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Abstract

i><li>What were your favorite things to do as a child?</li><li>If you could travel anywhere, where would it be? Why?</li><li>What topics bring you energy when you write about them?</li><li>What are some of your core beliefs? Why do you believe them?</li><li>If money didn’t matter, what would you do for the rest of your life?</li><li>What things have you done that most other people haven’t?</li><li>What people have had the biggest impact on your life?</li><li>How would your closest friends describe you?</li><li>What topics are you most interested in?</li><li>What frustrates you about the world?</li><li>What can you talk about to no end?</li><li>What did you use to struggle with?</li><li>When are you fully present in life?</li><li>What gets you up in the morning?</li><li>What was your upbringing like?</li><li>Who do you look to for advice?</li><li>What makes you feel at peace?</li><li>What’s wrong with our world?</li><li>What do you struggle with?</li><li>What are your talents?</li></ul><figure id="25e5"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*M8OurQqcvuerQhKR2rq2lQ.png"><figcaption>This image was generated with the assistance of AI</figcaption></figure><h1 id="0a5e">The approach</h1><p id="2333">I’ve read plenty of self-help books that give you exercises and questions to answer. It just ends up feeling like homework.</p><p id="cf9a">That’s not my goal here.</p><p id="38ec">

Options

Rather, this is meant to be a list you can look at and return to when you feel stuck.</p><p id="9478">Read through the questions and see which ones make you perk up.</p><p id="5d83">Answer some of them, skip some, ignore some.</p><p id="bb5c">It’s natural to get stuck as a writer.</p><p id="2f37">There’s no need to beat yourself up.</p><p id="cc9b">If you can learn to ask yourself some questions and scribble out some rough ideas that flow to you, the seed for your next story might present itself.</p><p id="c8e5">Things will be messy at first.</p><p id="110a">Experiment with these questions. Figure out what helps. Ignore the rest.</p><p id="2c4b">Good luck!</p><div id="3b33" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/read-or-die-publication-rules-03813fc16904"> <div> <div> <h2>Read or Die — Publication Rules</h2> <div><h3>Updated January 2024 Guidelines</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*12VP38Uw7-aiufW2DP5Ohw.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="6ed0">Want stuff like this delivered to your inbox on a weekly basis?</p><ul><li><a href="https://simplests.substack.com/">Sign me up! 🙋‍♂️</a></li></ul></article></body>

Here Are Some Dead Simple Questions To Prevent You From Running Out of Ideas

These will spark your creativity

This image was generated with the assistance of AI

I’ve been there. Feeling stuck and unsure of what to write about.

Despite constantly facing these feelings, I’ve written almost 200 stories in the past 2 months.

Luckily, I haven’t run out of ideas yet. I’ve spent many hours staring at a blank screen hoping to come up with ideas. It’s kind of part of my process.

But I’ve learned to ask several questions that help me come up with things to write about more easily.

The questions

I’ll get right to it.

Here are several of the questions that help me generate ideas:

What inspires you?
Where have you been?
What keeps you up at night?
Who are your favorite authors?
What are your favorite hobbies?
What have you done in your life?
What type of people do you love?
How would you describe yourself?
What does our world need more of?
What type of people can you not stand?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
What were your favorite things to do as a child?
If you could travel anywhere, where would it be? Why?
What topics bring you energy when you write about them?
What are some of your core beliefs? Why do you believe them?
If money didn’t matter, what would you do for the rest of your life?
What things have you done that most other people haven’t?
What people have had the biggest impact on your life?
How would your closest friends describe you?
What topics are you most interested in?
What frustrates you about the world?
What can you talk about to no end?
What did you use to struggle with?
When are you fully present in life?
What gets you up in the morning?
What was your upbringing like?
Who do you look to for advice?
What makes you feel at peace?
What’s wrong with our world?
What do you struggle with?
What are your talents?

The approach

I’ve read plenty of self-help books that give you exercises and questions to answer. It just ends up feeling like homework.

That’s not my goal here.

Rather, this is meant to be a list you can look at and return to when you feel stuck.

Read through the questions and see which ones make you perk up.

Answer some of them, skip some, ignore some.

It’s natural to get stuck as a writer.

There’s no need to beat yourself up.

If you can learn to ask yourself some questions and scribble out some rough ideas that flow to you, the seed for your next story might present itself.

Things will be messy at first.

Experiment with these questions. Figure out what helps. Ignore the rest.

Good luck!

Read or Die — Publication Rules

Updated January 2024 Guidelines

medium.com

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