I keep a notebook of ideas. I add everything that comes to my mind. When it's time to write, I open the notebook and pick a topic.

Terrific time-tested way to do it! :-)

From the time since I started blogging, I started observing things closely, life thats happening around me. When ever i see something interesting, I think how to present it, to make a post out of this. There is no definite agenda on what to post, but slowly I started structuring it like image of the week normally comes on a Wednesday, On Feb 2 i started some thing called a TED Tuesday

TED Tuesday sounds like a great idea! TED talks are awesome. Thanks for
sharing your ideas with us. :-)

It's really fascinating to see how everyone is getting their inspirations from. I too, am very much discovering my writing ideas from the surroundings - it could be an internet downtime, a question I had while operating a social media site, readers' responses, even real time conversations/news feed; and today, obviously I found more possible ways thanks to this valuable discussion you have here. It's truly remarkable. ^^

@wchingya
Social/Blogging Tracker

I find that instead of spending time brainstorming I just go to my list. I stay away from surveys and just put up a blog post saying "hey, how can I help?" or "what are you worried/wondering about?" and bam, I've got 40+ comments with enough content ideas to last me for a few months. and they really appreciate seeing me deliver the stuff THEY want...

to answer your Q's

Are you reactive to current events, or do you follow a preset plan or editorial calendar?
--> I actually am going to do an editorial calendar tonight... I can't fly by the seat of my pants anymore and to be frank, the stress of flying by the seat of my pants is taking the fun out of this business and I can't wait for it to be resolved.

Do you keep an idea notebook, and if so, in what format (WoodPulp 1.0, desktop software, webware, vocal, etc.)?
--> Right now it's all 'up here' (me pointing to head)... but the other day I thought of something life changing and then completely forgot. I am still sick over it so I am going to look through the programs others are using and make a change.

How do you know an idea you have is worth pursuing? What makes you decide to reject a post idea?
--> that's a really good question... I start out writing something and if I feel, no, this isn't working, I save as a draft and move on. Then I go back and try and do something more exciting with the idea, otherwise I just scrap it.

I look forward to reading all the comments!

I write posts that I think my clients will benefit from. It seems I get similar questions over and over again, so its helpful to answer the question and then also direct them to a blog post I wrote on the same topic.

I also decide on a "theme" for each month and then write 4-8 posts on that topic in one afternoon. Seems efficient and easier to spring from one idea to the other.

This is a great thread of comments. Hope you create a post summing everything up.

for me,ideas for blog post can come from anywhere and anything so i always carry a pen and writing material with me.i get ideas from my experiences offline and online,from books i read,from other blogs i read ,from people i meet.

Actually I got one of my short series ideas from you!

I recently found your site and on your About page you wrote: "Okay, that’s enough of that. Starting to get pissed!"

From there, I wrote a short series on PTSD and Anger. I write essays to help people understand the spiritual dimensions of PTSD, find hope, and not kill themselves in despair. Family members also have found the site useful. People with PTSD are susceptible to anger and need how to understand it and not be devoured by it.

In the meantime I write series and occasional pieces based on what is in the news, or what families ask me to write about, and my own experience in dealing with PTSD. Semper Pax, Dr. Z

John, You're doing wonderful work, helping people with PTSD. I'm glad you
found some inspiration!

I have a tourism/info/lifestyale blog about the city I live (Amsterdam. Oh, the blog is in Portuguese, sorry :/). I get ideas from my own experiences and life in the city. But I also get a lot of idea posts from my readers. When a certain type of question starts to pop up in the comments and contact form, it's time to make a post to answer it.

I don't have any kids, but one day someone asked me about kids attractions in the city. I did a research, went to places, interviewed people and did a post about Amsterdam for kids. I got a very positive feedback. And, in the post, I thanked the original reader who asked the question. That made more people to want to come up with posts ideas for me to do it. Now, I always try to include my readers in my posts.

That is a great idea! You are also building community that way. Just make
sure you keep in sight your target audience, which are tourists. :-)

Most of my post ideas come to me in the weirdest places -- while sitting at a stoplight, while chopping veggies in the kitchen, while walking the dog, taking a shower, hiking. So I keep small notepads handy around the house. I also keep one in the car. When I get back to the office, I'll then transfer the idea, along with random thoughts on it, to a master "Post Ideas" document. That way, when I carve out time to write blog posts, I have a hefty repository of ideas. When it's time to write, I'll pick the one that resonates with me the most at the moment.

Ed, that certainly solves the "I forgot my notebook!" problem. :-)

I have a DIY pet craft blog, so most of my ideas come from stuff that I need/want to make for my dog. I also get inspiration from flipping through pet magazines to check out the latest trends or surfing around crafty websites.

For my rant/commentary posts, I usually draw upon experiences that I have with my dog when travelling out and about be it positive or negative.

Another niche-specific way to get post ideas! I love it!

If I look too hard I can get stuck. I am starting to carry a small notepad for those moments when ideas come. I don't have one process other than capturing ideas, stories, thoughts and then working them out on the keyboard.

That is all it comes down to: capturing the ideas and then working them into posts. :-)

wow, first of all, thanks to Micheal for sharing his tips unselfishly... :) and thanks to all of you people who shared your ideas and opinions too!! I'm gonna steal some of your ideas... :)
Well, my blog only has four posts since I started more than a year ago... so it suck... Basically, I'm certainly not as organized as most of you, if not all, here... at least not as trendy, not equipped with any gadget except for a lousy cell phone... but what I do (not that I have lots of choices) is to write whatever I think of in bits and pieces of paper I could find by my bed side since my idea usually come before I get 'em eye shut... and then, I'd sit down and compile them in blogger... but there usually come a time when my idea become obsolete before I post them... thus, my minimal number of postings... Anyway, I'm gonna concentrate more on blogging from now... since I'm currently on a two-week off due to appendectomy... :)

Keep working at it, regular posting helps build an audience. Your posts don't have to be long or perfect. You can just write a quick few sentences when the idea is fresh in your mind and hit "publish!" Getting something done is better than doing something perfectly.

Admittedly, I haven't been blogging long and I don't use a schedule. From reading these comments, it sure seems like a gret idea!

As for how I have been getting ideas...

I am a coach and when I work through something with someone, I am usuallly inspired to write something that came up in that session. Obviously, I wouldn't use anyone's info. I just get an idea from the conversation.

But, if someone says something like, "I don't know how to put the 'real' me out there. It's all been a marketing mask," I am inspired to write about Hiding Out behind your business online. Like that.

Toby, when you work with clients, they can be such a great source of post ideas! They are for me, too (and also for information products, because I see the same struggles with many clients). Post like those have the added benefit of getting you even more clients as well, which is what blog marketing is all about!

I tend to get good ideas for blog posts at two different times--when I'm reading other blogs in my GoogleReader, and during my commute.

For the former, I typically mark the posts that have a common theme I'd like to use in a blog post with a star, and if possible, I grab the links and drop them in a "QuickPress" post in Wordpress, which I save as a draft for later.

For the latter, like Jim, I use an audio recorder function on my cell phone to capture just enough of the idea to remind myself later. Once I get either home or at work, I drop that nugget as a QuickPress draft as well.

Most of the time, I find that when it's time to sit down and write my post for the day, I have at least five or six nugget ideas to start with.

Kat, the same thing would happen to me when I had a commute (now I do this fulltime, so my "commute" is going from bedroom to kitchen to home office!). I used the Jott service to have my voice transcribed into text automagically and then emailed to me or auto-posted to WordPress as a draft. If you put Jott on speed or voice dial, it's even safer while you're driving. :-)

A radical suggestion to everyone who has contributed and is following responses to this blog post. Many of us will read every response and take away the best ideas. Well we will won't we - let's be honest here. So ........
How about we pledge $1 for every single idea we take from these responses to the relief fund for Haiti ? With 60 comments - if we each took away an average of 10 good ideas that's $600.
Just a thought. It's what I'm going to do.

Gillian, that's a great idea. I hope you all have given to your Haiti relief organization of choice!

I'm going to wait until next week and then trawl through this wonderful outpouring of ideas - count up all the ones I don't do already (there are LOTS) and pay to World Vision I think it is - but there are others too. The attraction of World Vision is that the Canadian govnt is matching donations.
I hope other people will like my suggestion and do the same thing.
Have a great weekend Michael.
Gillian

An interesting question and I'm looking forward to your answers as well Michael.

I get ideas for topics from questions that people send me, questions and discussions on forums, real life events (would like to do more of those) and from issues I discuss with my clients.

I write ideas for posts in a paper notebook that I carry. Generally when I get an idea I'll also think of some points that I want to make, so jot them down too. I carry coloured pens with me too, so if I can I'll actually mind map the post when I think of it. Next time I'm on the computer I transfer the ideas to a word file which is kept in a 'Post Ideas' folder.

My best posts, the ones that bring the most reaction and comments, seem to be the posts where inspiration hit and I sat down and typed out the whole post straight away. I don't know if that's because I'm feeding off that inspiration or what, but they seem to have more passion in them. I'd love to be able to create that for all posts.

Melinda, probably the authenticity and immediacy of your writing voice in those "all at once" posts really grabs people's attention! One trick you can try to get that even with a more plotted post is to give yourself a time limit in which to write.

I get ideas from talking to clients (common problems or mistakes), questions and forum discussions, reading other blogs, walking down the street, or reading/watching the news.

I usually use Woodpulp 1.0 with the Bic Round Stic widget to write down ideas and the first draft of my posts. I find there's somehow less "interference" that way.

Lately, I've even turned off my email notification so I can work without being interrupted. It's also a lot faster to pick up paper and pen than it is to turn on a computer, wait for it to boot, or (gasp!) try to text.

Jodi, I hear ya. My best writing and thinking takes place in total silence, no distractions. I try to meditate every day, too, which helps immensely: trying to quiet my thoughts causes all kinds of ideas to surface (not really the goal of meditation, granted, but I can't complain about the great ideas!).

Well if conversation is the brand you are indeed a smart man. Also you can re purpose this content as a bonus with a product package/ free with a email signup i.e. 37 ways to create more content. Or you can also turn it into a video /audio. At the very least you now have lots of additional ideas to create more content from a variety of sources.

I can almost gather ANYTHING for content idea's my main concern though is blogging with a overall theme in mind. In fact LOL (no kidding) I just came up with a content idea by writing this post.

Funny how that happens. There have been times when I copy the comment text I was writing and make it into a post on my own blog, instead (linking back to the inspirational post, of course). Having a theme in mind keeps on track, great idea!

Because I want to provide relevant content for my readers, I use what my clients are asking and talking about. Often it's my response to a question they asked, or how we worked through a dilemma they were facing.

Keeps it real -- and fresh :-)

The other area that provides ideas for blog posts and articles is what's going on in my own life these days. There's always some way I can show how I'm learning new things, and what I think that means for others who may be facing some of the same things.

That makes it personal, so readers get to know me better. Sometimes I have to take a deep breath and ask myself, "Do I really want to share this?" But every time I take that risk, I always get tons of feedback from readers who are happy to see that I'm human just like they are.

Nancy, if you're not a little anxious when clicking that "publish" button, you're not trying hard enough! "Real" and "fresh" are exactly what people love about blogs, keep it up!

My blog is for women approaching or in their 60's. Since I am one of these women, I find ideas for posts in books, magazines, newspapers, forums, blogs that I am interested in plus my own life. If it interests me or if I'm experiencing it, my audience will likely be interested/relate to it.

I capture possible post ideas in a Word file. And also keep a file of clippings from papers & magazines.

I write & queue posts once a week. I keep a calendar that lists my posts so I can easily see what I've blogged about recently and mix up the subjects a bit.

Sounds very organized, Bonnie!

I post three to five times a week on leadership-related issues. I'm a heavy reader, and a news hound. I frequently derive my blog post ideas spontaneuosly while cycling, walking the dog, or when my mind relaxes. I've found that trying to force ideas doesn't get readers' attention as much as something that comes from within, such as when I express my view or especially if I present a different perspective or take a contrarian view. My posts, however, are more content-driven than relying on sensationalism.

I sometimes carry a small digital recorder to capture ideas, because with me the ideas come...and they go. I've also been known to grab a scrap piece of paper while out and about when a post idea hits me.

Yeah, we never know when or where ideas will come! I think you'd run into problems if you were trying to be sensationalistic. But if you're taking a stand and writing from the heart, I doubt you need worry about being perceived as sensational.

Hi Michael,

I used to struggle with topics for my blog posts. But recently I (re)discovered something that works really well for me. I started a "project365" picture a day on flickr. At first, I wasn't sure I wanted to "disrupt" my blog with my pictures, so figured I'd maybe post once a week with hightlights. For some reason (thankfully) I changed my mind when I started on New Year's day.

For the past 28 days, I've a blog post a day, to go with the picture. Some days, I definite idea of what I want to blog about, so I spend the day looking to take a picture that will fit in with that theme. And then some days, I just let whatever picture I choose guide what I'm going to write about.

I've only been doing it for 4 weeks, but so far is seems to be working out well. Traffic is up a bit, I'm "networking" more with different types of people, and most importantly, I'm enjoying blogging again. I never get stressed out that I "have to" write a post ... worst case scenario, I can just post the picture, and talk about why I chose it.

This might not work for everyone, but for me, it's provided just the inspiration I needed.

Todd, I love the idea. It may not work for everyone, but that's part of what makes your content unique (and therefore more valuable).

Just to add I also started project365 on new years day and post on Flickr. I have some of the photos on my blog, but don't use as a focal point for blog posts as it wouldn't work with my theme. But its a great project to nudge you out of your comfort zone and get more general inspiration and doing stuff.
I use Google Alerts as a great starting point for blogging. As in my current post, I discuss and quote from an idea and give my take on it.

David, Google Alerts on certain keywords in our niche can provide an endless stream of current post ideas. Thanks!

Thank-you so much for this post - I love the ideas everyone has shared.

A couple more:
-Google newsfeed: You can set up an email alert in Google News about the topic of your blog, and news articles that reference the relevant keywords will be delivered to you. You can also set this up to track blog posts.
-Emotional reactions: if I have a strong emotional reaction to something in the news, in magazines, the blogosphere or even in my day to day life (I WANT an iPad, and I want it NOW), that reaction suggests I have a lot of energy that would support a good post.

Love the emotional reactions idea! Thanks for sharing today!

This is one of the questions I am often asked when consulting my clients, What The Heck Should I Blog About? Well to me, once you open your eyes to the possibilities your options are really endless...However, to offer some tips here I will give you a few ideas I share with my clients.

-Sign up for email ezines and feeds from related blogs. Divert the email into a swipe file folder and when your short on ideas use these emails and feeds as an idea generator. ( Of course you do not steal the content, just use the content to get the ideas flowing)

-I love yahoo answers. Just search your topic and look for the hottest questions on your topic and answer the question on your blog.

-Read more. I read business books related to marketing, SEO and business blogging and I like to write posts as sort of a book review. Image how many posts you can get out of a book with 15 or 20 chapters. This way I read more books and get more ideas for blog posts

-Lastly I like to write about real life things going on. As a marketer I am hyper sensitive anytime I walk into a brick and mortar shop to the point where my wife wants to kill me with all my comments. I like to see what folks do well and where they need improvement. This offers a ton of content to my readers and always keeps the well full of ideas.

These are only 3 ways I generate blog content but there are plenty of other as you can see from the other smart posts.

Hope I added something here.

Now get busy, Bill

Bill, I'd say you definitely added something here! Love the Yahoo answers idea. Despite our busy schedules, all the business owners and entrepreneurs I know are insatiable readers, because learning like that is a big part of what brought them to success. And as you point out, all that serves as "soup" for post ideas. :-)

i react to events and news either in my industry or in my local community. i get ideas when i'm driving around neighborhoods and i get reminded of what's rad aobut them. People in my communtiy inspire me, i have list of people i intend to write about. I thus far jot down my ideas in my wizard of oz journal old skool with a pen. i wish i had a voice recorder for when i'm in the car. hmmm, i guess my phone has one, i should use it! duh. I like the idea of using a calendar like Lakita because I could use work in the discipline of consistancy

Nanette, you must be in real estate! :-) Interesting how your idea-getting methods are specific to your niche and location.

am i that obvious! i have tried to research and start posts about statistics & markets and i glaze over, like in political science class in college. so i write about what gets me all excited and happy and thoughtful. I love my town and my people

Ideas come from all over the place -- experiences, thinking about the reader's situation, news, other blogs in my area. That sounds random, but it is not. Every idea has to filter to, "how will my readers benefit from this?" So, it's not an idea for the sake of an idea; it is constrained to help readers of my site or it doesn't make it.

The key is to capture the idea so you have it for later. I use Things for Mac to capture it. If it is an idea, you can simply hit one set of user defined keys and Things will bring up a note for you -- including the URL if there is one there -- and then I save it to my blog category.

When I want to write something, I go to the blog category in Things and sitting in front of me are 50 ideas to write about. I develop it from there.

A great thread here. Good stuff.

Scot, that sounds like a good system! I think the key to all this, regardless of how we do it, is that we do it: that we're deliberate and aware of our "collection system."

Thanks!

I look at what bloggers are doing wrong or what they are struggling with and then I blog about possible solutions. I keep my eyes open for new software, tools, plugins, etc. that may be of use to bloggers. I often test drive them when I can, then I blog about my reactions and recommendations. I read other blogs about blogging to find inspiration and see what topics are trendy or timely then research deeply and write from a new or neglected aspect. Good ideas are everywhere. I've even been inspired by a few things I've found here on the remarkable Remarkablogger! ;)

Joella, that's a great source of post ideas! I'm more likely to post links like those to Twitter, because I'm not interested in reviews like that. Good to know we can go to you for that! :-)

Hi Michael,
I'm new to all this, so not much to add.
However, as an advertising copywriter, I do have experience in the process of generating new ideas. For example, I keep a "swipe file" of ads, articles, photos, and unused concepts that I can thumb through to prime the pump.
Dave

Dave, absolutely. I have a notebook in Evernote called "Swipes," plus I keep a physical swipe file of pages torn out of magazines, direct mail pieced I get, etc. It makes sense since marketing is what I'm blogging about. :-)

Thanks for your comment!

I am blogger who write about health and wellness which also includes the principle of age old science of Ayurveda and Yoga. I look out for inspiration from magazines and other blogs. But the my biggest asset tot look out for inspiration is walking in malls and food stores and just look out the trends of different people are when buying things. Luckily I get ideas from that way too.

Thanks for sharing, Sudeep! Observing people is a wonderful way to learn many things about marketing.

I keep a note pad with me all of the time. When I plan my week out i organize these ideas as to where I will be using them.

I have gotten some great ideas while listening to Webinars. I listen for what the audience needs and wants.

I also use my WordPress Drafts - I write my blog titles and enter in my ideas and save them.

Listening to webinars for ideas sounds fruitful, and I admire that you plan your week out, because that's something I'm not so great at. :-)

Hi Michael!
I use both to schedule my blog posts: current events and an editorial calendar. I really like my calendar because I can pre-write a series, for example. Of course, I have different goals for different blogs. But I just print out a blank calendar for each blog and keep track of every post for every blog. I also keep track of ideas in my Evernote which I can access at anytime, even from my iPhone. But sometimes old school paper and pen work best for keeping track.

When you have more than one blog, it takes some organizational work, doesn't it? Thanks for sharing your story!

I write about business, quick tips for business success, so my posts are usually inspired by client meetings or by observing marketing and business strategy in the marketplace. When I see missed opportunities, usually as a result of not understanding fundamentals, it becomes stimulus for a post.

I am also an Evernote fan, especially the iPhone app. It's a great way to capture a thought that I can spin into a post when I have some time.

I'm starting to notice a trend, that those of us who are "out doing stuff" have the most to write about. People who are all opinion or who are just echoing stuff can't compete with that kind of immediacy and relevance.

The only thing I hate about Evernote for iPhone is I can't type fast enough! :-)

I am also thumb challenged, my kids type faster with their thumbs on their phones than I can on a keyboard, so more than half the time my notes are voice notes.

I have a half-written post on my other computer about finding ideas. Essentially it says the best way to find an idea is to stop looking. I think coming up with ideas has a good deal to do with state of mind, probably related to brain wave activity, and "getting away from my computer" is really about a mental reset.

I come up with ideas by walking the dog or buying groceries. Every so often I'll write an idea down to work on later but the reality is that I rarely go back it. I appear to be reactive to my environment so I'll start scribbling about something that has been sparked by what I've seen online or in the news. Just as often, however, for reasons I can't fathom, I'll find myself thinking about something that apparently hasn't been sparked by anything -- at least not that I'm aware of.


As for the merits of an idea, I never know until it is written as a post. I have some posts in draft format that I'm unsure are worth posting or I'm not convinced say what I want to say.

So my method of coming up with ideas is not really one I'd recommend but I do believe that the notion of trying to come up with ideas is itself a dubious idea. If you want to come up with an idea stop trying to come up with an idea. :-)

Bill, thanks for sharing that. Reminds me of Kafka's awesome quote: "You do not need to leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. Do not even listen, simply wait, be quiet still and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked, it has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet."

Great quote. The songwriter Townes van Zandt said somewhere that songs were just out in the air waiting for him to grab one.

Hey Michael,
Cool discussion! I get my best ideas from sessions with my nutritional coaching clients, not just the obvious—i.e. the stuff they say—but from all the stuff their challenges inspire ME to say, in the moment, that surprises ME! I've even started making brief notes of the things I say, during the session, for later use as a post or larger article.

That is GREAT point, Mark! It's also part of the reason why I record sessions with my clients. :-)

One day I was in the metro (subway in the US I think) in Montreal and observed how a down and out was solliciting people for money. It prompted me to write a blog post "Marketing Lessons from the street" (http://snipurl.com/u7pjo).
When I get my act together and start my new blog on my own website (implementing the lessons I learned on your blogging course that I took at the end of last year) I intend to write more posts based on observations I make as I go about everyday life.
Sometimes something I read on a blogsite unconnected with marketing or business coaching provokes a thought and a blog post ensues. I think one needs to keep eyes and ears open and make the connection with something that would be relevant to one's audience.

Gillian, that's a great story! Turning life events into lessons for others is one of the best ways I know of to create compelling blog posts that aren't like anyone else's!

During any given week, I do react to some of the current events happening in my own niche. However, I do use and encourage other bloggers to use an editorial calendar. Using one helps to keep you on track and is a great way to help keep writers block away.

One of the best tools for keeping track of ideas and even links you want to use in a blog post is Evernote. I use it everyday and would not want to be without it.

Evernote seems to be a crowd favorite! I haven't been reactive to current events, maybe I'll start looking for more ways to incorporate them into my blogging.

Great ideas so far, everyone! Let's keep 'em comin'.

I'll weigh in with how I decide on post topics. I put myself in the place of a specific person in my market, such as retail store owner, an artist, or perhaps a coach/consultant. Then I look at a specific problem this person has. Maybe the problem comes from something I've read in an email, tweet, blog posts, etc. But often it comes from empathy and imagination.

After I have my person and my problem, I write a post headline that speaks to the need that person has, and the content of the post answers to the problem.

Sometimes, instead of just focusing on a specific problem, I ask myself, "What would be the most useful information this person could have?" or "What kind of information would this person want to spread to others?" and I write that as my post.

If an idea strikes me, I find it's often just as fast as any other method to just go into WordPress and create a new post where I jot down the idea and save it as a draft. Then I can come back to it later. Occasionally I'll use the desktop sticky notes in Windows 7 to capture something.

Oh, I like this one! It'll definitely give you a great article!

I think I've used a similar approach before, morphing this with other starting points. But I've never written a blog post with this clear focus right from the start. Going to try it real soon!

Thanks for sharing Michael.

Cindy, I hope it's a good experience for you!

BTW - I'm copying & pasting a link to your comment in my mindmap :) So I won't forget the questions to ask yourself.

Hi Michael,

Love the comments in this thread already! There are 3 main sources that always help me:
- An hour on the exercise bike after lunch reading unrelated stuff always gives me well over a weeks worth of blog post ideas and often product ideas.
- I also like looking at the phrases people use in Google search to find my blog
- And mind mapping always gives me good content creation strategies

Cindy, thanks for your contribution! Everyone is sharing really high-quality stuff. I hope we're all getting inspired by what others are doing and that we'll try some new ways to test them out.

Using your visitor analytics is a great way to match up content with desire! Checking the keywords by which people find your blog is very insightful.

Hi Michael!

My ideas come from a variety of sources. I do keep a notebook handy and I write different ideas on my editorial calendar to schedule them in and get them into a post. I also take ideas from comments and email from community. For example, I'm doing a series on Writing Markets because my community asked for it. Twitter, Facebook, my son and his friends, fellow bloggers, the world around me...they all inspire me. There's no better time to be a writer.

Deb, meeting the needs of your people is always a winner! Thanks!

I have paper notebooks where I jot down thoughts and ideas during the course of the day. Some of my posts are inspired by what I read on other blogs. I try to be open to all inputs and winnow them down to stuff worth writing about. Occasionally I just brainstorm random ideas and titles. Most never get used (or haven't yet) but may surface again later as inspiration.

First and foremost, an idea has to be interesting enough to me to write about and it lies within the rough subject matter boundaries that I have on my blog. Then, I try to figure out if it will be interesting to other people. Sometimes I fail on the second part, probably more than I'd like.

Provocative and thoughtful discussions are nearly always interesting to other people, Mark. Often it's not what we say but the questions we ask (which is exactly what I'm experimenting with on these open discussion threads).

Thanks for sharing what you do with us!

I read magazines like Fast Company, talk with cool dudes like you, and keep everything in Evernote. I leave 100 million tabs open in Chrome and leave them until I remember to write about what was in each tab.

Fairly unorganized, but it works for me.

I leave the tabs open for a while but after about a day or so I paste the idea and the link into an idea mindmap.

I have a Dashboard mindmap for everything I do (It's like one master file, linking to down to absolutely everything I have on my computer) So keeping all of my ideas in one place helps. It's easier to group and regroup ideas.

Plus I do like to occasionally brainstorm the article ideas within the bigger picture in mindmaps, including categories + ebook ideas etc.

In addition to having a mindmap for article ideas I also have one for ideas for "Improvements". (other things in the open tabs) It's fairly quick to add in a few words and paste the link.

Cindy, that "dashboard" mindmap idea is really intriguing!

I'm a huge fan of using MindMaps for just about everything. Leave one open on your desktop all the time and capture all sorts of ideas/links/snapshots. The problem comes when you need to sort through them all ;)

Fast Company has been hit or miss for me. Often days go by before anything in their daily email really grabs me. Funny you mention leaving tabs open. I do that, too. I bet it really messes with people's analytics! "My average time on page is WHAT!?" LOL.

I am also guilty of having dozens of windows open with ideas for future posts. Unfortunately, most of them never seem to materialise into posts (one of the problems of trying to build multiple online businesses while I am still working a full time day job). Guess I need to focus more and dedicate time to writing.

In terms of the potential impact on analytics, maybe you could tell us - your posts are often among the windows that I leave open, and my Mac often stays on for weeks at a time.

Hi Warren,

One of the BIGGEST mistakes you can make when starting a business online is being stretched too thin. Pick one idea or business and work on only that biz. See it through to the end. You never no how close you are to breaking through if you never see it through to the end. Take it from me, I finally did this and left my full time Job last May.

glad I'm not alone on that. I have an idea folder in Evernote and I'm always clipping pages.

I read Fast Company on paper, but it's probably the same. I think it just has to do with getting off the PC.

I do the same thing with Evernote, clip pages for future reference and research. Fast Company is great in the print version, hard to do online.

Get inspiration from books I'm reading as well. Always need a pad and pen, for some reason I like thinking about posts offline...then I write them in a text editor.

I use Google calendar to create a posting schedule. When I come up with a topic idea I post it on the calendar via web (I spend a lot of time in front of my computer) or from my cell phone which is linked to my calendar.

I frequently look at the future articles and move them around to schedule them when I think they'll be most relevant. For example....if I have an article about taxes I would post it between now and April 15th.

I also leave myself breathing room for current events and breaking news that fall in my niche.

Kita

Kita, great idea using a calendar like that! What's fascinating about that is that you're also planting a seed in your subconscious, and it will work on ideas for the post while your conscious mind is engaged in other things.

Very cool, thanks for sharing!

yes i like this calendar idea!

For current events I gauge whether I should blog abt them, are they important. More over do I have something new to say? Sometimes I write a post to inform my readers not to add anything new.
I find myself in tune to the tone of my various blog posts, every now and then I feel I should add something funny to it etc.. then I go about figuring out some sort of funny blog post.

So I guess its a mix of what i think is needed for the blog and current events that I find important.

People really respond to things related to the events of the day. If you guys aren't thinking of some way to relate the Apple iPad into your blogging, right now, shame on you! :-)

Thanks, Priyanka!

Hmm...for my personal blog I just try to pull life lessons out of the events that happen within the day. I write those posts on-the-fly as a kind of outlet.

As for my product blog, I use the support forums, client requests, and support emails to compile content that I think is "most-needed." I do write down ideas in a green moleskine pocket notebook, which is very convenient for when I'm not paying attention in class. Fun-fact: I hate writing in notebooks other than moleskine pocket notebooks. They're tiny and easy to fill up and provide a sense of accomplishment!

You really can't go wrong with a problem-solving approach. That's what I do, too. Thanks, Corey!

I get away from the computer.

I most often have ideas outside of home in some stupidly unrelated spot or event, like... Oh, grocery shopping, or waiting at the dentist, or ice fishing. "Hmm... how does standing in the freezing cold relate to copywriting?" And then about 10 ideas hit me.

Of course, I need a pen to jot them down, or those ideas are no better than the fish that got away.

It's that odd juxtaposition of seemingly unrelated ideas that makes for a great hook, though!

Thanks for sharing, James.

I do an ideas dump into a mind map when I'm feeling squiggly with ideas, and in between I generally stare around the loungeroom until something occurs to me. :) I also use this method sometimes when I want something extra-special... http://blogforprofit.com/blogging-tips/the-magi...

Awesome, Catherine, thanks for sharing your guest post link with us on the same topic. I use mind maps for designing information products and training programs, but not blog posts (maybe I should try it and see).

For me, it's fairly easy. Sometimes, I just open my window, or walk down the street. Maybe I'll receive an email about an upcoming event, or I might look at a map of LA to see where I want to go, and what I want to do.

Being a "staycation" blogger living in a wonderful city full of stuff to do and places to go, it's not too difficult to find content. :)

Once you get out and about, it's not too hard to find inspiration and great examples from real life! Thanks for contributing to the discussion!

Awesome question.

I do a lot of things - note down ideas in a file, follow a news aggregating site, etc... but the # 1 thing I can recommend is:

Be active in a relevant forum.

Thats the best way to get to know about what problems people are facing. And also, once you write down answers to questions on a forum - it takes very little time to edit and polish that answer into an awesome blog post.

Ankesh, that's a great idea! I'm active in several forums, so I should start looking at that as a source of market pain I can address. Thanks for sharing this!

I try to keep an idea book, normally in Evernote, or possibly using a pocket notebook for when I am away from the computer

I like Evernote a lot, but surprisingly I don't use it to capture ideas. It's just as easy to start a draft in WordPress, it seems to me. Thanks for sharing your process!

First off Michael, I LOVE what you are doing with Remarkablogger. It's inspirational!

I write a few blogs and use a few ways to create and capture ideas:

I try to write my posts when I am away from my office. Either among tons of people in a busy environment or, when the mood takes me, surrounded my nature.

All my posts start off as audio recordings, which I capture in a simple digital audio recorder. I get ideas for posts when I'm out walking, stuck in traffic at the gym etc - places where I can't write ideas down. This solves that problem and means I never miss an idea.

I read very few blogs in my niche, because I found these unintentionally influenced what I wrote. I want my work to be uniquely valuable to my readers, rather than my version of what some other guy's already said.

I get a ton of ideas from emails, which people send me asking questions. If their question seems like it will be of interest to my readers, I post a slightly longer version of the answer to the blog. (Excluding the emailers details.)

I look for common marketing mistakes, and blog about the solutions.

There's a few to get the ball rolling Michael!

I had wondered how others approached reading blogs in their niche. One side of me says I need to stay on top of what others write. The other says I really don't care, it's what comes out of myself that is unique and matters. One more point for don't worry about others!

Jim, thanks for sharing that. You'd think having an audio recorder would be a huge help for me, but I've found I just never use them. Of course, I'm a bit of a homebody and don't get out much, so I'm just not in the same situations you are.