How to Find Ideas for Blog Posts

By Laurie Epps

My mentor Edie Melson wrote a book about Social Media and Networking Techniques for Writers, to follow along with the book, click here. 

Every week, we'll go through her book, chapter by chapter. 

So get ready, we're going to learn some techniques for starting up your blog. (Or re-inventing your old blog.)

We all have times where we panic the night before a blog post should go up. What are we going to write about? What do we have to say? The most important thing to remember is: don't panic.

1. Look at your last blog post. There may be an idea there either from the blog itself or from the comments.
2. Look at some of the blogs you follow faithfully. What are they talking about? Do you have something new to say? Do they spark a question? Do a little research and answer it.
3. Check Twitter and Facebook. What's trending that you could write about?
4. Did you get frustrated with something on the Internet, or in your life? Tell your readers about it. What did you do to fix it? Please, share it with all of us.
5. Notice the date. Blog by the calendar. Edie has a column that lists unusual dates by calendar day, and you can showcase one of our zany upcoming holidays on your blog. For this months holidays, click here.
6. Are you at a loss for words? Then post a picture or video that your viewers can comment on. (Make sure that you aren't violating copyright laws.)
7. Post a question or a rant about something that truly irritates you.

Connect Activity:
Start a file, folder, or notebook that you put sample blog ideas in it.

My first day as an intern, January 2, 2013

It should include:

• General ideas
• Innovations on your blog's topics
• Sites or other blogs you keep up with, that may have some good ideas
• Calendar ideas (see above)
• Pictures

I remember my first day as an intern for Edie. I didn't know what to write about for her Tuesday column at all. It's amazing where my ideas came from over the next seven months. Sometimes my ideas were as wacky as from a movie, or a random conversation in Starbucks. Where have some of your best ideas come from? Please share them with us below.

Please join me next week to learn how often you should blog.

Laurie Epps is a senior at Anderson University majoring in Creative Writing. Already Laurie is most published as a feature article writer, essayist, and poet. A seeker of beauty and world traveler, Laurie hopes to grow into a career in travel writing illuminating the many stories that make us human despite our differences. Currently, Laurie also has a Thoughtful Thursday column dedicated to the fine art of poetry.