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 clichĂ©d, 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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  9. Gosh, is it possible to make gummy bears at home? Somebody write that post!
    Thanks for the inspiration, Ben – the well has been a little empty lately… đŸ™‚

    Liked by 4 people

  11. Definitely helpful and timely! I’m a small fish in this big pond with a mind too busy to know where to begin. These are great tips to give me that place to begin. Thank you!

    Liked by 4 people

  12. I’m so glad I read this earlier, it inspired me to make my first ‘proper’ post ever: on how to deal with hayfever. You only understand how hard it is to deal with if you have to deal with it yourself!

    Liked by 3 people