By Bob McElwain
About once a week, someone asks, "Where do you get ideas
for your articles? I can never seem to think of anything."
Ask this of anyone who has been writing for a time and
you'll discover most have a way of tracking ideas as they come
to mind. In my case, I write them down. Only a word, maybe.
Or phrase. Anything to remind me of the fleeting thought just
encountered.
Our minds are always at work, consciously and unconsciously.
Sure, a lot of the notions that flit across the mental screen
are nonsense, daydreams, memories, or half-baked notions with
which we don't connect. But no matter how well you are able to
focus, to concentrate on what you are about, extraneous thoughts
flow almost continuously. Take a moment to capture those of
interest.
Collecting Your Thoughts
Keep paper and pencil handy to wherever you may be. On your
desk. Close to your favorite chair. On the table you prefer
when taking a break. I often have a thought while driving,
pull to the side of the road, jot it down, then get on.
Nothing in these notes is of itself an article. But
collectively there will be many that can evolve from them.
The secret is in writing it down right now. If you wait
until later, you'll overlook many of those fleeting thoughts.
And they may never occur to you again.
Flesh Them Out
Notes become meaningless unless the thought that triggered
it is expanded. And soon. Tomorrow may be too late,
particularly if you jotted down only a word.
One approach in use for hundreds of years is to keep a
ledger. Not a diary. Just thoughts and questions ordered as
they came to mind. I used this method for years. Now, however,
I find it easier to use a computer.
The Always Open File
Whenever I turn my computer on, one file is always open.
Call it Notes. Or something exotic, maybe. Wander about now
and then and collect earlier scribbling. Go through your
pockets for stuff collected there.
My approach is to break into the file at any point and type
xx on the left margin. Then enter a note. Another xx, and
another note. In each case I try to add enough about the idea
to assure I'll recognize it a month or more from now.
Sometimes half a sentence gets it done. Or a brief
paragraph. Often I'll just keep pounding away and end up with
500 words or more.
How It Works
I write when in the mood to do so. While some do, I
personally don't produce my best work under pressure. So I set
aside blocks of time, usually early in the day when the clutter
of things that must be done is not so pressing.
Often when I start in, I have an idea I've been thinking
about. If not, I scan my Notes file, searching on xx. I'm not
looking for anything in particular. Just trying to recall my
thinking when I made that note. I pause and add a bit to an
item now and then. And sometimes quite a lot.
Essentially this scanning is a writing process. After
a time, I have larger segments which are almost articles.
Creating The Article
Upon rare occasions, a good article virtually flows from my
mind through my fingers onto the screen. But usually what I end
up with is a good idea that doesn't quite make it.
I may return to it later with fresh eyes. Or if it's close,
I'll print it right now, and study it over a cup of coffee.
Often this leads to notes that are sufficient to tie up the
loose ends that were bothering me.
But in all cases, I edit, rewrite, and read out loud
repeatedly, until satisfied with the piece. Only then does it
go into my "GoodArts" file, ready to be dropped into a future
newsletter.
The Dreaded Blank Page Syndrome
The above wording dates back to inserting a blank piece
of paper into a typewriter. Opening a new file on a computer
amounts to the same thing. What you're looking at is empty
space without a clue about what to say.
Some call this "writers block," and tons and tons of stuff
have been written about how to avoid this terrible fate. While
this happens to me now and then, it doesn't stop me for long.
First, there's that lovely Notes file. It's tough to scan
near a half a meg of text and not come up with at least a
starting point. And there's all those half finished bits.
If this fails, the secret is to just start in. Type a
nursery rhyme if nothing else comes to mind. Begin a letter to
a friend. Take a current news items. What are the implications
of the downturn in the economy? What's it mean for folks who
already have a business? What's it mean to those just thinking
about getting started? Visit a site you recently bookmarked.
One such as Inc.com is simply loaded with great stuff.
Grab a thought, then expand on it. Type as hard and fast
as you can, putting down everything that comes to mind. And
don't stop. Push it as long as possible.
Results Can Be Startling
There are two possible outcomes. When you go back and read
what is largely garbage, you may find several related ideas that
can be drawn together as a good start. If so, copy them down
and go to it.
Frequently, though, you will find you have drifted onto a
topic and developed some good ideas. From them you are able to
directly create a good piece.
How This Article Came To Be
When I discovered my stack of articles ready to go was
getting low, I turned to my Notes file. A couple of screens
down, I found the question about how to find ideas. I had kept
it and part of a reply. After expanding on these notes, I had
much more than you have read here. Much too much. And not well
ordered.
What you're reading came from cutting, reorganization,
editing, and polishing the original text hastily typed.
Become An Idea-PackRat
Jot down everything. Add it to a file of stuff that might
be unintelligible to anyone but you. Work this file now and
then, adding further thoughts. When you need an article, scan
this file. If nothing strikes you, open a new file and start
writing. Anything.
About the Author
Bob McElwain, author of "Your Path To Success" and
"Secrets To A Really Successful Website." For
info, see http://sitetipsandtricks.com/webways/
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