How I Never Run Out of Ideas to Write About
If you can think, you can write. And if you are endowed with a normal, functioning brain, you think all the time.
Every single thought that comes to your head (believe me, they come aplenty) can be turned into an article. The manholes on the pavement you are walking on, fences around houses of people, or the clothes on the woman who just passed by you.
Of course, you will most probably not write on any of the topics I mentioned, but the point is, they can all be turned into an article if you are interested in them.
And that’s the keyword: interest.
I write about things that interest me. Somebody is churning out brilliant pieces on how to make money on the stock market, but that’s not my thing. I stay away from things that are not my things. You should do the same.
You have your things going on. Everyone has. Find them, explore them, think about them. Find what you like talking about with your friends, your family, but most importantly, with yourself.
The internal monologues that go on inside your head all the time will give you many more ideas than you will ever have time and energy to write about.
There was a time when I wondered how the hell writers come up with the ideas to write about. Now I think it is the easiest part of writing.
You must write down your ideas
On any given day I can think of five to ten things to write about. I made a list on Google Docs. As soon as an idea strikes me, I jot it down in the list. You should do the same because if you don’t, they are going to disappear and you will be lucky to have them back.
Will I write about all the topics on my list? Of course not. I don’t have that much time. And to be honest, I am not even equally interested in all of them. I also think if the readers will be interested in those topics, will they be of some value to them.
These are my criteria for choosing to write on the topics from the list. But that part comes later. If the idea hits, I write them down right then and then later assess if they are worth developing or not.
The brain is like a sushi bar
Our thoughts are wandering all the time. It is like that sushi bar train I saw in that fancy restaurant. The “train” circles the counter with sushi plates on it. You can pick the plates of your choice.
Let’s have an example
You are rushing to the office in the morning. You are getting your unwilling, uncooperative son ready for school who, understandably and unlike you, sees no point in schooling.
You stuff the burnt toast in your mouth, wash it down with dirt-tasting coffee, grab your bag with one hand and your son with another, and then rush to the car.
Just like they show in the movies.
Now you drop your son to school, flash a big smile at him, and fly a kiss, only to see him walk away hating you and stomping his feet.
Just like they show in the movies.
You are heading to the office. But oh the red lights and the traffic jams! You are stuck now. You are irritated, look at your watch, and slap the steering wheel hard
Just like they show in the movies
OR
You can think. Here is the time for you to let your thoughts wander. Another traffic stop... Why the stop signs are red? Everyone knows about that. But why green is ‘go’? Does everybody know about that? I don’t know about that.
What is knowing? How does one know that one knows? Tom pretends that he knows everything, that pedantic prick. Is that why his wife left him?
I read somewhere that women initiate most of the divorces. Why? Is it the result of women’s empowerment? Will the freedom of individuals necessarily result in the breaking of family structure? I hope I am not being a sexist.
But what makes a happy family, I wonder? Remember what Tolstoy said? Happy family all alike. Is it true?
Ah but poor Tom, I feel pity for that prick. He bought that expensive fast car to deal with the heartbreak. Tom can do that. Tom is rich. But is he happy? Did the car make him happy? What makes one happy?
But what is the point of having a fast car if you are stuck in traffic jams like this? Why nobody is doing anything about it? This is a stupid way to commute if you ask me. What is the better way? Free public transport? I wonder what city commuting will look like in fifty years.
If I was the mayor of the city, traffic would be my first priority. What else will I do for the city? What makes a city pleasant and livable?
Every question, and every statement that came to your mind in the traffic jam can be turned into an article, or even a book if you are really up to the task. Your mind goes through this “stream of consciousness” all the time (although I would call it ‘stream of subconsciousness’ because it is an automatic process).
All you need to do is pick up your sushi plates from the ever-running train.
Then comes the part of how to organize and develop that thought. But I will write about that in some other article because I see my sushi train coming.
