Finding something to write about can sometimes be difficult. There are times when inspiration strikes and I can’t wait to sit down at my desk and start writing. More often than not, however, I find myself sitting in front of my computer, looking at an empty white screen, and wondering how I am going to fill up all that blank space.
I once wrote a short story about an author that couldn’t think of an idea for a short story. It was called “Deadline,” and it was 2,000 words of random thoughts that came to me while I was trying to piece together something worth reading. I guess it worked out okay, because it was one of the first stories I ever published.
Twenty years later, I’m still trying to make something out of nothing. With … rather mixed results.
And the problem gets compounded when I have to do it every week. When I am writing short stories, if I don’t feel particularly motivated I can stand up, walk away from my desk, and go reward my failure with ice cream or, as is more often the case, copious amounts of alcohol. There are no expectations, so there is no real pressure to perform. With a weekly blog, I can’t walk away. I have to find the motivation to create something, or risk losing my faithful readers. Both of them.
I often write about things that happen to me during the week. Unfortunately, my life is not exactly eventful, and it isn’t very exciting to read an article about what television shows are on, whether or not Cool Ranch Doritos are better than Nacho Cheese, or how comfortable the couch is for taking a nap.
During those weeks when the most interesting thing that happened to me was running over a pile of dog poop while mowing the lawn, I still need to find something worth documenting. And, even harder, it has to be something I haven’t already done. The only thing worse than being boring, is being repetitive and boring.
I keep notebooks all over the house, so I can jot down ideas as they occur to me. Sometimes, when I read them later, they will trigger an idea for a story or a blog post. However, while it is usually entertaining to me, most of the stuff I write down in my notebooks turns out to be pretty useless.
For example, these sorts of beauties usually occur to me at two o’clock in the morning when I can’t sleep:
I had a girlfriend years ago, and every time she slept over I would wake up freezing in the middle of the night because she had stolen all the covers. I finally had to break up with her. It got too expensive buying new sheets and blankets two or three times a week.
Or:
I finally discovered the one true path to happiness. Unfortunately, I lost it again when I wandered off the trail to take a leak in the bushes.
If I were putting together a standup act, those kinds of thoughts might be more productive. For writing a blog, they would only come in handy for something like … well, … something like this, I guess.
For any writers out there reading this and hoping for tips on how to come up with great ideas or how to push through a writer’s block, I’m sorry. I don’t have any magic words or tricks that will guarantee a prolific outflowing of prose. I’m still struggling with the whole process myself. All I can do is pass along the words of wisdom others have given to me:
If you want to write, then write.
I know that sounds simplistic and ultimately not very helpful, but I promise you it is the only way to move forward. Write something, anything, every day. Even if it is terrible and you wind up throwing it in the trash, you are training yourself to devote time to the craft. You are learning what does and does not work for you. And, most importantly, you are creating a starting point from which you can only improve.
As far as coming up with ideas about what to write? Every writer is different. Every writer is interested in different things and finds their muse in different places. That is up to you to discover. Some days, you will look out your front window, see a flower growing out of a crack in the sidewalk, and you will have the idea for the next New York Times’ best-selling novel.
Other days you will stare at your computer or typewriter, and you will struggle for the motivation to string eight hundred words together in some kind of coherent order.
Seven hundred ninety-eight … and … done.