if you're hands stop moving for more than a split second you're think too much.) Write First - Think Later ... Write First - Edit Later!

[Abigail Beal]

Hi Daniel,

Writing is how I pay the VISA bill and feed the cats. So I've certainly written plenty of articles.

I suggest you look into learning about mind mapping, it is a very cool brainstorming technique and is quite easy to learn. You can quickly go from one related topic to another -- and become very inspired. There are tons of great articles out about this....just Google "mind mapping" and see what comes up.

Another great idea for inspiration is to be plugged into the world around you. Read Google News for topics that interest you, watch TV, read magazines and even check out YouTube. You'll soon find you are exposed to things that inspire you to think about a related topic -- or even just give a different take on the same topic.

Good luck!

Abby