Do you feel everything has been said already?
Discussed from every angle by every authority?
You leaf through your notebook with blog post ideas. You scratch your head. Nothing feels right.
You’ve hit a mental wall. Robbed of inspiration.
What the hell can you write about?!?
You mutter a few bad words. You want to shut down your computer, go out for a walk, and forget about your blog. Forever.
*Sigh*
But your readers are waiting for your next post.
And you’ve promised yourself to write every week.
Others can do it, so why can’t you?
Writing a blog is not about picking original ideas. It’s about finding original ways to communicate your message.
When you discuss ideas with a new twist, your voice becomes colorful in a sea of grey voices. You stand out and draw your audience closer to you. Readers come back week in week out to read more, craving to hear your ideas, your views, your voice.
Want to know how?
Read along the edges
Why is the web a giant echo chamber?
Because everyone is reading the same blogs and books, and everyone is listening to the same podcasts, which anyway discuss the same things as those blogs. Which is often the same you’ll hear at webinars and possibly at conferences.
So, we’re going around in circles.
Want to get out?
Read a book slightly outside your niche.
Like every blogger, I hit the no-ideas-wall recently. After writing about writing for 4+ years, I felt I couldn’t go on any longer. Haven’t I said everything already?
I needed a fresh injection, so I started reading books vaguely related to writing. I read about curiosity, empathy, and Chinese philosophy, giving me a fresh perspective on writing. I was able to discuss worn out topics like writing for your readers and finding your authentic voice in new ways.
Reading a book for each blog post is not a quick way to write. But it’s an enriching experience. I get bored if I don’t learn something while writing a new article. Secretly, I write as much for myself as I write for you.
To inject your blog with fresh impetus, think about topics at the edges of your niche.
If you write about web design, for instance, you could explore creativity, architecture, or philosophical questions like: what is beauty? If you write about building a business, you could branch out into topics like overcoming your fears, motivation, decision making, or consider philosophical questions like: when does entrepreneurship make us happy?
Where does your curiosity lead you?
Take a deep dive
Some blogging gurus tell us to write about the issues that keep our readers awake at 3am.
This advice can quickly destroy creativity and our motivation to blog. Because very few issues keep our readers up at night, and usually you can’t solve those issues in one blog post.
Instead of writing about the big issues, dive deeper into teeny-tiny topics.
Have you ever written a list post?
List posts are great for giving a quick overview of a topic. But they’re more powerful as a collection of articles allowing readers to explore your blog in more detail.
For instance, look at my article about 27 ways to improve your writing—I’ve written an in-depth post about almost each of those 27 ways, whether it’s about rhythm in writing or removing weak words.
Ridiculously small topics like punctuation or adverbs have proven to be some of my most popular. They get high open and click rates, as well as comments and social shares.
Check out the list posts you’ve written. Can you expand on the points you’ve listed?
To learn how to write a post about a small topic, check out:
- Flaky Content? Use These 8 Tips to Write Fascinating Articles With Substance
- How I Turned 31 Measly Words Into a Valuable Blog Post
Share your own experience
We often think of the web as a giant collection of information. We keep up to date with the news. We search for shopping deals. We google questions and look for answers.
But the web is about more. We also look for connection with like-minded people, for compassion and a sense of community. We share ideas and socialize.
When you share only tips on your blog, you sound like every other blogger. But when you share your personal experiences, you stand out from the crowd. Show what you’ve learned and how you’ve become an expert. Or explain how you’ve learned from your mistakes.
When you regurgitate the tips everyone else is sharing, you don’t add value for your readers. However, when you mix your tips with your personal experience, your readers start seeing you as a true expert. Even more importantly, you give a glimpse of who you are, and that’s how you bond with your readers.
To write original blog posts, think about the personal experiences you can share. Or can you share a case study?
Tell it in your own words
Everything has been said already.
But we’ve not heard it from you. In your words.
I’m sure you’ve had this experience when learning something new … You read about the same thing again and again, but it remains a little vague or abstract. You’re not sure what to do with it. And then, at once, you get it.
As Kathy commented two weeks ago:
Just had several lightbulb moments reading this. Some of this I had read before, but hadn’t internalized it.
I finally GET the reason I should narrow my ideal client down to the narrowest possible definition, to be exact and really pin her down.
A new story, a fresh metaphor, an original twist, or different wording—they can help readers get your message, even if they’ve heard it all before.
How to be original
You are unique. You know that.
You have unique experiences. A unique voice. A unique mix of ideas, examples, and stories.
So stop worrying about originality. Instead, help your readers. Share your knowledge and experience in your words.
Your readers are waiting for your next blog post. A helpful tip. A pep talk. A spark of inspiration.
What are you waiting for?
Recommended reading on blogging with gusto:
How to add pizzazz to boring topics
Storytelling in blog posts (in 150 words or less)
How to paint vibrant pictures: 14 metaphor examples
This is exactly what I’m struggling with as I attempt to get my online presence off the ground. Thank you for your tips and examples.
I found it really hard when I started my blog to get my head around this idea. Good luck with your journey, Helen! And thank you for stopping by. 🙂
Hey Henneke,
I’ve been mulling over this for a few days now. So to use deep dive, do I take my list post and write a long or a short article on each topic under the list?
There’s no one right or wrong way to do it, but what I find is that I cover tips in a list post in 30 to 300 words (depending on whether it’s a long or short list), but I can usually dedicate a full length post to most of those tips. For me a full length post is usually around 1000 words—but that number may be different for you. Usually, when I dedicate a post to one of the tips, I use more examples to explain the tip in more detail.
Henneke, you just beat Hercules at task #13. He could only do 12.
A masterclass this.
Great reading. Fun for you and pleasure shared.
Thanks once again.
Thank you, Nicolas. I appreciate your kind comment!
Been writing my blog for 3 years now. Still haven’t run out of things to say. In fact, I have a back log of 500 articles I have started writing and never finished and which I plan to finish. And each time I discover new topics I want to learn about and cover.
You really have an incredibly engaging voice. Sharing experience was the most valuable tip for me. Thanks Henneke
Hi Henneke,
I love this line “When you discuss ideas with a new twist, your voice becomes colorful in a sea of grey voices.” How true is that?!
Sure many ideas have been taken but it’s all about being creative and adding a twist to it. Not only does it make you different, like you said, but you can unearth a new angle that others haven’t thought of.
I like that idea of going just outside of your niche. When I tried it before, it was successful. Perhaps I’ll try it again.
Great job with this one.
– Andrew
P.S. You do a superb job of being original. You definitely inspire me to be greater. Thanks for all you continuously do each week.
Thank you for your generous compliment, Andrew. It makes me happy when people feel inspired by my words. 🙂
I’m new to this blog, I like it! You found a new reader here! =)
Great! Welcome, Josh 🙂
A couple of days ago I read one of your old posts and thought how well you weave interesting, oblique material into it. And that lead to the thought “How do people find interesting books to read, and then weave the ideas into their writing?”
Thanks for this insight about ‘reading round the edge of a niche’.
How do you go about finding actual titles?
I’m aware of the echo-chamber effect of the web, and trying hard to escape it!
You are a master of this, Henneke. The only other person I know of who does this as well as you do is Sean d’Souza over at Psychotactics. I’ve often envied him the posts where he seems to be writing about a tiny idea that fascinates him lone, and it turns out his readers are equally interested!
“A inch wide and a mile deep” – those are the sort of blog posts that interest me most.
I used to find interesting titles via Maria Popova (Brainpickings), but I quickly started to feel overwhelmed by the amount of material she shares. I still browse around there sometimes. I also keep an eye on what Shane Parrish (Farnam Street Blog) shares. I get book recommendations via various ways – people I follow on Twitter or a newspaper review or I’m reading a book which mentions another book which sounds interesting. Or sometimes I try to find a book on a specific subject because I feel I don’t understand it or I ask a friend for recommendations.
Henneke:
What a relief to know you feel like so much is the same and has been said before because I feel that way, too! I wondered if I was missing something and hate to be bored to death but, truly, it is a tricky balance to create a compelling piece of work—whatever topic you are writing about!
Luckily, this week’s topic feels like I’m doing something right, for a change! Lol (haha I wrote, “write” and had to change it to “right.” ) Anyway, I read at least one book off-topic or around topic a week, while reading on-topic daily as well. But I’ve already written and continue to delve into one of my favorite bordering topics “creativity” and recently spun a fun little biz/content marketing/marketing lesson into a “Bar Rescue” theme for Fridge Magazine which has been a pretty exciting and well received piece of work for me. And hey, it was a lot more fun to work on and write about than a run-of-the-mill how-to, while delivering the same message!
I have to tell you, Henneke, I always feel better to know that a pro like you has my same struggles and questions, trudging through the freelance writing workflow jungles. And, once in awhile, it’s nice to feel like something I’m thinking isn’t so crazy, after all:) You rock it and enchant us regularly, miss. Thank you once again! Sue-Ann
I think writer and creators always have fears – Hasn’t everyone said the same? Is it crazy what I’m doing? Is it good enough? Do I have enough talent? What will people think? What if nobody likes it? Am I too slow? What if readers get bored?
No matter how much I write and how much I publish, those fears stay with me – I’m just learning to get used to them.
Happy writing, Sue-Ann. And thank you for stopping by again!
Hi Henneke,
Entertaining post about writing interesting blog posts after you’ve already said everything there is to say.
Trust me, I often feel the ‘this has already been said better by someone else’ panic.
This panic makes me feel like bluesman Robert Johnson’s crossroads story: quit or get better. Your post is brimming with ideas of how to get better. Thanks,
Edward
Everyone of us experiences this panic from time to time.
Don’t let it stop you from writing!
Hi Henneke,
You have really crafted a very good post. There are already some of your tips which i am following but there are some tips as well.
Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Robin!
Hi Henneke,
I know what you mean about “everything has been said already” – and when you land on a post that you’ve read (almost) the same thing ten times before, it’s not engaging as a reader.
We’ve (probably) all done it. I’m sure I have. So I try to add my own struggle into the mix. Because believe me it is a struggle this online marketing – for me, anyway. So I record all the tips I master in my blog – writing for myself as well as my readers.
So far I haven’t run out of ideas, and I keep a list of draft posts with ideas waiting to be expanded on – but when I do run out, I shall look at sources like current affairs (how it applies to IM) and maybe TED talks.
Great topic, thanks,
Joy – Blogging After Dark
Yes, the whole online marketing thing is confusing and challenging!
I’m glad you’ve not run out of ideas yet, Joy; and it sounds like a great idea to share your tips as well as your struggles.
Thank you for stopping by to comment.
‘very few issues keep our readers up at night’ – haha!
I doubt that any of my readers stays awake because of worries about adverbs or punctuation!
Thanks for the mention, Henneke! <3
I just read the most darling post yesterday, that I think I will have to copy. It was about blogging, but could be used anywhere, comparing our stagnant moments to diseases such as "pen-fear-itis" or "topic-osis" or "title-emia". Cannot wait to apply this idea to my site, as a funny and edgy way of calling out some of our failings and adding the spoonful of sugar that makes the medicine go down! 😉
I like the idea of the spoonful of sugar to make the medicine go down so we can get over stagnant moments!
That post truly made me think of you. 😉
My original comment didn’t seem to post. But as usual you were reading my mind as well. It seemed like this weekend everything I read was what I had been thinking about writing, and I had a moment of “I have nothing to add to this conversation…I’m just stuffing more garbage into the already overstuffed content trash can.” But I’m reading an interesting book 😉 that is giving me some fresh ideas. Have a great week!
What happened when you tried to post your comment initially? Do you think it was a problem with my site? There’s no other comment from you in the moderation queue.
I think we all suffer from this feeling like there’s nothing to add (or others have said it much better than I could say it …).
Enjoy your book!
BTW, thanks for the mention, I didn’t even realize it! 😀
I LOVE reading books and also find them a great source for helping spice up blog posts.
I guess my biggest challenge is it take me a little while to get through a book, so that probably means I just need to dedicate more time to reading.
That’s of course a-ok with me! 🙂
It also takes me a while to read a book. I’d like to read one a week (I only started this recently), but I don’t always succeed (unless they’re small books).
I’m also aiming to make more time for reading!
Henneke, What a great post. I love your idea about going smaller rather than bigger. The smaller the subject, the deeper you can go and bring yourself into it. I try and pick a problem (sometimes a tiny problem) and solve it in the blog post. Its been an invaluable way to approach this. Thanks for the reminder.
Yes, exactly. The tiny subjects can be surprisingly interesting.
Thank you for commenting, Laurie.
Hi Henneke,
The edges are definitely where you can find morsels if interestingness. When I have found my own subject area dull and uninspiring, I have deliberately thrown myself into some cross-discipline adventuring. Not the easy route mind you. Mercifully, more often than not I have stumbled across some unexpected inspiration and made some uncommon connections. These discoveries I can use to give my writing a bit of pep.
I have learned that if I am writing bored and lazy; what I give off is exactly what I will receive from my readers or clients.
Keep those brainpokes coming Henneke! You and they are our companions on the road less travelled.
Cheers from a blustery, rainy, sunny-ish and humid ?☀️?
Yes, that’s exactly my experience, too. If it doesn’t interest me or I don’t feel writing about a topic, those feelings somehow seep into my writing.
I’m glad you’re also finding new ways to approach your topic, too. It’s interesting to explore new ideas, isn’t it?
Thank you for stopping by again, Nicole. I appreciate it!
Have you ever read “Lessons in Clarity and Grace” by Joseph M. Williams? Your writing embodies everything I ever learned from that book! Elegance in clarity. I even wrote my old college professor to clue her into your posts. And this post couldn’t have come at a better time!
I’m the content developer for a digital marketing agency and we have 10+ clients with blogs that I write for. Henneke. Have you any idea how difficult it is to make dentistry interesting enough to drive traffic?
*rips hair out*
Just kidding.
I have no hair left. *crazed laugh*
But the sheer idea of this post was perfect! The edge of the niche. . . brilliant.
Thanks again! And sorry for all the pressure we put on you for another awesome post! 😉 You’ve set the bar quite high!
I’ve not read the book – I’ll check it out!
I can feel your pain – it’s hard to write about topics you don’t feel any affinity with. Perhaps think about all the questions people may have about dentistry – for some people it’s quite an emotional topic!
Hi Henneke,
I’m in the process of starting a blog and have read both your books, which are incredibly useful. I love your approach to writing and learning. In this post your suggestion to read along the edges is great. Like you, I have found cultural references to be very helpful in terms of providing different perspectives. Thank you for your inspiration and advice!
PS: I saw in the bio in your book that you have a degree in Chinese. I too lived in China for several years, speak Mandarin, and traveled around Asia. It’s nice to “meet” someone with a similar background!
Hi Kristen
Nice to meet you, too! And thank you for stopping by to leave a comment.
Unfortunately, my Mandarin has become quite rusty as I’ve not spoken Mandarin for quite a few years. I keep thinking I should start practising, but never picked it up again.
Good luck with starting your blog. Let me know if you have any specific questions?
“Everything has been said before, but not by you ”
I love that sentence Henneke, this is the second time I’ve read that and I couldn’t have agreed more.
Indeed, I’ve found myself struggling to figure out what I should publish on my blog because it’s as if nothing is new on the Internet again but then like you rightly pointed out, you just have to add some ingredients to any topic you decide to write using your own experiences and words, this will make it to be super unique.
I’ve never thought of dissecting my list posts point by point before and I think that’s a wonderful idea. Will have to hit that up.
Henneke, it seems I’m now addicted to your blog and newsletters, can’t just get my eyes off anything that comes from you.
Simply put******** you Rock 🙂
Thanks and have a good day.
Thank you so much, Theodore!
I bet you can find some interesting topics to write about when you check out your list posts. Don’t forget to add a link from the list post to your new, more detailed post when you try this approach.
Happy blogging!
Hi Henneke,
Fabulous and relatable post.
Almost everything has been written about before, yet we can always teach something in a unique way that makes the information stick with our readers.
I like your tip of reading something related to your subject. Recently I picked up a book on advanced language patterns. It’s not directly related to writing or copywriting, but it certainly gave me new insights on how to use language.
Thanks for writing this, Henneke.
Enjoy the rest of your week!
– Jasper
That sounds indeed interesting, Jasper. Isn’t it fun that when we allow ourselves to look beyond our topics we all find different things that arouse our curiosity?
Happy writing!
It’s so much easier to regurgitate information and give a list or tips. But without the personal experience or flair, it’s just not that interesting. It’s more textbook than real life. I’m guilty of this so I’m going to make more of an effort to recall a story here or there that I can interject. Love this article!
Yes, that’s true – it does take a little more time, but I think it’s worth the extra effort. Even a couple of sentences about your own experience here and there can change the tone of an article, making your content more engaging. And it’s how your readers get to know you.
Thank you for stopping by again, Rev. Happy blogging!
All great ideas as usual! Thank you Henneke for being the inspiration I need, right when I need it.
My pleasure, Melinda. Happy writing! And thank you for stopping by.
Your writing is amazing! You draw me in every time….what a great teacher you are.
Jeannette 🙂
Thank you for your lovely comment, Jeannette. I appreciate it!
I swear you get inside my head and read my inner most thoughts sometimes! Great post, and so true. Thank you for articulating something I’ve been struggling with recently.
Cheers Mel
That’s because we all struggle with this, Mel. I get the same feeling about twice a year. Sometimes I can shake it off quickly, but at other times it can last a few weeks. Happy writing!
Henneke, I often say (and even wrote a blog post about it) 😉 that we’ve run out of ideas. But, like you, I believe in unique. You never know when your spin is going to connect with a reader. I know yours do with me. 🙂
Yep, so true: collectively we’ve run out of ideas. But that doesn’t stop us from writing 😉
Thank you for stopping by again, Cathy. I appreciate it!
You’re a great writer, Henneke. You inspire me.
It’s unfortunate I didn’t know you were around.
You’ve done it again with today’s post.
Great writing.
Francis
Thank you, Francis. And it’s never too late to join the “party” here 🙂
There’s always a party at Enchanting Marketing. And Henneke is a gracious hostess.
It’s just a pity you have to bring your own drinks 😉