I used to wonder all day what I was going to write about next. I would worry quite a lot too because I set a deadline for myself and if I came close to not meeting it I would completely be closed up and I couldn’t think of anything to write.
That’s all changed. For me at least but maybe this will work for you too!
I hope.
Buy your domain and hosting and install your favorite platform, I recommend WordPress. Start a welcome article describing what your blog is going to be about. Now, go out and comment on blogs you like from any category. Do this for hours. Heck if you can get 100 in on a Saturday with some pop or coffee or something, do it!
Keep doing this daily (just not as many, obviously) and as you read what other bloggers are talking about hopefully some ideas will come to you about what you could write about. Open up your favorite word processing application and start writing. Focus on two articles at the most. Publish those articles for a future date and whenever an idea strikes you simply repeat the process.
This is what I do and it comes in handy. At the least I hope I’m truly providing quality content with every article I write as without giving you anything there’d be no need for me to blog except to talk to myself by reading what I wrote and commenting on my own words.
So, in a nutshell, buy everything you need to get started (domain, hosting, wordpress (this is free)), write your first article and go read other articles and comment like crazy. If ideas come to you don’t wait, write them down. Start making articles that are worth something to someone else. You’ll know if they are once you start publishing them and continue commenting everywhere you possibly can because if you’re receiving comments back, that’s good!
Now go do this and see if it works in your case!
How do you blog with ease? What inspires you and where do the ideas you blog about come from?
COMMENTS
33 Comments
Jordan Cooper
January 22nd, 2010 05:20 AM
Writing things down is paramount, in my opinion. No matter if it’s just a fragment of a small idea, document it somehow so you can remember it later.
Currently, I have over 100 short lines of thought on an iGoogle notepad gadget – I can always refer to it at anytime whenever I need fresh thinking for new blog posts.
Also, look to see what everyone else is doing and think “how can I approach that subject from a different angle?” Even if you happen to agree with the majority opinion, just putting some contrarian thought into your mind will open yourself up to interesting new ideas.
Jordan Cooper´s last blog ..20 Bloggers To Watch Out For In A Back Alley
[Reply]
BluePop13 Reply:
January 22nd, 2010 at 5:51 am
Jordan,
I agree. Writing things down is a good way to look back at your thoughts and remember important things as well as create new ideas for blog posts. As humans we’re definitely not perfect and as so we’re not going to remember everything we read or even write. Because of this it’s great to write down our thoughts as they come so we can refer back to them later.
I usually use gedit Text Editor and put random ideas or quotes and such in a quick document so I can look back in the future.
There’s always two sides to every story and seeing what someone else had to say you can always put your own twist to it and write it for your audience as well.
Great comment… Thanks for sharing!
[Reply]
Gordie
January 22nd, 2010 06:30 AM
I still use a pen and paper when out and store all the ideas in a Word doc. If it’s an idea for an entire blog post, I’ll give the idea it’s own document, so one day I can just open it up and write the entire post out.
Gordie´s last blog ..Six Things You Should Do Daily To Succeed.
[Reply]
BluePop13 Reply:
January 22nd, 2010 at 6:54 am
Gordie,
That’s a good way to do it. I’ve tried writing down what I thought we be good titles for blog posts and decided to write the posts on later dates. I found out, however, that sometimes I just couldn’t think of anything good when I came back to the title and had to start completely over with something entirely new.
Has this ever happened to you?
Thanks for the comment!
[Reply]
Heather
January 22nd, 2010 07:19 AM
Ahhh… this is a lightbulb moment. Hadn’t even occurred to me to take inspiration from the blogs I read (mostly because my own niche is outside the ones I usually comment on). Seems like a great plan though, thanks Eric!
Heather´s last blog ..*Fixed* Wordpress – Help!
[Reply]
BluePop13 Reply:
January 22nd, 2010 at 2:07 pm
Heather,
Yeah it can be just a little different if most of the blogs you comment on are out of your niche. However, this can be good as it can actually give you brand new ideas for your niche with a twist.
All the same, doing this you can actually get ideas to branch out of your niche every once in a while. I need to work on doing this a bit more myself.
Thanks!
[Reply]
Walter
January 22nd, 2010 07:37 AM
What you have shared here works! I am doing the same, especially the comment like crazy part. To tell you the truth, I have no idea of what I’m going to write for my next post. But I only hold this truth: I will come up with a great post.
[Reply]
BluePop13 Reply:
January 22nd, 2010 at 2:09 pm
Walter,
Different things do work for different people. We all learn differently and act differently.
When you have thoughts just write ‘em down and go for it. I usually have 3 to 5 posts waiting to be published so I’m ahead of the game just a bit.
Stop by any time!
[Reply]
Gabe | freebloghelp.com
January 22nd, 2010 08:01 AM
Starting a blog = easy.
Maintaining a blog = hard.
Actually making enough money to buy a happy meal a week = even harder.
But you’re right, we all have to get started somewhere. Get a few posts up and let the blog evolve. For new bloggers, there’s so much to learn in the first few months!
Gabe | freebloghelp.com´s last blog ..I don’t target my Twitter followers and I like it that way
[Reply]
BluePop13 Reply:
January 22nd, 2010 at 2:10 pm
Gabe,
There is very much to learn about this even if you don’t want to make money blogging. Just having options within your own blog can be time consuming and all.
I think it’s well worth it though, all of it, because in the time it could take you to actually make your first dollar (I haven’t as I’ve previously said) look at where you are and what you’ll have learned!
Thanks!
[Reply]
Keith
January 22nd, 2010 10:11 AM
I prefer to use an editor like blogdesk which is free to download http://www.blogdesk.org/en/index.htm and then copy and paste the html into wordpress, this allows me a no-frill easy to use editor and I can save all my posts on my machine to.
Also, I would recommend getting 5+ posts put together before promoting your site, maybe even before going “live” with it.
Good Tips!
PS: I keep pen and paper handy all the time to jot down ideas too.
Keith´s last blog ..Comment Links Are Advertising
[Reply]
BluePop13 Reply:
January 22nd, 2010 at 2:15 pm
Keith,
You made a good point here about getting around 5 posts put together before promoting your site. I wrote about this over at http://www.beginnerblogger.com/blogging-made-simple/ right under ‘Where To Next’. I actually said double what you have here however either number is good enough to get a feel for a starting topic, I believe.
Ten just expands it a bit more.
I haven’t heard of blogdesk myself and will have to check it out.
I should keep a pen and paper on me at all times but I don’t. Maybe that’s something I’ll do and see if my posts start building up even more!
Thanks for stopping by!
[Reply]
Ralph
January 22nd, 2010 10:48 AM
I keep trying to get more systematic but I usually take a pad and pen to a quiet room and think for a while. Sometimes I already have an idea (sorry no igoogle – whatever that is) but most of the time not. I stay there until I have a draft. Then its either get it up for tomorrow or leave it for editing later.
Ralph´s last blog ..Another Carlson car – 1972 Chevrolet Vega
[Reply]
BluePop13 Reply:
January 22nd, 2010 at 2:17 pm
Ralph,
I can see how this would make it simple as your mind is clear and you’re just relaxing and thinking of new and inspiring ideas to talk about.
I usually have ideas come mostly from reading other blogs or talking with friends or even movies. I love movies so I watch enough of them. All good ways to find something to write about.
Thanks!
[Reply]
Thomas
January 22nd, 2010 11:01 AM
I get my ideas many different ways. I’m with Gordie with a pen and paper as my first brainstorming tools. I also like to look at my site from the eyes of a customer and find what is lacking and fill in the gaps.
Thomas´s last blog ..Reach Out and Get Those Links!
[Reply]
BluePop13 Reply:
January 22nd, 2010 at 2:20 pm
Thomas,
Pen and paper seem to be the best way to go about this as you can just jot down ideas whenever, wherever. Definitely a good idea if you can do this!
It’s always good to try and look at your words as a customer and figure out what they would think. Figure out where they see something great or something completely not worth coming back to.
Maybe even a good idea to blog a post about what you have offered your readers up to this point and actually ask everyone who visits your blog what they think and how much you’ve helped them as well as how you can improve what you’re doing?
Thanks for sharing!
[Reply]
TheInfoPreneur
January 22nd, 2010 03:22 PM
Pen paper, answer machine on my phone anything that will jog my memory later on. I’m so stupid if I don’t make some way of reminding me later on I can almost say for sure I will forget it.
Good post brother
TheInfoPreneur´s last blog ..Problogger v Gary Vaynerchuk
[Reply]
BluePop13 Reply:
January 22nd, 2010 at 11:44 pm
James,
All it takes is something that will make it easy for you to remember later on so you can be productive with it and make it shine for the world when ready!
Never thought of answering machine to be honest. Interesting lol.
Thanks!
[Reply]
Eleanor Edwards
January 23rd, 2010 11:02 AM
I have to agree here, if I don’t write things down, they go out of my head. Even more frustrating is planning a post in my head, loving the plan but then failing to write it down because it’s like 3am and then losing all the great bits by morning!
I now put everything on my phone where I can’t lose it!
Eleanor Edwards´s last blog ..1 Minute Motivator: Shake Your Bootie
[Reply]
BluePop13 Reply:
January 23rd, 2010 at 4:15 pm
Eleanor,
Putting ideas in your phone is a good way to do it, at least titles. Your phone’s always with you and it’s easy access.
Writing things down is critical because we can never remember everything.
Thanks!
[Reply]
Dragon Blogger
January 23rd, 2010 03:21 PM
When on the road I will email myself subject titles and little blurbs about my next post. I spend at least 2 hours every Sunday writing 14 blog posts. So that I can queue my three blogs up for a week.
Dragon Blogger´s last blog ..Dragon Blogger Review of Public Enemies
[Reply]
BluePop13 Reply:
January 23rd, 2010 at 4:18 pm
DB,
Sounds like you’ve got a system set up for each week. I might try something like that myself later in the future. Right now whenever an idea comes to me if I can write anything about it down at all, I do.
I actually have a folder on my desktop where I have sub-folders and all my new articles go into the ‘new articles’ and published articles go into the ‘published articles’ folder. It’s a neat little system I’m experimenting with for right now.
Stop by any time!
[Reply]
Erica Mueller
January 23rd, 2010 09:22 PM
I agree! Keeping a list is soooo important! I always have a file pinned to my desktop so I can open and add to it anytime. It’s helped me tremendously!
Erica Mueller´s last blog ..Proud to Announce the All New, EricaSays.com
[Reply]
BluePop13 Reply:
January 23rd, 2010 at 10:25 pm
Erica
Keeping organised really helps and it’s good to know you have a system that allows you to stay productive and accomplish what needs done throughout your day.
Thanks for stopping by!
[Reply]
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Alien Ghost
January 24th, 2010 08:26 AM
Hi Eric,
Great advice! It does work for me too.
After reading other people’s blogs is easier to see and grab ideas to write about and practice makes it faster every time.
I too keep a “pending posts” and a “posted posts” folders, so there’s always something to work on and something available to post at once.
Raul
[Reply]
BluePop13 Reply:
January 24th, 2010 at 4:07 pm
Raul,
It’s about people helping people by discovering what someone else had to say or has done and trying it yourself.
Thanks for stopping by!
[Reply]
Rose
January 25th, 2010 12:22 PM
I write my posts down in draft. You appear to be doing pretty well for yourself.
[Reply]
BluePop13 Reply:
January 25th, 2010 at 3:18 pm
Rose,
What I do is a lot of at the moment type stuff right now. I try to get my stuff scheduled ahead of time and ready for the future.
Thanks for your comment!
[Reply]
Olusegun
January 26th, 2010 03:40 PM
Meditation does it for me. In those moments of quiet, i seem to be able to get access to deeper understanding of things.
Of course the challenge is to be able to sit still and be very calm.
Most if the time i always forget to hold pen and paper and i have to rush to go and get it.
This is my first comment on your blog
Cheers,
Olusegun
[Reply]
BluePop13 Reply:
January 26th, 2010 at 4:21 pm
Olusegun,
I just left a comment on your blog. Thanks for sharing about meditation and all. I actually did it a few nights ago and it went rather well, my first time.
Stop by any time!
[Reply]
Ana Goncalves
February 5th, 2010 03:04 PM
I am similiar to you, I create only when I feel. I feel this expression is the truest in the moment. When we are honest we express more of what and who we are, and this is open to come out in any way true to oneself. I think there are transition periods in our lifes that are there for each moment, and they are as equal important as the one less travelled, and like today I have travelled here to you and have spoken from the source.
Pleasure to meet you.
Ana Goncalves´s last blog ..Share your gifts with the world and shine
[Reply]
BluePop13 Reply:
February 6th, 2010 at 7:02 am
Ana,
It’s a pleasure to meet you as well. You know, I don’t always type like I talk but am always honest about things as lying would only get me no where. I’m not saying I’m perfect but that I work hard to come across in a positive way to everyone and make sure I say what I feel and see where it goes. I love meeting new people and love the interaction I get and I completely love writing blog posts for everyone to enjoy. After all, without you all there’d be no point, seriously.
In fact, the main thing I don’t like is when I can think of absolutely nothing to write about… It does happen and often, that’s why I’m mentioning it.
Thanks!
[Reply]