Saturday, April 16, 2016

N is New Content #AtoZBlogging Challenge

I've been thinking a lot about the word NEW today. We're well in to the New Year and we've had some new goals. We've made some new friends in the blogging challenge. We've tried some new writing techniques along the way. 

Today I'll look more specifically at New Content. As we go along this challenge and we follow a theme, we want to be sure we are not just restating the same post in a different way with a different letter. 

So, we rack our brains to find new content. Many times we may be at a loss, especially if we blog every day. Even if we know we are posting new and interesting posts, we may still feel that something is off or that our posts are becoming "dry". 

So what are some ways we can come up with new content?  We can try some frequently suggested tips such as brainstorming and free writing. Do you know how many times I started writing a post and then had to change my title or even the whole thing? It usually happens after about 200 words. I start writing about something and the thought comes to my mind: "Wow, I should have written about..." Then BOOM! I would erase everything and start with my real content. It does work.

Another tried and true option is to carry a notebook with you. You never know when your ideas will "hit" you. I could sit in front of the computer screen for hours trying to come up with something interesting to write about. However, sometimes the content or ideas hit me after I stop thinking about them so much. 

Still not sure you have your new content? Another idea I try is googling an idea. I aim to at least have a concept, idea or even a key word. For example, I knew this post needed the letter N. I thought to myself, "Let's see what happens when I google New Content for a Blog." I read a few posts and found a few suggestions.  

What if you aren't even sure of a topic? I actually googled, "writing words that start with the letter N".  Now, that really yielded nothing, but it got my brain thinking and seeking. Eventually that led to my new content idea. 

I also searched to see what other previous A to Z bloggers did. I didn't take their ideas, but I read what they had to say. I watched how they tied a certain word or phrase to the challenge. Some ideas I liked, other ideas didn't help much. While nothing from my research physically appeared in my blog, it did spark my inspiration.I started thinking, "If I chose that topic, what would I write?"

Honestly, I didn't think my topic of new content would yield much of a post, However, I think it did pretty well. 

How do you come up with your new content ideas? 

3 comments:

Andrea said...

I seem to have, what seem to be, the greatest ideas when i am driving. I have scribbles on paper done at red lights and stop signs.

Liz Brownlee said...

It's probably easier if you have a strict theme. i find deciding on what animal is the hard bit, and then I try not to change my mind no matter how hard it becomes to write about it. I find that makes the content better, in the end!

Jennifer Gladen said...

Andrea, I've been there and done that too.

Liz, I admire your will power. It is a discipline.

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