I want to preface this whole discussion that the type of writing I am going to refer to is not academic but leisure, work, or hobby related.
If you are trying to find inspiration for your academic writing, all the advice I got is that you have to sit down somewhere that keeps you focused and just start otherwise it is not going to happen anytime soon.
Maybe make an outline? They never work for me but I'm sure they work for some of y'all out there. Good luck with that!
I helped conduct an ice breaker recently where people had to write a question they wanted to ask another person and go around in pairs and respond. When they were done and their partner did the same to them, they had to swap questions and then go find someone else to ask and it continued on.
It was really fun and interesting to see what people came up with as questions and how that sparked a conversation between strangers. That made me think that there must be similar questions you can ask yourself to get your creative juices flowing that incites a quirky written piece.
This article is going to focus on is those of us who choose to write in our free time, for an organization on campus or work. It is really hard to do, especially if you have to create content weekly and thus, there are times (which occur very frequently) where you are just unable to write.
It seems like you have nothing that interests you enough to write or there is nothing you want to write about. That is completely normal and if that seems like you, I really hope these 9 ideas spark something.
Hopefully, at the end of this, we find some inspiration to write our next article.
1. Something interesting that happened in class
Not going to lie, I find this idea pretty laughable too.
But there are some (usually philosophical) discussions that occur during class that I find super compelling and I want to talk about it to everyone I meet that day. The best way to channel that energy is to share it through your writing which will automatically make you conduct some research on that topic and now you have something obscure to share about at a party! You are welcome.
2. Share something you know how to do really well.
It's always easy to talk about something that you know a lot about because you could go on and on. From being obsessed with TV shows or painting, writing about your passions is the easiest way to get out of a writer's funk.
Should I make an article about procrastination? I'll get around to it eventually.
3. Which places do you want to visit and why?
This can be interpreted in so many ways where one can talk about the specific countries they want to go to because of some personal passion, landmarks they want to visit because they are huge and encompassing, or just a bucket list of things that you want to do in different parts of the world.
I feel like I'd write an article like this if I was in an inspired mood and the wanderlust was really kicking in.
4. What do you consider a good/bad relationship?
It is always good to revisit and reevaluate your relationships with yourself and others around you albeit it be platonic or romantic and a really effective way to reflect is by writing about what you find is supportive to you and what behaviors and mindsets you don't like in terms of the people you allow into your social circle. It is interesting to read when people have so many opinions on their relationships and it is always rewarding to write about it because you might find out something about yourself that you did not know before.
5. Some current event that you have opinions on
There are so many things happening outside of our little college bubble that we sometimes completely forget about. If there is something in the news that makes your blood pump (with excitement or anger), chances are you probably can fill more than 500 words about it.
6. If you would be another major, which would it be and why?
This really makes you reflect on yourself and why you have chosen your path in college which can be fun but also terrifying at the same time. It could be fun to figure out what led you to your exact major and if something was different in your life, you would be going down a completely dissimilar path.
Personally, I have a lot of majors that I am interested in and would do if I'm not doing my current ones. Astrophysics and English immediately come to mind but I'm also the kind of person that would love to learn everything about something that I came across by chance in an obscure post on instagram so I think my article would be long and tangential.
7. Something that irritated you recently
Nothing gets my writing going than being pissed off about something and going on a rant about it. It could be so minor like the fact that someone was rude to the professor in office hours which will open up so much avenues to write about that I won't feel truly over it unless I write about it.
8. What is your opinion on astrology and why?
A really unorthodox discussion about what and why people find astrology fun and engaging would be a cool take on this. Another side would just be stating what you feel about it and how it permeates your life.
I feel like I have actually written an article about astrology before and how it is addicting because it puts people in boxes and I definitely need to reread it to see what young me thought.
9. Something good that happened to you recently
There are always little things that occur around us that bring us joy and remind us of how grateful we are to be here. I feel that sharing that with your writing allows others to get inspired and become more excited about doing mundane things. It also stays as a memory to look back on and get re-happy again!
And of course, if none of these options stand out to you, you can always just write a piece about article ideas to write about if you don't feel like writing. Kind of like what I just did.
