While many people seem to have no problem generating content about a vast array of topics, or continuously finding new ways to write about a niche subject, some of us struggle with the idea of creating what I like to call content for the sake of content. This is not necessarily a bad thing, and there are solutions. First, let’s explore some of the reasons why you may be struggling.
1. You don’t know much about your topic.
This can be a difficult issue to tackle, especially if you’re used to writing creative, personal, or opinionated pieces.This also presents a particular challenge for people who strive to create unique and meaningful work, and are not content with the dry task of researching a topic, compiling information, and reporting it.
So what can you do? The answer is not to feign interest or expertise. Readers can see through this and it does nothing to help them get the information they are searching for.
Another mistake is trying to simply “suck it up” or “power through” your writing. If you attempt this, you will just end up back where you started, choosing between a writing job and your writing integrity.
What you can do is ask yourself questions. Ask why it is that you don’t know much or don’t care about your topic. From there you may be able to derive some meaningful conclusions that could encourage your readers to think differently about the topic and maybe even about themselves.
Another way to tackle this problem is to change your typical methods of conducting research. Rather than limiting yourself to collecting facts and weighing different opinions on a topic, you can search for the little-known details or strange incidents related to it that actually interest you.
Example: If your topic involves knitting, you don’t have to discuss techniques for beginners or compare the quality and functionality of different types of yarn. Instead, you could write about some of the most unusual objects that have ever reportedly been knitted or explore the world of online chat rooms dedicated to the craft.
2. You are writing for the wrong audience.
It’s easy to become bored when you are trying to create content based solely on what you think people want to hear. When your interest is insincere, your writing reflects it. You end up with generic work that contains little substance and offers nothing new to your readers.
Sometimes it can feel impossible to come up with ideas for topics that people will want to read about, so we end up picking one that is popularly covered in an attempt to write for the same audience that other posts have attracted and adopting a similar style.
The problem with this is that it does not encourage creativity or offer readers anything valuable. Instead of going after an audience of people who are already reading about your topic, write for those who have not found what they are looking for in popular coverage of it. Answer any questions you still have after reading popular blog posts or articles instead of copying their styles.
Example: Let’s say that you want to write about successful studying methods. There is a surplus of other posts out there on this subject already, so how do you find an audience that hasn’t been reached by them? Look for groups of people whose needs have been neglected in the popular handling of this subject. You may ask the question: Why do none of these guides include suggestions and resources specific to people who are suffering from depression? Set out to answer this and you’ll find your audience.
3. Everything has been written about already.
This is a problem that every writer faces eventually. It’s true, almost any topic you choose has been written about by someone else before, and often extensively.
Don't worry, there’s a way to both ensure originality in your work and spark your own interest in a subject. The trick is to engage personally with your content by writing about your own experiences.
However, it is critical that you do this as indirectly as possible, only mentioning yourself in ways that make your work more valuable to readers and never just as a means of telling your personal story.
Example: If someone is searching for a how-to guide on crafting a lasagna from scratch, they probably do not need or want to read about how you remember the smell of your grandmother’s cooking filling the entire house on Sundays when you were a kid, or about the time you mistakenly added cumin to your dish instead of oregano. Instead, you can avoid writing a cut-and-dry, lifeless tutorial piece by mentioning ingredient substitution do’s and don'ts that you learned in college when your pantry was less stocked, or by suggesting neat ways to serve or garnish the dish for a dinner party.
Now that we’ve identified some tactics for dealing with these issues, let’s tackle the hardest task of all — getting started.
If you’re like me, your instinct as a writer may be to put off starting projects and wait for inspiration to come to you. It’s one thing to figure out how you want to approach a writing project and another to actually begin one.
The best way to start creating the work you actually want to make is to just start by working on anything. And I mean anything, even if it’s the worst, most boring and uninspired thing you’ve ever written. This is hard to do if you let it become your last resort, but much easier when you recognize it as the first step in your writing process.
I recommend this because writing and researching about even something that bores you will get the gears in your mind turning. Only once you’ve started somewhere do your instincts, in other words, your inspiration, as a writer kick in.
Take this article for instance. I had set out to find a topic, any topic, to write about, but wasn’t producing decent ideas on anything I chose. I ended up searching the web for tips on writing about topics that didn’t particularly interest me, but none of the results I found gave me the answers I was looking for. They all told me to change my mindset, turn down ideas I didn’t love, or to just power through and write boring content just to get the job done.
Instead of accepting these answers, I set out to write this article. I set out to provide answers to my own questions, and hope that by doing so I’ve been able to help you find solutions to some of yours.
