Blogger: Michelle Ule
Sitting in for Wendy Lawton who is attending the International Christian Retailing Show today.
Are you running out of ideas of what to blog about?
It’s a common problem if you’ve been blogging for any length of time.
You reach a point where you can’t think of a single thing of any importance that you want to write about.
What to do?
31 blog prompts
- Ask friends what they would be interested in reading from you.
- Think about an incident in your writing life that gave you joy and write about it.
- Take a week and write about any subject matter you happen to be interested in at the time.
- Look up “trending” on Google and see if anything is being discussed which sparks your imagination.
- What have you read lately and loved? Write about the why and how of the book.
- What’s happening outside your window? Describe it and why you think it’s worth looking at.
- Write about the latest research finding in what ever you’re currently writing about.
- Describe your favorite teacher and what s/he did that was so important.
- Tell a funny story from your childhood about something you misunderstood and why it stuck with you.
What to blog about? - Who is your hero? Why? Where did you meet him/her and what made them heroic?
- Who is your favorite president of the 19th century and why?
- What trait do you admire most in a friend?
- Why are you writing about your particular subject area?
- What’s the funniest thing you’ve seen lately on social media?
- How old were you when you first saw Star Wars and what was your reaction?
- If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and what would you do there?
- Have you considered Pinterest for blogging ideas? 🙂
- If you could go back in time, where you would you and why?
- What does your personal handwriting look like and does it make a difference?
- Revisit some of your favorite writings and describe your reaction to them now.
- Consider posting a paragraph of your current project and describe why it is important.
- What’s your favorite parable and why?
- What was your favorite subject in school and how does it inform your current writing?
- Tell a spooky story that changed your life.
- Describe the craziest vacation you ever took?
- Have you ever been on a mission trip? What did you learn?
- What food do you hate and why?
- Describe the most likely animal to be found in your current writing project and discuss why it might be important.
- Who is your favorite writer and include a short passage demonstrating and discussing why.
- Do you like poetry?
- How does music affect your mood?
There you go, one idea for every day of a long month. Some of them are ridiculous, sure, but with a little thought any one of them could trigger an idea.
For me personally, the best place to dream up a blogging idea is when I’m least expecting it. I describe my process in this post.
Or, ideas come in the shower, while taking walks, sitting in the church pew and just remembering something that moved me emotionally.
How about you? Where do you get blogging inspiration?
Tweetables
31 desperate blogging ideas. Click to Tweet
What to blog about now? 31 prompts. Click to Tweet
Handling Writing Distractions: 6 Tips
I do some of my best thinking in the car. I also do some of my most troublesome forgetting in the car.
* What was that really great idea that popped in my head as I passed the courthouse? Dang! I told myself I wouldn’t forget!
* I keep a notepad in the car to nail down those slippery thoughts. But sometimes the traffic lights are all green.
Shirlee, my writing ‘career’ actually started in a car. I passed a roadside memorial cross, and not knowing its story decided to make one up. That became “Blessed Are The Pure Of Heart”.
Shirlee,
Hah! I know what you mean. There’s never a red light when you want one!
Thanks for these great suggestions!
I wish I could blog about unicorns.
* My subject, though, has found me (I mean, everybody dies), and as I continue along the downward path I find that I’m not running out of topics. A wider vista opens, and there are some issues of urgency, to wit: how is God still good when life has become a seemingly pointless beasting? Pain builds character, but this is ridiculous, and the determination to live seems to have more pain as its sole reward.
* It’s tempting to wish this had never happened, but that seems a bit ungrateful. Ungrateful for the friends I have met along the way, and for whatever influence I may have had, to point to the possibility of hope rather than despair.
* That’s what I blog about, I guess. Hope. Not the kind of hope that Joel Osteen sells (Your miracle is just around the corner, and your life will TURN AROUND!), but the hope that no matter how much it hurts, how dark it seems, there is hope that you can make the next minute somehow worthwhile. (I like Rev. Osteen, but listening to a zero-dark-thirty message that God wants to prosper me was a bit much, last night.)
* And maybe someday I’ll take one post, and write about unicorns.
Your path isn’t downward, Andrew, though I’m sure it feels like that at times. It is obviously upward, as indicated by the Light you follow.
Davalynn, the hallmark of a great writer is knowing exactly the right thing to say in exactly the right way, as you have just demonstrated. Thank you for this.
Andrew, you are in my prayers that God will wrap you in healing, love, and peace. Thank you for your willingness to share honestly how you’re feeling right now. From my experience of you in this blog community, I find your message–and more importantly–your example of hope much more inspiring than Joel Osteen’s.
And please do write a blog about unicorns. My character, Siobhan, wrote a post in which she complained about unicorns having better PR people than dragons do. I would love to hear (read) your perspective on those one-horned, too-pure-and-wonderful-to-say-anything-bad-about critters. 🙂
Christine, thank you so much!
* My model for the unicorn is Jewel, from C.S. Lewis’ final book in the Narnia series, “The Last Battle”. Such an example of strength and loyalty, coming directly from a pure heart. Would that I could be like him.
* And yes, a unicorn post will be coming up.
Somehow I missed your response earlier today, Andrew. Sorry. I love C.S. Lewis’ Narnia! Looking forward to the unicorn post. 🙂
Christine, the unicorn post will be a special occasion for me, and I’ll let y’all here know it’s up. It’ll be fun.
Andrew,
I look forward to your post about unicorns. It’s been awhile since I read BPH, but I still remember the characters.
*Also, though I haven’t read or heard Joel Osteen myself, I agree that sometimes his kind of hope is a bit much. Yes, God still gives miracles. Several years ago I was miraculously healed. But, what about the times a big, spectacular miracle doesn’t come? A change in attitude can be a miracle.
* I recently read Pastor Lance Hahn’s book about having faith even though suffering from panic/anxiety attacks. That kind of hope is more realistic for me.
Thank you for this list. Sometimes I get in a blogger writing rut, mostly when I’m thinking too hard. But usually, life throws something my way and stirs my heart.
Like the angel stirring the waters.
Andrew 🙂 <3
Shelli,
I always enjoy what you write. Actually, you share such beautiful pictures and inspiring quotes on FB that you could just do a post in which you share a picture with your own brief reflection on it (maybe a paragraph) then ask for commenters to share the reflections / insights the picture and / or quote inspired in them. Just a thought. 🙂
Thank you, Christine. I love that idea.
One of my high school English teachers gave a random assignment one day: Write about the hoe-handle production of fiscal year 1974-75. I did, rather tongue-in-cheek, as he was, and it worked. I think that was when I knew I could be a journalist and write about anything. But facing a blog? Oh, you have opened new vistas for me. Thank you.
I find my journalism training helps because I’m always looking for a story.
Somedays, though, the blog feels like an ever-hungry child . . .
Great list, Michelle! Blogging regularly became easier when i decided on some weekly topics. Tuesdays are for book reviews, Wednesdays are personal (and your suggestions will be great for that), Friday is food or recipe related. Just narrowing down the possibilities helped immensely.
You’re better organized than I am, Carrie!
I can see that many people use a system like that and that enables readers to know what to expect.
With my blog–however the Spirit moves! 🙂
Great system, Carrie! I may steal it but use different categories. Thanks for sharing it.
Thanks, Michelle! This is a great list and your ideas did give me other ideas. 🙂
One thing that I have done in the past (when I had an active blog, and which I am thinking about doing again (as I’m getting back into blogging) is to have a character from my WIP novel write a post. One of my characters guest-blogged for me for a series of posts. I found her much more interesting than I was and apparently readers did too. The readership went up while Keena was blogging. 😉
Christine, what a terrific idea! Will you let us know here when you return to blogging? I’d sure like to follow you, and I’ll bet that I’m nowhere near alone.
Thanks, Andrew! You are always so supportive and I appreciate it. 🙂
I will let the community know when I have the blog up and running again. At present, I am seeking employment (prayers for God’s help for that would be wonderful) and that is taking up a lot of my time and energy. Nevertheless, I am determined to start querying my novel before this year is over, and so I want to get blogging in accordance with that goal.
God bless you and this entire community. Like you, Andrew, I have found friends, encouragement and affirmation, and hope in this community. I am so thankful to God and everyone here for that. 🙂
Prayers up for you, Christine, for the employment search and for success in querying your novel.
Thanks so much for the prayers, Andrew!
Christine, Tennyson said it best about prayer, in “The Passing Of Arthur” –
“Pray for my soul. More things are wrought by prayer
Than this world dreams of. Wherefore, let thy voice
Rise like a fountain for me night and day.
For what are men better than sheep or goats
That nourish a blind life within the brain,
If, knowing God, they lift not hands of prayer
Both for themselves and those who call them friend?
For so the whole round earth is every way
Bound by gold chains about the feet of God.”
I’m assuming your readers know your character–but maybe not if it’s a WIP.
Interesting.
I have used excerpts from my current project but haven’t noticed any appreciable change in reader numbers.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Before any of the characters wrote a “guest blog”, I had written some posts about the novel, introducing its world (the book’s a fantasy) and two of the characters: Siobhan, the protagonist, and her mother, Keira, who is a banshee. Also, I had written a post in defense of banshees in which I detailed the differences between Hollywood’s distorted depictions of banshees and the characteristics and actions of the original Irish folklore being.
After that, I thought it might be fun to interview a banshee. Keira was the natural choice as the subject of the interview. In the interview, Keira spoke a little about her sister, Keena, who lives in the human world (Keira lives in the faerie world) and her teenage daughter, Siobhan. All three characters then wrote “guest posts.” Keena wrote several.
They talked about their world, their lives (other than the exact events of the plot), and their points of view on various topics. Siobhan only wrote one post in which she complained about the injustice of how often dragons are maligned; whereas, unicorns seemed never to be criticized. Since she has a complicated relationship with a unicorn (whom she views alternatively as a mentor / confidant and as an irritating nuisance), she concluded that the biased way humans viewed the two creatures was entirely unfair and probably the result of the unicorns having a brilliant PR person.
My purpose with the posts was to get the readers to become interested in and connect with the characters so, when the novel came out, readers would want to share in their new adventure.
I wasn’t blogging consistently though and I decided to stop and focus on writing the book (as well as working at my job and other realities of life). Also, since I was working on the first draft at the time, I decided it wasn’t a good idea to stir up excitement about a book that was a long way away from publication.
When I return to blogging, I think I might try the idea again with a couple of changes based on the mistakes I made the first time. I cringe a bit when I re-read some of the posts, especially Siobhan’s. I didn’t quite have her voice down yet, so the narrator wasn’t a good representation of the character. At this point, I know these characters very well and can do a much better job at writing in their individual voices–and at keeping my narrative voice out of “their” writing.
Blessings on your week! 🙂
Christine, what a fun idea, to have one of your characters blog for you. 🙂 So creative!
Thank you for all the great ideas Michelle!
I recently posted a question in several groups that I belong to on Facebook, “What’s your greatest need as a…. writer, social media manager, blogger, mom, wife, etc.?”
I thought I may get a couple of responses but I was shocked at how many responded and continue to respond. I took them and created an editorial calendar for my blog.
Now I have plenty of topics for the rest of this year and probably next year : )
Great idea, Cindy. I can’t imagine what my favorite cast of FB characters would say . . . but maybe I’ll ask? 🙂
Love these blog prompts, Michelle! Thank you!
Oy, it’s turned into one of THOSE days. Michelle, your suggestions here are great! This is definitely a keeper post for me. 🙂
*My blog is more devotional than writerly, so I’m always looking for the things God is showing me. Only rarely do I know when something will strike me in an “I need to blog this” way.
*I love the variety in your suggestions, Michelle. Thanks so much for sharing your wisdom here. 🙂
Uh, Jeanne? Your blog is devotional AND writerly. You’re the literary inspiration for many people here, and you were sorely missed during your hiatus. We are SO glad you’re back!
Awww, thank you, Andrew. I’m glad to be back at blogging again. 🙂
So glad you are back. I’ve missed you. xoxo
Thanks, Shelli! I’ve missed you too!
Your posts on FB are always inspiring, Jeanne. I love them. They always improve my day. 🙂
Thank you for your encouragements, Christine!
Thank you for this blog. It comes at a time when I am running out of blog ideas. Great help to get the juices flowing.
When my first book was under contract in 2009 I was told I needed to start blogging to help with publicity. I did, but wondered how I could possibly find enough topics to blog about to fill up a whole year. Well, I’ve been blogging twice a week ever since and only missed one week when my computer was out of order and being serviced. I blog about words, books, and kids and a lot of my posts are reviews of books for children. I’ll never run out of things to blog about on those three topics, though once in a while I cheat and talk about something else. My posts also appear on Facebook and I get most comments there.
I’ve been retweeting a lot of my old blog posts from five and six years ago, Janet. You might consider doing that–one posts on my FB writer page every day.
I write new ones twice a week but I love writing blog posts. But then, I always wanted to be a newspaper columnist . . .
Thanks, Michelle. If I do run out of ideas I’ll try that.