I have nothing to say.

I have no stories that matter.

Who am I to write?

Those are just a few of the thoughts that go through the mind of a writer who rarely shares their work because they’re afraid. This negative thinking stops people from writing.

Writing is hard, and you can’t help but feel insecure when you read someone else’s articles. They talk about traveling, starting successful businesses, and other grand things.

You have nothing to share because your life has never been that exciting, so what will you write about? Here’s your answer:

There are so many stories inside of you — even if you haven’t uncovered them yet — and you deserve to write about every single one.

Stop saying you have nothing to write about

It doesn’t matter that you’ve never jumped off a plane or had a top-selling Etsy shop. You have stories, words, and inspirational lessons to share anyway.

And if you don’t believe my words, look at me.

I’m twenty-one so that alone would throw people off. What do you have to say about life? one might think. (A lot, apparently.)

I didn’t go to college, I had a blog that failed after two years, and I’ve never been on a plane. I spend most of my days working and writing, probably when I should be taking advantage of my youth and having adventures.

My life isn’t amazing and filled with stories that leave you on the edge of your seat, but I still find things to write about.

Most of my experiences aren’t Instagram story-worthy, but they still matter. They may not be out of this world, but they’re stories that deserve to be shared nevertheless.

You’ve already gone through some of the ups and downs of life. No matter how “mundane,” they mean something.

You have an entire galaxy within you. You need to uncover and open the door to it, and let your stars shine.

Things to write about

1. What’s one of the happiest days of your life? Why? What do you want to teach people about cherishing those days?
2. What’s been one of the worst days of your life? What can people learn from it? How did it change your life?
3. What’s it like to be a parent? Do you have advice for new parents? Do you have fears you want to talk about finally?
4. Are you an artist of any kind? How did you stumble upon your passion? What does your schedule look like? How do you promote your work?
5. What’s your stance on Trump? Has anything he’s done affected you or somebody you care about?
6. Where do you work? How do you prepare for an interview? How do you make friends at a new job? How do you deal with terrible coworkers?
7. What’s one time you screwed up? How did you build your life again? What did you learn from your mistakes?
8. Did your kid come out as gay or transgender? Have you ever had to come out, and what was it like? What advice can you provide?
9. What are your fears as a writer? What are the best writing books you’ve read? What are your favorite writing quotes?
10. What’s your favorite book? Which movie changed your life, and what did it teach you? What playlists do you listen to when you write?
11. Do you have a grandma who’s 100 years old or older? What can she tell you about life? Are you her primary caretaker, and if you are, how do you handle that?
12. What does your daily schedule look like? How do you manage your time and handle distractions? What do you do for fun, and how often do you take breaks?
13. Are you in a relationship? How do you build confidence to go up and talk to someone? What have you learned from being married for your years?
14. What’s your morning or night routine? How can people stick to the habits they’re trying to build? How did you stop checking your phone every morning?
15. Are you vegan? What are your favorite vegan recipes? What healthy snacks do you recommend?
16. Have you ever struggled financially? How do you budget? How do you ask for help?
17. What do you do on your day off? How can productivity-addicts learn to take breaks? Why do you need a break?
18. Do you have friends who live in different cities or states? How do you maintain those friendships? How do you make friends when you work from home?
19. What do you do when you have a bad day? How do you calm down and de-stress? What’s one thing you do, unapologetically, when you need it?
20. What advice do you have for anyone struggling in someplace you’ve struggled in before? How do you maintain a positive attitude? How do you keep from isolating yourself and talking about it?

Mundane is not boring

Everything I mentioned on that list is “mundane.” I didn’t ask where you’ve traveled, or what the craziest thing you’ve done is.

People need advice and inspiration on every aspect of life.

So, no matter how boring these topics might sound, they’re not. And you have a lot to say about them. Tell your story and help people along the way.

Every idea unlocks a new one

Take number fourteen: What’s your morning or night routine? How can people stick to the habits they’re trying to build? How did you stop checking your phone every morning?

You can’t write about all of that in one article because you’d drive yourself and your reader insane.

One question sparked another, and the same happens with ideas. Those questions make up three different articles, and you could still come up with more.

For example, you could talk about how to optimize your phone for minimum distractions, how you got over your social media addiction, and things you have time to do now that you don’t use your phone so much.

Come up with your own ideas

Look at those ideas I gave, and let those questions spark even more ideas of your own.

Get a piece of paper and write everything that comes to mind for about twenty minutes. Don’t worry about how ridiculous an idea sounds, or if you never use it.

Then, when those twenty-minutes are over, write.

Tell your story.