How to Generate 30 Writing Ideas in 5 Minutes
Even when the tank feels empty, there is always something to write about
Nothing mocks a writer more than a blank screen and an empty head. We’ve all been there. Out of ideas. Out of steam. Out of hope.
“Well, I guess I’ve said everything I need to say,” says my inner dialogue, submitting to defeat. Time to close up shop. Throw in the towel.
Maybe I’ll try my luck with painting or photography instead. Perhaps needlepoint.
I would see other writers pump out articles, like machines, sometimes multiple pieces a day, and marvel, “How do they have so many ideas?”
Envy. Never a good thing.
Disappointed, I deduced that other writers were simply more creative than me — more cut out for this cutthroat writing world.
But, I wasn’t ready to quit. Not yet. There was a fire in me, not quite ready to be quashed.
Write what you know.
As I explain in “How I Went from Blank Page to Published Author,” I sat down and wrote a list of what I knew. What I knew in my core at that very moment.
I validated each emotion, no matter how insignificant. No matter how small or pointless, each thought made the list. No over-thinking, no second-guessing. Just simply writing a list.
What I Knew
I knew I didn’t feel fulfillment with being a stay-at-home-mom. I knew I found motherhood boring. But I loved my kids. I knew I was lonely. I knew I questioned my worth. I knew I missed the days of my kid-free marriage. I knew I had much to be grateful for, yet I felt unsatisfied. I knew I was torn between the person I was and the person I wanted to be. I knew I was afraid of aging. I knew I might be drinking too much. I knew I feared I wasn’t a good mother. I knew I felt inferior to working moms.
But…I knew I could write something that people might want to read.
How Topic Ideas Start to Multiply
This may just look like a list from a disgruntled, bored woman, but it is so much more. There is so much good meat hidden in one simple know.
When you pull apart each thing you know, you will see that there is much more than meets the eye. There is so much to examine. So many angles. So many avenues that can lead to more, and more, and more, and more. . .
There is so much to learn — about the world, about yourself.
Let’s take a few of my examples above and break them down.
Dissecting What I Know
“I knew I didn’t feel fulfillment with being a stay-at-home-mom.”
Possible story angles:
- Is your friend/wife who is a stay-at-home-mom doing okay? (mental health)
- How do people find fulfillment? (personal development)
- Is the role of stay-at-home-mom dying? (sociology)
“I knew I missed the days of my kid-free marriage.”
Possible story angles:
- Ways to keep your spark alive after kids. (marriage)
- Is grieving your pre-kid marriage okay? (coping)
- Sometimes I regret having kids. Is that wrong? (confessional)
“I knew I might be drinking too much.”
Possible story angles:
- The “Mom Wine” culture: Should we be worried? (society)
- How much wine is safe for women? (health)
- Parenting without drinking: Is it even possible? (humor)
“I knew I had much to be grateful for, yet I felt unsatisfied.”
Possible story angles:
- 10 ways to feel more gratitude. (listicle)
- Why do people follow Tony Robbins? (journalistic)
- Is mindfulness real, or just a trend? (self-exploration)
“I knew I was afraid of aging.”
Possible story angles:
- 5 Best Anti-Aging Moisturizers on the market. (beauty)
- Things I Want to Do Before I Kick the Bucket (humor)
- How Female Friendships Change with Age (women)
Wrapping it Up
In the writing world, controversy surrounds the “write what you know” mantra. Even famous authors have differing stances.
Writing what I knew — what I was feeling in my core at that moment when I thought I had nothing to say — landed me my first paid published article.
Now, I’m never out of ideas. I just write really slow. But we’ll save that problem for another time.
Out of Inspiration?
- Write a list of what you know. What are you feeling at this very moment? Don’t think. Just write. Start with ten thoughts/knows.
- Break each “know” into three sub-articles.
- You now have 30 possible articles on varying topics.
- Pick the one that speaks to you the most.
- Write it.
- Do it again.
- Hello, writer. I can’t wait to read your knows.
You might find that a new article topic requires research. Embrace it. Now you know more.
And the cycle continues. . .
Emme Beckett is has been featured in The Bad Influence, The Haven, Fearless She Wrote, The Ascent, Live Your Life on Purpose, The Post-Grad Survival Guide, Home Sweet Home, and ILLUMINATION.
