How To Never Run Out Of Ideas For Your Medium Articles
The method I use to harvest ideas for Medium
As a Newbie I don’t have the expertise like experienced writers such as Shannon Ashley, that said I’ve developed a source mantra that I’d like to share with fellow Newbies.
1. Use Medium
The fact is Medium is a beehive for creation with thousands of incredible writers at your fingertips. So learn from them. The more you read the more you’ll learn about niche topics plus ways to improve as a writer.
Good artists copy; great artists steal
— Pablo Picasso
Over the past two weeks I’ve consumed 100’s of truely amazing articles and learned so much in the process.
Tip: Read at least 5 Articles a Day (more if possible) and engage with the Author by liking and ideally commenting with feedback. Medium is a community, a gathering of creatives so get stuck in folks.
2. Discover Your Influencers on Medium
Since I joined Medium I’ve come across some very talented people … who happen to be great writers too. Reading their articles, life stories and viewpoints has had an impact on me. Their work has without doubt influenced my ideas bank. Reading their content has expanded my thinking and added a new dimension to the way I consider or critique a topic and the direction I take when I write.
For example, last week I read about Brian Pennie which prompted me to write an article. It had an impact. Had I never joined Medium this would not have happened. The inspiration I gained from reading Brian’s story influenced other ideas in mind, such as this article for instance.
In a short space of time I’ve been very fortunate to receive feedback from other amazing writers like George J. Ziogas, Marta Brzosko, Jim Woods, Dean Rocheleau, John Gruber, Jun Wu and Nate Miller to name a few + many more.
Tip: Follow and read Articles by writers who ignite your spirit.
3. Look Offline
Medium is without doubt a fountain of content, a valuable destination for research and idea curation; That said, I find offline sources equally as fruitful as online domains.
For example, I regularly discover articles in the Sunday Business Post (a Broadsheet Business Newspaper in Ireland) that ignite ideas in my mind — Random headlines set my mind into overdrive — by the time I arrive home from the local store I’ve constructed an entire article in my mind. I really enjoy this process. This week alone I’ve cut out 5 articles that I want to write about, namely:
- Social — The Impact Of The Working Week on Employees and Families
- Technology — Will Machines Kill or Create Jobs
- Startups — Why Startups Must Look Beyond Western Economies
- Business — Outsource to Free up Your Resources
- Selfie-Made — The Kardashians and New Age (B)Millionaire’s
As a Medium Rookie, one of my Goals is to bring something new to the table, so connecting ideas from multiple sources is my Oasis for Creativity.
Tip: Your mind is a sponge so always be on the hunt for ideas … everywhere.
4. Dust Off Old Content
Over the last 2 decades I’ve spent a lot of time studying. An unusual amount of time, let me explain:
- BA. in Communications: 4 years
- BSc. in Engineering: 4 Years
- BSc. in Digital Innovation: 1 Year
- PG. Cert. in Entrepreneurship: 1 Year
- MBA: 2 Years
In total I’ve spent 12 years studying at 3rd level. As you can imagine I’ve accumulated a mountain of content during this time. While 90% of my content is academic i.e. not suitable for Medium, 100% is highly valuable and can be rewritten for any audience.
Anything you’ve written in the past has value. The trick is to convert old content into readable information for Medium consumers. In fact, the second article I wrote on Medium was curated by Medium Staff and The Startup, this piece evolved from my MBA Thesis on Leadership.
My point is this: All content that you write has some value, so revisit and rewrite whenever your inspired. Whatsmore, adopt what Medium Staff recommend and utilise the draft function — Treat it as a warehouse for your ideas — an incubator for creativity!
Tip: Recycle, Reuse and Repost content from your past, something that you’ve not yet posted on Medium.
Final Thought
For me Medium is a place where I can just write. It’s also a place where I can read, share and record ideas. If your Goal is to acquire followers, gain Claps, grow followers or just write then you’re in the right place.
“Read, read, read. Read everything — trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it. Then write. If it’s good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out of the window.”
— William Faulkner, Nobel Laureaute in Literatur
Tip: Read, Write, Share, Grow and Repeat!
