1. Carry a mini-notebook everywhere.
Ideas escape faster than they fly in. Catch as many as you can and decipher their quality later. There are dumb ideas, but if you don't write those down too, you'll never spot a good one.
2. Get the Evernote App
I use this app for nearly everything pertaining to writing. Songs, blog posts, random quotes and books I need to read. It syncs up with any device you have the app on (iPad, iPhone, Mac, etc) and is available offline. Love it.
3. Get the Weave App
I use to only make my shopping list on Weave, but now I categorize and plan out my posts with this baby. You can set due dates, keep track of time spent on posts, and assign to-do's to various projects. It's an organizer's Disneyland.
4. Scan Facebook & Twitter
What are people talking about on Facebook? What are they retweeting on Twitter? Who are they mentioning? Find out what people care about, and then get creative with how to mold that into your niche. Sometimes it doesn't work. Other times, it's your golden post.
5. Eavesdrop
I said it. I tried this one day, totally nervous someone was going to catch me, and it was a huge eye-opener to what people's conversations really revolve around. Different areas will have different norms and cultures. In LA, almost all the conversations I've caught glimpses of revolve around relationships. Make sense huh?
6. Take a walk.
Writers have been doing this for centuries. "Me thinks that the moment my legs begin to move," wrote Henry Thoreau, "my thoughts begin to flow." He describe walking as, "a great art." Whether it's the rhythm or the movement, the seeing or hearing, walking enacts all the senses of a writer. (For an interesting article on Walking and Writing click here.)
7. Develop a routine.
I've started looking at Pinterest every morning right when I wake up. But not for house cleaning tips or hairstyles. I have a board I've called "When in Doubt, Look at Me," and in there I put colors, pictures, art and photos that stand out to me. Sometimes I don't know why and other times I do. Then I choose one to keep referring back to throughout the day. It forces my mind go deeper in thought, story development or theory.
8. Think Back
What memories do you have that fit your writing niche? Are you a mommy blogger? Write about a childhood memory of your mother. Are you a fashion blogger? How about how you insisted on wearing your ballerina costume on picture day! Home decor blogger? Everyone has a memory or two of "decorating" your room with Crayola Markers.
9. Ask Questions
Some of my biggest blog series came from this one. I asked what people wish they knew and at what age. Nearly everyone said their 20's! So I did a series on What No One Ever Told Me About My 20's. Bingo. Most read series to this day.
10. Write a Yes Share | No Share List
Blogging can be, and usually is a very personal endeavor. Not matter how "business" you make it. People read your blog, well, because they like you. Early on, I made a list of things I was okay with sharing with the public and things I would steer away from. Over the years, some things on the NO SHARE list have hopped to YES SHARE list. And vice versa.
Wanna start a blog? Here's an online course to get you started.
