Jun 17, 2014 / Beginner

Five Posts to Write Right Now

Having a hard time finding a topic for your next post? Give one of these ideas a try.

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/simax/3390895249/in/photolist-6aDe2c-cFEUQd-5SqUMC-9NLikq-9htVqZ-99JLXY-bp3MBW-a6fx5Y-a5NAbc-a7Pqpm-afJEqi-4yuCEY-drtBbi-dACUKf-7aiPFz-3zYvfG-bRMJZX-ecQ4Qr-94dibV-fuKSC-ar2z97-5T4LFb-4PRucd-m2CP1F-nfj4sc-62QFjm-4nh4j7-fYkwGF-irYLgU-5SZq78-GBa9-86rrWj-7rNwAB-9ZyAKG-a1me65-jVgM1c-oc8NH-f6fYH4-dnmotM-e6Ay8z-ho6pk1-5SmzPr-9ZfbaP-5T55Ls-aivVuh-4nCQ4s-i8Y7JX-5QPB1T-hW2hNw-mzR9/">Image</a> by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/simax/">Michael Ruiz</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">CC BY 2.0</a>)

five posts to write now

Whether you’ve been blogging for a decade or for a week, sometimes it can feel like inspiration has taken a day off. Next time that happens, give these post ideas a try.

1. The quote-first post.

It’s sometimes easier to put your own thoughts into words when someone else’s words are already there on the screen. Have you come across a powerful quote in the news, or read a great opening sentence in a novel? Is there a line in a song you’ve recently heard that you keep thinking about?

Start a post by quoting it. The quote can be as simple as a line of dialog from Game of Thrones, or as thought-provoking as a short passage form Plato in this fascinating essay on crime and free will. You could write about how the quote affects you, why you think it’s interesting, or how it relates to something you’d written about before. Or just use it to set the tone and take the post in a different direction.

2. How to do X.

We all possess knowledge that others don’t. Why not share your homemade gummy bears recipe, your favorite Portuguese word, or your secret trick to memorizing poetry?

Giving instructions and keeping things concrete will help you to get writing quickly. At the same time, the stuff you teach can also be a vehicle for storytelling — from the kooky uncle who taught you how to play bridge to the trip to Burning Man where you learned how to ride a unicycle.

3. Share a song.

It might sound clichéd, but music really is a great conversation starter. Is there a new song you can’t get out of your head? Have you just listened to a song you used to love and are having a nostalgia-filled moment? Write about it!

Embedding a YouTube video of any song into your post is a breeze. Once it’s there, tell us a story about it — why do you like it? What memories does it bring up? Is there a line or a moment in the song that you find especially powerful?

4. The an epiphany post.

Everyone loves a good epiphany. Write a post about a moment that made you change your mind, realize you’ve been wrong about something, or helped you find a solution to a problem.

Writer Janine Canty recently shared a devastatingly beautiful post about her decision to leave an abusive marriage. But you could write about things both big and small — from the conversation that made you decide to become vegan or quit smoking, to the day you knew you were going to major in microbiology. Readers care less about the details (though those help, of course), and more about the transformation and the path that led you to it.

5. The story of your name.

Whether you’re Rebecca Jones or Atticus Lucifer von Stolzing IV, your name has a story, and it’s never a boring one. Share it with your readers!

Do you blog anonymously? Tell the story behind your pet’s name, your car’s name, or your blog’s name. Or tell us how you would’ve liked to be named, had you had the choice (or decided to change your given name).

Still in need of more ideas? Check out these earlier installments in the Five Posts to Write Right Now series.

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      1. It’s totally fine to sign a comment if you feel like it! Some people already have their names in their blog name (which appears next to the comment), while others blog with a pseudonym, which is why many comments are unsigned. It’s really your call.

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  2. The Quote Post is the quick one for when you either don’t have the time or disposition to write a proper post. They can also work as eye openers for certain topics off the beaten track in relation to the main subject matter of the blog. For example, my greenlakeblue blog isn’t primarily about spirituality/thinking/mindfulness and so forth but I’m actually enjoying adding quotes related to those topics into the mix.
    It balances and adds interest, in my opinion. I also like to use eye catching photography.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. I would like to use WordPress.com, I don’t know how to use efficiently. Please suggest me how to install WordPress.com and selecting themes. Thank you!

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    1. Hello! With WordPress.com, you don’t need to install anything — your sign up for a free account, and you can then choose whatever theme you wish in the Theme Showcase. If you’re looking for some tutorials to get started, we have a few you should check out. And if you ever need feedback from fellow bloggers on your posts, your blog’s design, or any other blogging-related issue, feel free to visit our Community Pool, which is open every Sunday.

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  9. Writing about your blog’s name is a really great idea. Your blog name likely has plenty of meaning behind it and is truly the very first impression that a reader gets when he or she stumbles upon your site. I spent a long time deciding on my post-grad blog’s name, and now my blog is entitled ‘America’s Finest Tiger,’ a representation that means a lot to me. I will definitely write about it very soon!

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    1. What about instead of writing, or along with your writing, offer a video of you talking about a topic every so often and for the writing part just utilize that as a transcript?

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  14. I already used the quote post for my first ever post here on WordPress, and I hadn’t even read this article beforehand. 😀 Thanks for this list, if inspiration ever leaves me I’ll try out more of these.

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  25. Thanks for the ideas! I just created my blog yesterday and I find blogging cool. I’m still trying to get the hang of blogging so your post is definitely going to help me out. Thank you once again.

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  29. gd mrning all,, i am the scret woman who’re they’re looked fr, but thy mke cnsvrcy theory 2 dstry m,,b’coz thy ddnt wnt m grw up,,thy jst wnt 2 kill m b’cz of jlousy 2 m,, thy jst wnt hve the spcial life as like m,,thts why thy just mke cnsvrcy theory 2 pressed m,, till i am alone at my country,,it was b coz of dirty politics,,

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