Finding Post Material

I think we’ve all been there: staring at the ‘new post’ screen and realizing that even though we really need or really want to post something we don’t necessarily have the words to summon for a new post.

That was me this morning. With the recent upheaval in my life I’ve gotten off track with regular posting and even though I have a mini notebook full of potential ideas about things I want to eventually make posts of, that notebook is at my desk in my bedroom upstairs. At five thirty in the morning (when I’ve been writing my posts), I’m sitting at the kitchen table getting a few precious minutes to myself.

As much as inspiration likes to strike at inopportune times, it doesn’t just drop down out of nowhere. Sometimes it’s percolating in the back of your subconscious for weeks. Sometimes it’s triggered by watching your cat chase her tail for twenty minutes. Other times it’s triggered by your best friend throwing off the wall suggestions at you, possibly involving chickens. So where do you find quick and dirty inspiration?

Find a prompt (I have one-word prompts here and I’m sure there’s plenty of other places across the internet to find them). Even if you have a theme such as coffee or books, a single-word prompt works well because you can easily match your post to coffees with that word in the name, or books that match that theme.

If you get a lot of comments on your blog, check to see if you get a lot of the same question. The more detailed you can get on the answer, the likelier you are to be able to get a post. If there’s no singular answer long enough, multiple recurring questions can be turned into an FAQ post.

When all else fails, consider updating and re-posting an older piece, or promoting content from someone who follows you and admires your work. It never hurts to help support the people giving you their time.