How to Generate New Writing Topics by Barbara Boone
Do you ever have trouble thinking of new topics to write about? I know I do. Here are some different ways to inspire your creative juices and find new topics to write about.
- If you collect articles on a particular topic, look over them for inspiration on new ways to approach an old topic.
- Use mind mapping to create a topic with many subtopics. Turn the mind map into a vertical, numbered list that you continually add to from time to time. Just one mind map can create several topics. Do more than one mind map and add more topics to the list. Whenever you get stuck for a topic, pull out this list.
- Use Google Alert to receive updates on anything related to a particular topic. (I get alerts on the topic of productivity). Read over the updates to see if there is something new that you can turn into a piece of writing.
- Play a piece of your favorite music. Close your ideas and let your mind drift as you listen. See if you can generate a topic or two to write about.
- Go to a totally different environment to write. Sometimes a change of scenery inspires the mind to create.
- Keep a notebook handy either on your desk, in your car or elsewhere. Whenever you are working on a different task and you think of a topic to write about, write it down in the notebook. Name the page so that you don’t just accumulate a lot of random sentences.
- Look through the Table of Contents of books in your industry. See if a chapter title inspires a new topic or different slant on an old one.
- Write from a different point of view. Look at older pieces of your writing and write the same piece from a different point of view. Ex. Tell the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves from one of the dwarf’s point of view.
- Change the genre of writing. Look at older pieces of your writing and change to another genre. Ex. Change a poem into a story; an article into a tips booklet.
- Change the audience. Take one of your older pieces of writing and write it for a different audience.
You may not want to try all of these suggestions, but it is worth trying at least one. Who knows how many new topics you can generate? Don’t forget to save any topic lists that you make for future writing.
© Barbara Boone is the owner of Productivity Solutions helping small businesses that offer a service, create and sustain a productive work environment in order to achieve success. She is also a writer, speaker, instructor, and certified productive environment specialist.
