You Have 1 Million Ideas in Your Head. Here’s How You Can Get Them Out.
Because that is how we write more
Content writing is a strange job.
We have tons of ideas buried deep in our heads. And yet, we struggle to extract and present them to the world.
When I say we, I do mean me.
I struggle with content writing daily. My struggles include the following.
- Parroting recycled content.
- An absence of a unique perspective or angle.
- The richness and diversity of opposing viewpoints.
I think about the above all the time.
And I try not to let them stop me from writing what I want to for the day.
If this is you, read on.
A Head Swelling with Ideas is Exactly What It Is
When it comes to ideas, only one thing matters.
Getting it out.
I have tons of creative ideas when it comes to structuring consulting contracts. Fickle clients are everywhere. The deal is lost if nothing I say interests them.
Sometimes, they conveniently forget what I say. So, I put myself in repeat mode.
Over and over.
Parroting is undervalued.
That is why we have deal pitches, virtual coffees, and scheduled catch-ups.
These sessions allow us to communicate our ideas to the clients and prospects.
- When we do, we have a shot at increasing revenue.
- Consulting clients do not respond when we stay quiet.
We must keep trying. We must keep communicating our ideas for them to hit home. It will hit home. One day.
I port this line of thinking into content writing.
I know I repeat what I write. Maybe I have written 10 articles on increasing revenue via services.
But every article is written based on different perspectives and client experiences at that moment in time. There are subtle differences.
Such differences resonate with the reader because they relate to that particular circumstance.
Your strategies become relevant. Your article comes alive. To that reader, of course.
You have brilliant ideas in your head. Let them out.
You never know how that 1 simple idea/article can help the reader think better.
There is a Difference Between Information and Knowledge
Information is factual.
It represents objective science. No one tries to build a rocket while ignoring gravity. Bad idea.
Knowledge is acquired through an accumulation of experiences.
It represents what we go through in life. And life is crazy enough for all of us to accumulate unique experiences.
Our experiences = Unique perspectives
I think a lot about what I write. But I often miss the point.
Take, for instance, those three words from the sentence above.
What I write.
I tend to focus on the word write. And when I do, it means,
- I think about what to write.
- I focus on the content type.
- I work on content structure, presentation, and completeness.
As I said, I’m missing the point. Here’s why.
The above represents information that can also be produced by other writers. With time, I changed.
This is my initial focus.
What I write.
This is my current focus.
What I write.
Because the only differentiation we have in the writing world is us. Everything else is replicable, including earth-shattering ideas.
Every idea that has been published has been consumed and republished, consumed and republished, consumed and republished, ad infinitum.
Isaac Newton’s Laws of Gravity has been published a million times. It has become public information.
Writing about his equations is nothing new. No one gets to monetize his work except textbook authors.
But writing about a successful rocket launch to Neptune yesterday after failing for 30 years?
That’s life experience and knowledge.
No one else can write it as convincingly as you will because you are writing about yourself.
So, go on.
Write about you.
On Opposing Forces, Viewpoints, Skeptics and Criticisms.
If you know they exist — Why worry?
I repeat this to myself daily. True story.
I often question the value of my writing. I like to write about my experiences and the wins and losses I accumulated throughout.
Take, for instance, my take on the following statistics.
- Losing more deals than I won.
- Having more articles with 10 views than 1,000.
And so, doubts creep into my mind when I am about to give birth to an idea.
Or, I may stop typing 400 words in because I question my idea in writing.
- Do readers believe me?
- What if they call out my BS?
- What if they think my ideas are obsolete?
Doubts like this circle above my head as I write. This is not a daily thing, but it happens frequently enough for me to find it an annoyance.
And then, one day, one thought bubble hit me. It must be from my awakened mind. It said the following.
If you know it exist — Why worry?
I kept thinking about what my inner voice said to me. It sounds right.
I already know that my article is not a research paper. I am not Malcolm Gladwell either.
There is no way I can punch out a thoroughly researched piece covering all arguments and considering the pros and cons of all data sets in the physical and digital world.
I am no ChatGPT.
These days, I let my fingers do the job.
I only ask one question when the draft is done.
Can I back up my experiences presented in words?
If I can, I hit publish.
That’s it.
Really.
Parting Keynotes
Chris Anderson from TED once said that ideas are complex things. They are.
But I argue that our ability to handle our ideas is even more complex than the ideas we have. We struggle with ourselves more than the completeness of our ideas.
Content writers can relate.
Do consider the following actions if you share the same struggles as I do.
- Share your ideas — You get better at what you do via practice, not silence.
- Focus on knowledge — That is your unique competitive edge.
- Ignore opposing viewpoints — They will be there. Let them be.
Because your writing gets to see the world when you let your ideas out.
As a content contributor, I write my observations from daily life and my business exposure. Because our life experience is the bedrock of our unique perspectives.
Get full access to Medium using this link and read gazillion exciting articles.
