Thinking of Something to Write About

People often struggle when trying to come up with a topic they want to write about. If they do come up with one, they sometimes don’t quite know enough about the subject to write much on it. Many people may use Google or other search engines to look for potential topics, but this often proves ineffective. The problem is search engines do not know us personally. They do not know the lifestyles we lead or the experiences we have. While you may get an idea of something to write about from a search engine, there is a better way to generate ideas. Each of us has led a different life and thus we all have a multitude of things to write about, whether we realize it or not.

A good starting point to uncovering your own inherent topics is to consider the following:

What do you do for a living? If you get up and go to work every day as an insurance salesperson, you have a huge amount of topics to write on already. What are different options in auto insurance? How can you know if you are getting a good deal? What are the most popular insurance packages? We are all in some way an expert in what we do. If you work for a bank, you may not be an expert in bank security investment regulation, but you could be an expert in dealing with different types of customers and can give advice to someone becoming a bank employee themselves. Write on what you know and do. This will allow you to develop a host of topics on the same subject and people will see you as the person to look for on your particular area of expertise and experience.

Many people think that they must write about what others are searching for. I do not feel this is a good approach. Good writing comes from those who write for the sake of spreading knowledge and sharing what they love. Our hobbies are where the passionate, fun topics come from. Photographers will write about photography. Toy collectors will write about toys. Artists will write about art. The point is, your writing will be better if you write about something you love or enjoy rather than trying to force a topic you don’t know much about.

Have you had any experiences in life you wish to share? Don’t hesitate! Whether it is a happy experience about a vacation trip you recently took and the details about where you were, or a traumatic experience that helped shaped you into the person you are today. The world has billions of people. Someone out there wants to read what you have to say and will relate. Do not think that your experiences are not worth writing about. Many stories of personal experience are far more interesting to read than any news or daily headlines we come across. Our lives are shaped by experience, share your story.

If you have go to college or even high school, you know more than you think you do about an array of subjects. If you are in school right now this will be a really good place to start. Did you recently have to read a novel for English class? Write a summary over it. Were you a die-hard math whiz in high school? Help the helpless current math students with your knowledge. If during college you enjoyed a particular subject, refresh your memory and share your knowledge with the world. You will find this to not only be enjoyable, but as a great help in refreshing yourself on what you learned back then.

Everyone needs help in this arena. Whether you have been married for forty years, or if you just took the plunge to ask the cute girl out who works at the coffee shop, you have something to write about. If you have recently found a way to live happily with your spouse with less fighting, others want to know how as well. This is something people are always searching for. Any input you can give the world on relationship advice will be appreciated by many people. It doesn’t matter if it is a happy or sad story, you have something to share. You have advice that you can offer to others.

Whether you realize it or not, you have a host of topics to write on. The list above will I hope serve as a launching point for your own creativity. Never hold back when you think you have a topic to write on. The point is not to try and get a million readers. The point is to share what you have a passion to tell others about. Someone out there is going to benefit from your words. Everyone has the potential to be a good writer. When we write, we are not only building our writing skills, but we are also expanding our ability to be creative. The more we write the more creative we become. You just have to get started and not hold back.

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”