It was International Women’s Day on the 8th of March 2018 and in my opinion, that would have been one out of the many blog post ideas available for any blogger to jump on. For some reason, I let it slide and did not put up a post.

Related: I wrote an IWD post for 2017

However, towards the end of that day, I started to think deeply about my decision. Why didn’t I write a post for IWD 2018?

I mean, this was a legitimate prompt and I just allowed it pass me by. We sometimes run out of blog post ideas for our blogs and I read people’s experiences, so why did I ignore this opportunity?

You do not need to answer me, it is rethorical. Honestly, I did not feel like writing but an inner voice kept taking me on a guilt trip.

I finally convinced myself to acknowledge IWD in my next post (which is this one) and settled to share my thoughts about easy ways find blog post ideas without stress.

A lot of creatives go through the popular ‘writer’s block’. It is a phase whereby a writer just lacks the ability to write anything. No matter how hard you try, the words won’t just come. This happens to the best of us and the way we handle the period is really important for our mental health.

As much as I would say, do not stress the little things, the writers block phase can get you feeling demoralised and unworthy of being a writer/blogger or as the case may be. But still, do not feel overwhelmed. It is a passing phase and before you know it, blog post ideas will start rolling in.

The question is, will you be ready to spot blog post ideas when it comes?

While I had an opportunity to write a post on International Women’s Day and ignored it, I enjoyed reading IWD posts from Jasmin and Zobam.

Every blogger’s wish is to have a lot of things to write about, so unless you have blog post ideas but really do not feel like writing, here are some ways to find blog post ideas and beat writers block:

Pay Attention to Conversations.

One of the constant reminder in Journalism is to ‘Have an eye for News. As a blogger/creative, it is important to be observant. Pay close attention to ANY conversation. A little small talk can give you a prompt for a full blown post, you only need to have the ability to build on what you heard.

You can get blog post idea from conversations you hear in forums, group chats, commercial vehicles, bus parks, queues, banking halls etc. The best thing about this is, you do not need to be part of the conversation. Pay close attention, find your stance on the subject of discussion and write about it.

Pay Attention to Yourself.

Nobody knows you better that you. In the same light, nobody can tell your story in the best way possible better than you.

Pay attention to your daily activities, routine, career growth, workout routine, relationships, new projects, milestones, disappointments, family, partner, kids, vacations, love life, travel, heartbreak, wardrobe, health, finance e.t.c. You can generate blog post ideas from your personal experiences and even choose what to make public and keep private. Share your lessons and how you dealt with situations.

Sharing personal stories helps you gain authenticity as you have first hand knowledge. No two experiences are similar so even if that experience is saturated on the internet, you have the opportunity to write your own story and make it stand out.

Pay Attention to Print Media.

I am one of those people that look for writing prompts in everything. These prompts may not be used immediately as it is important to write posts that are timely and relevant.

One of my all time favourites are quotes. They are a good source to get blog post ideas, they are short and precise but with research you can create your own magic.

The same goes for books, magazines, newspapers and even a receipt. The other day, I saw a receipt online where an artist spent an exorbitant amount on alcohol in a club. All that amount was exhausted in one night and I strongly had an opinion about it. If I felt like writing at that point, it was the perfect prompt to jump on.

When you read anything in print and feel like you have an opinion about it, write it down. It works better if it comes with real life examples.

Pay Attention to Electronic Media.

This largely covers events covered on television, your favourite series and telenovelas, documentaries, music videos, movies, radio stations, talk shows, you tube videos, blogs and the internet.

Every millennial has access to one or all of these on a daily basis. With a good eye and an attentive ear, one can find prompts for blog post ideas. As a blogger, our mind should naturally pick blog worthy prompts.

This means that when others are watching a movie and enjoying it, you are watching, enjoying it and also planning a blog post mentally. It is not as deep as it sounds but it is an interesting process if your genuinely enjoy creating content for your blog.

Join Writing Challenges & Writing Communities

One of the things I did immediately I started blogging consistently was to find writing communities online. This encouraged me to keep writing as there were daily prompts I could decide to work with. Sometimes, i practised writing on the spot and other times, I published it on the blog. The WordPress platform is so user friendly and allows you find likeminds.

I also like online challenges and found the A to Z Writing Challenge last year. It was beneficial as i got to interact with new bloggers and get good following too. You may not get prompts but when you observe the effort from other bloggers, you will be motivated to write consistently. They also form a part of your blogging family which I love.

April is close and I cannot wait to jump on this years A to Z Writing Challenge. It involves picking a theme, creating sub topics (using the letters of the alphabet) and writing about it daily in April except Sundays. Click the link above to sign up or just read about it. The official Theme Reveal Day is the 19th of March 2018 and hopefully, mine should be read as well.

Related: Read my April A to Z Challenge for 2017 here.

Prompts for blog post ideas are not far fetched, you only need to be very aware of activities in your enviroment. In my opinion, a blogger should have some, if not all the qualities of a journalist. As a blogger, you need to be very observant, be curious, give useful and original content, differentiate your opinion from facts, be passionate about your blog because trust me, your readers can tell when you are not consistent.

Share your thoughts

How do you find blog post ideas?

What inspires you to write?

I will like to read from you