"10
Ways To Create Content For Your Weblog."
By Sheila Ann Manuel Coggins
You know that feeling... the awful sensation
that you just can't possibly blog about anything. Nothing inspires
you enough. Everything seems too mundane. And, the more you think
about blogging, the less you are inclined to blog.
Indeed, if writers can get writer's block, then bloggers can get
blogger's block.
What do you do in moments like these?
Here are some ideas on how you can create weblog
content during 'dry times' when you feel as though anything under
the sun isn't worth blogging about.
1) Check your Inbox. It's a
great place to find fodder for blogging. Answer an email or two
in your blog. React to a piece that you read from an email newsletter.
Review a link or product that was recommended to you.
2) Start Blog Hopping. We all
do it on a regular basis - reading blogs from our blogroll.
However, this time, read your favorite blogs
with the purpose of finding ideas to write about. Also, try to
follow links to weblogs you don't usually visit. Start asking
questions like: "What are my fellow bloggers interested in
at the moment?" or "What is the most popular topic that
people blog about? Do I want to write about it too? Or perhaps,
I can blog about something that is not too popular." Doing
these things may spark something in your 'blocked' blogging brain.
3) Comment in Your Own Blog. Yes, this idea is
related to item #2. When you visit other weblogs, use your own
blog when commenting on another blogger's entry that catches your
attention. Or, if you post a short comment on someone else's blog,
think of ways on how you can expand the idea. Oh, and don't forget
to use trackback,
if your blogging system allows you to do so.
4) Read, Listen To, or Watch the News.
Even if your weblog is not about news, politics or current events,
you will still benefit from finding out what's going on in the
world. To give you a refreshed view, why not check out news sources
that you don't usually refer to? For example, if you're a CNN
person, check out BBC
this time around. You might even want to try watching news in
a foreign language.
5) Give
Memes or Collaborations a Go. Even if you're not
too crazy about memes or collabs, you might still consider trying
it out. Give it a different spin if you like. Say, instead of
creating "100 Things About Me" - you can write "100
Things About My Neighbor's Cat."
6) Create Lists. This is an
endless source of blogging ideas. Some possibilities: "Top
10" lists, "Favorites" lists, "Worst of the
Bunch" lists, "Things To Do" lists, "Wish"
lists, etc. These lists may be on any given topic such as movies,
books, music, people, paintings, food, sports, and activities,
among many other things.
Also See: Web
Logs Meme #3: Ten Top 10s
7) Play
Games, Answer Surveys, or Take Quizzes. If you're
not the sort of person who likes posting quiz or survey results
as weblog entries, remember that you're not limited to the "usual
route" of blog quiz-taking (i.e., find a quiz, respond to
questions, and post the results as a blog entry). For example,
if you take the quiz: What's
Your Blogging Personality?, you can write about particular
items asked in the quiz. Or, you can write about other ideas you
may have for a game, survey, or quiz for bloggers.
8) Blog at Random. There are
different ways you can blog at random. One way to do this is to
pick up a dictionary or encyclopedia, open to a random page, and
then write about a word, phrase or sentence that you find on that
particular page. Another way is to flip through one of your photo
albums (or boxes, if they're not in albums yet), and pick a random
photo to write about - be it a memory, a fictional idea, or a
non-fiction piece. You can also turn on the TV or the radio, then
write about the first thing you watch or hear about. Another thing
you might like to try is to find a journal writing software and/or
book with creative writing prompts and pick a topic at random
to write about.
9) Be a Sleuth! Are there things
that you've always wondered about but never found the opportunity
to get the facts? You might have asked yourself one or more of
the following questions at one time or another: "How do you
build an igloo?" "What are the different species of
spiders?" or "Who is the richest woman in the world?"
Well, now might be a good time to get your detective or research
skills in to action. Check search engines, almanacs, and other
sources of information. Then, start blogging your findings!
10) Do Something New. If not
something new, any activity other than blogging or computer-related
stuff will do. Sometimes, all you need is a little break. Go to
the mall, watch a movie, go for a walk, visit the beach, or call
a friend. Just get out there and live your life.
There are other ways to come up with blogging
content other than the ones mentioned here. Go ahead and experiment!
Just remember that living a full life is a surefire way to kick
bloggers block out of the picture.
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