Finding inspiration for blog posts can be a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be! Here are a few simple tips:
Write It Down
Great post ideas can pop into your head at the worst of times – in the middle of the night, during a trip to the park or in my case, while taking a shower. Keeping a notepad and pen handy makes it easy to quickly jot down ideas, words or phrases to help jar your memory when it’s time to write your post.
Look Around You
Potential blog fodder is all around you, so always keep your eyes open for your next potential post. Writing about relateable topics encourages conversation and will help you connect with readers. So don’t be afraid to write about the moms at the park who gave you a dirty look, the crazy drivers on the freeway, your child’s favorite TV show that you happen to hate or your quirky family tradition!
Link Up
Weekly link ups are a great way to find inspiration as well as new blogging friends. Each week, Mama Kat gives a list of five writing prompts for you to choose from, write about and link up with on Thursday. Fadra hosts Stream of Consciousness Sunday, in which you write and publish a five minute brain dump. Liz and Kristin host iPPP, a quick and easy meme where you link up pictures from your camera phone.
Turn to Your Tribe
Bouncing ideas between blogging friends can help open your mind and strengthen your relationships. Perhaps you have a post idea that you can’t quite put into words or maybe a friend has an idea that’s better suited for your blog. A great example of this is when I suggested the Seven Deadly Twitter Sins to Jessica (aka. The Twitter Queen). Not only did she put out a great post, but it became her highest viewed and commented on piece! I had a great idea, but it was an idea meant for Jessica. It was her love of Twitter that made the post.
Now tell me: How do you find inspiration?
Thanks, that was a great post on inspiration. Sometimes it hard, when you are new and trying to find your voice.
Awesome tips! The writing it down is so key. I think of stuff in the shower all the time and the moment I get out, I grab for my phone. Link-ups are great too – especially in the beginning of your blogging tenure.
These are all ideas that I use. Particularly writing it down.
Reading other blogs usually gives me ideas too.
I’f I’m really stuck in the creativity department, sometimes I will just take a week off.
Great set of tips, Carri! Having some ideas already in the que makes it so much easier when you’re drawing a blank. :>
Fantastic tips! That Carri sure knows her stuff!
There is something about the shower that makes ideas flow! Why IS that?? Great post!
Thanks for stopping by, everyone!
@Hopes, I think it’s because the shower is the only place we really get peace and quiet!! 🙂
Great post! Keeping up with ideas can be a rollercoaster sometimes. Most of my material comes from Snookie, Ke$ha and the bodily fluid of the day (mostly cat barf). As far as inspiration, I’m with everyone else… the shower. I’m just going to move my computer into the shower & see how creative I get!
I do try and look for the small “a ha” moments in every day life, sometimes like the topics that made up the Seinfeld episodes. They could be small things that most of us experience but don’t take time out to talk about. If it’s something that I might want to run home and talk to my hubby about, or email a girlfriend about, then it is often good fodder for a blog post.
Somehow I don’t always do that well with writing prompts…then I feel like I am writing an assignment rather than writing out of inspiration. I think each writer is different though. I tend to only write when I really feel inspired but I understand it is important to keep writing no matter what, just to maintain that creative stamina and discipline.
I write all of my ideas down in my phone do I can go back and finish my posts later.
My ideas come from everything, just like you said, traffic, work, the bathroom.
Everything is a potential post!
Great ideas! I think it would be helpful for me to have a notebook to write in. I’d like to have more ideas, so I’m not writing everything at the last minute.
I love all of these ideas! I am bookmarking this. You always give us the best stuff…:)