Here’s How I Know Exactly What To Write About
It works 100% of the time 20% of the time
I write about a lot of things.
Sometimes, the writing comes easily. Other times, it’s like pulling teeth.
I’ve come to learn that there’s a signal that I’m on to something.
That I should keep at it. That there’s a story that needs to be told.
This signal leads to my best writing (even if it might not get the most traction).
The signal
It starts with an idea.
Does this idea give me energy?
Does it feel like this thing “has wheels” and could take off on its own?
I think my best work comes when it kind of just writes itself. I’m not forcing things.
When I get my best ideas to write on, it’s as if I can see them playing out in my head.
What is the structure? What would an outline look like? What would the main points be?
How would it provide value to my audience?
I start to picture these sorts of things in my mind before I even put words onto paper.
Then, when it comes time to write, I just let it spill out.
How to hone the signal
I want to be very clear. Not all stories are like this.
I’d say that ~10–20% of my stories come out this way if I’m lucky.
After spending hundreds of hours writing, I become better able to recognize when a story is one of these good ones.
If only 10–20 out of 100 of my stories come out like this, then what about the other ones?
Those can be a grind.
I have to play around with different themes and headlines. I go back and forth and decide on new topics. It’s a frustrating process.
Eventually, I make a decision and commit to writing the story. But things don’t flow so easily. I still need to put the words onto the page.
There’s something important about this whole process though. If you don’t spend the time toiling away on the stories that are hard to write, you won’t be able to get as many of those stories that write themselves.
If I only write 10 articles, I might get 1 story that writes itself. Or, I might not even catch one.
The other thing to keep in mind is that there’s a difference between the stories that write themselves and the stories that your audience appreciates.
Sure, some of my best stories have been the ones that practically write themself.
But plenty of my best stories have been the ones where I have to force them out through sheer willpower.
It’s a numbers game.
Over time, I’m hoping that more of my stories are those that write themself. It’s such a fun and free-flowing experience.
When you’re coming up with ideas or beginning to write, pay attention to your reactions as a writer. Does the topic stir something up inside you?
If it does, then there’s a chance that the story needs to be told.
Only you can decide.
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