Generating Writing Ideas

Purpose and Direction

I recently had the good, er, fortune of breaking open a fortune cookie and seeing this statement: “Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.” This was an apropos fortune, as I happened to be contemplating a blog post of how to generate focused and purposeful writing ideas. (Yes, this post is the result of that good fortune.)

Indeed, effective writing is focused and purposeful. And, of course, good writing should have a clear direction. But (isn’t there always a “but”?) where does one find those clear and focused ideas?

I love to write. I also love to revise and edit. In fact, I have a fondness for most everything about the writing process. When it came to picking a topic, though, I used to fall into a kind of mental paralysis. In school, in-class writings were always the bane of my existence (well, not really, but a little hyperbole never hurt anyone). I struggled with coming up with ideas to write about, even when provided with a prompt. However, based on my own writing and teaching (of writing) experiences, I’ve since developed some guidelines that I’ve found to be useful in my own writing endeavors.

What Should I Write About?

You’ve probably heard the old adage, “Write what you know.” I think the intent of that sentiment is that we shouldn’t write about subjects we’re completely clueless about. For example, I couldn’t (or, more to the point, shouldn’t) sit down right now and write an article/essay/story about hunting–at least, not without some research.

Ah, research.

Yes, that’s the key. It’s not that we shouldn’t write about what we don’t know. That could, in fact, be quite limiting. It also defeats one of the purposes of writing, which is that we learn from writing. In fact, Flannery O’Conner reportedly said, “I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say.” A lot of us don’t really know what we think until we write it down, dissect it, and analyze it on paper. That’s what writing is. It’s analysis. Writing is a method to discover what you know . . . and what you don’t know. What are your knowledge gaps? What do you want or need to know more about? It’s a way to learn about yourself as well.

Whether you’re a student picking a topic for a paper you don’t really want to write, a prolific blogger, or a freelance writer staring at a blank screen, the struggle is the same–and all too real: What should I write about?

Guidelines for Choosing a Topic

1. Pick a topic that interests you.

You might be thinking, “Duh,” but, trust me, I’ve often had students pick topics they were uninterested in simply because they thought the topic they chose would be “easy.” I can tell you, though, that picking a topic for that reason will not, in fact, make the task easier; it will likely make it more difficult.

So, if the choice is solely yours, you should pick a topic that excites you–one that, when you’re researching and writing will put you in the proverbial “zone.” When I’m excited about a topic that I’m researching and writing about, I often forget to eat. Hours might pass before I realize that I haven’t even checked my phone (*gasp*)!

If the topic choice is not solely yours (i.e., someone has assigned you a topic), if possible, find an angle or perspective of the topic that engages you. For example, if I were told that I had to write about some aspect of sports, I would probably focus on something like pay for women soccer players. Although I’m not a huge sports fan, I enjoy playing and watching soccer; and I’m always interested in topics of gender equality. I would be genuinely interested in and excited about that topic (even if I would have initially groaned about having to write about sports).

Simple enough, right?

Wait, What?

To simply tell you to pick a topic that interests you wouldn’t be too helpful. It’s too general of a statement, and what you need help with is generating ideas. That’s why you’re here, right? You might have a lot of interests, so this can be the overwhelming part. If your mind works like mine, it might be buzzing with so many thoughts that it’s just a messy blur of ideas. So, here’s what you do. Start by making a list of the following:

• your hobbies (past, present, and future (hobbies you wish you had))
• activities/sports you are especially good at (don’t worry about humility!)
• cultures or languages you know or are interested in knowing better
• social norms or trends (e.g., the use of “no problem” instead of “you’re welcome”)
• political issues/political movements/current events/historical events
• things people have said that have stuck with you (advice, maxims, etc.)
• business- or work-related items (e.g., breakroom manners, petitioning for a raise)

There might be some overlap in the categories, which is fine. You might stray from the categories as well, and that’s also fine. The point is to try to calm the tornado of ideas in your mind and gain some direction.

Tip: Keep your list to refer to again, over and over! Add to it regularly. It’s helpful to always be generating writing ideas, even if you don’t need them immediately. That way, the next time you need/want to write something, you can skip right to #2.

2. Freewrite.

Especially if you are going to be doing extensive research, you want to make sure you choose a topic that you are genuinely interested in knowing more about. So, once you’ve come up with your initial list of ideas, pick two or three things from your list and do some freewriting. Below are some prompts to guide you:

• Why is this topic of interest to you? What potential interest could it have to others? Why is it important?
• What do you already know about the topic?
• What do you want to know more about in regards to the topic? (Just because you are interested in a topic and maybe quite familiar with it doesn’t mean that you don’t still have more to learn!)

This initial freewriting should help you figure out what you are most excited about and what you might be interested in knowing more about (with regards to your subject).

Note: If you find yourself lacking interest in your freewriting topic, choose a different one! That’s why you have a list.

3. Create a research question to guide your process.

After you’ve done some freewriting/brainstorming, you should be able to create at least one research question to guide you.

A good research question cannot be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.” It should require a more in-depth answer. Similarly, if you’re writing an essay or paper that requires research (e.g., an academic paper), the research question should not be one that Google can quickly answer for you.

Having a specific question to guide you is helpful, as your research will be more focused. As you research, you will then come up with a “working” thesis statement (or main idea) that will help guide your early draft(s).

4. Research and write/freewrite with an open mind.

You may have a definite and unchanging opinion about a certain issue; but, in most cases, if you are trying to persuade your reader, your opinion alone–even with supporting examples–is not usually enough. Research contradictory opinions. Consider the reasons why people might disagree with you; acknowledge those reasons. It’s also perfectly acceptable to change your opinion about something. Remember, you’re writing to learn. That’s why starting with a question (instead of a strong opinion) is often ideal for researched writing.

If you’re not doing research (or heavy research), you should still write with an open mind. Consider the question “why?” at every turn. Probe deeper. This inquiry is crucial for personal writing (which may not have a strong research component to it). Readers don’t want “surface” information; they want depth–of information, of emotion, of perspective.

Write to Learn

As you can see, it’s not necessary that you write only of what you know. Instead, write to know; write to learn. Research, knowledge, and discovery should all be integral parts of the writing process. You will make better sense of what you’re writing and be more invested in the information as well. The same is true for creative writing. For creative writing (fiction, especially), I have a similar (but different!) idea-generating process. More on that in a future post!

Please note that these guidelines for generating writing ideas will not necessarily get you a stellar first draft (and first drafts are generally not stellar anyway!). Much of the writing you do in the freewriting/brainstorming step is not for public consumption. These guidelines are merely to help you focus your effort because that fortune cookie wasn’t wrong: “Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.”

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