Why Consistent Writers Never Run Out of Ideas
Why is it that people who write a lot never seem to run out of ideas?
This is a question I've heard over and over again. If you're like me, I'll have some great runs of ideas, then it seems the well runs dry. That's until I started an experiment with a new writing routine.
I wanted to write daily.
It seems counter productive to someone who started to struggle with ideas to write about. The question is, how do the pros do it? They aren't AI bots, they're real people, who happen to have built the skill for infinite ideas.
Here are the rules I set for myself for this routine.
Write at least one hour a day
This can be a new article or working on a second draft for an unpublished article
If I finish an article before the hour is up, I have to start on another one
If I happen to miss a day, I have to do at least two hours the next day (I haven't missed a day yet)
When I first started this new writing routine, I considered taking weekends off, but that changed after the first week. I was on a roll and didn't want to stop.
This new routine forced me to rethink my idea strategies. Every time I sat down, I put more thought into different pain points I've had and the solutions I found for them.
This wasn't enough to keep me going though. I needed more.
These ideas started more generalized, but as I dug deeper into specifics, that's when the ideas just seemed to appear. An example would be, if I wrote an article on "How to Write Consistently," the next idea would be, "How to Write Consistently When Your Day Job Drains Your Mental Energy." It's a pain point I know effects me directly, giving me insight on giving a solution.
One thing I found to be helpful was to take these different elements from my life and use them as inspiration. Like above I referred to pain points in my life that I've solved. Those are the big ones. I also happen to work in IT, and used that as inspiration for several articles.
As I dug deeper, I found that there were systems that helped with idea generation. Nicolas Cole had one that really took my idea generation to the next level.
Here's a generalized breakdown for the system I use today based on Nicolas Cole's model;
Choose Your Topics
Look back on the last couple years or so of your life. We're going to brain dump everything that might be of interest or helpful to others. Focus on these types of topics;
What Skills Have You Built?
Hobbies You've Practiced or Picked Up.
Problems You've Solved or Overcome.
Life Transformations You've Made.
This brain dump should give you some basic topics to start with. Choose three or four.
Get Specific
Each topic will need some specifics. Break down areas in each topic using specifics like these.
Problem
Price
Location
Industry
Experience
Situation
Demographic
These will give you something to build on. Just from this you can start to come up with ideas.
Example: How to Fix (Problem) or How to do this thing on this budget (Price)
Credibility
There are two types of credibility that you can use Personal and Borrowed.
Personal Credibility
When writing on a topic where you have the experience, that's personal credibility. This means you can speak on it as the expert. This is the reason we started with looking at our past experience from the past couple of years or so.
Borrowed Credibility
In cases where you may not have the direct experience on a subject, you can borrow credibility. This means you're curating information from other experts on the subject. It's best to make sure you properly credit and cite sources.
The Path for Each Topic
Each topic can follow a different path when considering ideas. I'm borrowing from Nicolas Cole's "The 4 A Path" to help keep it memorable.
Actionable - These are "How to" type ideas for a topic. Think tips, tools, hacks, advice, guides, etc.
Analytical - A breakdown of a topic. Think trends, numbers, reasons, examples breakdowns, etc.
Aspirational - Something that inspires the reader. Think lessons, mistakes, reflections, personal stories, advice, etc.
Anthropological - These are the "Here's Why…" approaches to a topic. Think failures, fears, struggles, comparisons, observation, etc.
Combine Paths
This is where it really gets interesting. Combining different paths is the true source for infinite idea generation.
Example: Here's a Breakdown On This Topic (Analytical) and How To Avoid The Pitfalls (Actionable)
Recap
Generating ideas isn't as hard as it might seem. The more you write the more your mind gets trained to thing about ideas. A system such as this one, can help with the process.
Use your past and interests to choose your topics
Be specific one those topics are chosen
Establish your credibility, personal or borrowed
Combine Paths for infinite idea generation
The more you practice the easier it gets. It's like playing a sport the more you do it, the better you get at it. The journey of my daily writing routine forced me to find a solution. Feel free to share your process in the comments, maybe it will help another new writer.
