Embracing a Writing Challenge

Choosing an idea to write about

One of the main things that made me want to write for ILLUMINATION was an article written by Dr Mehmet Yildiz about writing quantity, as well as quality. Writing 30 posts from a single idea was something I’d done in the past as an SEO copywriter. I’d written about everything from Acai berries to VoIP communications. It was easy, it was informative…and it was robotic. The one thing I hated most about copywriting was that it felt lifeless.

I intended to take up the challenge but wanted to come up with an idea that was anything but lifeless. I’d worked on several different ideas, but coming up with sub-topics began to feel dull and boring. Then I hit on an idea of something I’ve done numerous times myself. I decided on writing about different ways to keep myself — and anyone reading — writing.

The Main Topic

I learned a long time ago that I could write myself out of a funk. Some of the darkest times in my life only began to turn around after I’d sat down and written about them. Most of these pieces have never seen the light of day, but that’s okay. They weren’t meant to be read by the masses, they were meant to help me see things from a different perspective. And it usually worked.

The Sub-topics

As I began to work on the 30 sub-topics for my subject, it dawned on me that I wasn’t just creating ideas on getting out of a funk, I was creating ideas to keep me writing for days. Each subject I came up with was something I could use myself, to keep the creative juices flowing. I quickly came up with 30 post ideas.

The Goal

I’m going to take up Dr. Yildiz’s challenge and see if I can make this work. I can’t promise to hit the “post a day” mark, but I am going to do my best to get 30 quality posts out on a single topic. I also hope that I can inspire others to keep writing, even if all seems lost. It doesn’t matter if you choose to show off the work you come up with, as long as you keep writing.

Every writer I’ve ever talked with has had some form of writer’s block/imposter syndrome/negative vibe toward their skills. The trick is finding something to help get past those feelings and keep us moving forward. Whatever we choose to write about, we have to give ourselves a little credit. Whether it’s good or bad, we have to remember, it’s just an idea.

© Christine Graves 2020