Once you start blogging it becomes pretty easy to spot ideas for posts almost everywhere you go. Developing a system to curate all the ideas is an entirely different matter. While no two writers use exactly the same system I thought I’d share mine with you.
Remote idea curation. If you are like me the one thing that you are never without is your mobile device. I found a nice little text editor for my Android device. Each month I create a file to capture and curate the ideas until I can do more with them. Sometimes the note is one or two words. Other times I feel like I’ve typed half a post before I’m done. The key is to capture as much of the idea as you can at the moment it’s happening.
Idea centralization. Gathering all your ideas together in a single central location is the next step. I use an off-line blog editor called “ecto” on my Mac. I’d provide a link but I’m actually concerned that it’s no longer supported and am starting to look for an alternative. Regardless, the point is I begin to organize the posts with a working title and as much body content as I can think of.
Pick one and write. When I have time to write I just look through the pending posts and pick one. Today for example I had more than a dozen partial posts I could have worked on but this one resonated with me. So, in addition to 5-7 completed and scheduled posts I’ve got another twelve to pick from to work on.
Idea variety. Those dozen partial posts have been collected over a month or more. No matter my mood or energy level one of them is going to resonate with me enough to work on. Just look down the list and pick one that feels right.
That’s how I curate my ideas, what’s your secret?
as a pre-blogger, I can really appreciate this advice. I’m already starting to do some of this. I still have moments though where I’m thinking of a great post idea, and i love it before I can jot it down.
Thanks for posting this, Jim! Perhaps I’ll get over my blogger’s block.
Dino power (inside joke)
I wait til the inspiration strikes, and WRITE! I don’t write for the sake of writing. I know it’s against all conventional blogging wisdom not to have consistent content. But if nothing worth writing about happens (or even if something does and I’m having trouble putting a spin on it), no writing happens. I’m impressed with all your ideas and how you are able to cultivate them!
You’re only a pre-blogger until you commit the first word of a post to a draft. 😉 Can’t wait to see your stuff Brain.
Anne, thanks for sharing what works for you. Your writing “product” is so much different than mine. That’s what’s so great about this explosion of blogging. We get to see and experience how others think and process life. I love your posts. Some are long and thoughtful – really deep stuff. Others are well…*smiles* candid. random.
Jim, thanks very much for sharing this information! I’ve started using the “Notes” application on my iPhone more frequently to jot down ideas for posts. Normally it’s just a few words —- but I’m definitely going to make more of an effort to “capture as much of the idea as you can at the moment it’s happening”. I think that will help me when I revisit some of my notes days or weeks later!
Jason,
Sometimes I only capture a few words as well. There’s really no rhyme or reason to it. The trick seems to be a willingness to stop what I’m doing to capture the idea while it’s fresh. Today I have somehow managed to capture no fewer than a dozen ideas. Many days I capture none.
-Jim