When I talk to people about starting a blog, newsletter, LinkedIn posts, or other content marketing, they often confess that they’re worried they don’t have anything to write about. They ask how I come up with ideas, especially when I’ve been blogging so long. I’ve been blogging since December 2006–seventeen years ago! Surprisingly, I feel like I have more to write about now than I did after one year of blogging. Of course, I get stuck on writing sometimes, just like everyone else, but I’ve figured out ways to work through those blocks.

This image was created in Playground AI and edited with Affinity Designer.

Use multiple sources for blog post ideas

I have a long list of blog topics to help me when I’m in a rut. It’s always easier to start from an existing list of topics than to start with a blank page. My ideas for posts come from several sources.

Reading: I write about things I’m reading and learning about. When you read an interesting article and want to share and comment, that can become inspiration for a blog post. If you’re struggling with a problem and learning new skills along the way, that can be great blog fodder–even if you don’t come up with a perfect solution. I also bookmark articles for my posts of curated links.

Online Discussions: When someone asks a good question online on LinkedIn, reddit, eLearning Heroes, etc., that’s another source of inspiration. If you see several people commenting on a topic, that’s a sign people are interested in learning more.

Questions: I get a lot of questions via email from blog readers and clients. When you explain something to a client or another ID (especially any question that comes up repeatedly), that’s a potential topic to write about.

It also helps to sit down sometimes and just brainstorm topic ideas or potential post titles. Not all of those will become posts, but it’s another place to start when I’m feeling stuck.

Recycle content from other sources

Sometimes I save time by recycling content. If I take 15-20 minutes to write a long response in a forum or email, I already have a good start on a blog post. I always rework it and flesh it out more on my blog, but it’s still faster than writing from scratch. In fact, part of the content for this post came from a question someone asked me on LinkedIn.

Create a series of posts

Series of posts give me momentum and a direction for writing. When I write a series, I know where I’m headed next. This also helps when I find I have too much to say about a single topic; I can split it up across multiple posts. A post series also has the benefit of natural places for internal links for more information.

These series of posts all helped me plan in advance and gain momentum in writing.

• Instructional design careers
• Branching scenario start to finish
• Voice over scripts

Plan ahead with a blog post idea schedule

Since 2015, I have worked from a blog post schedule. I create a tentative plan for topics that helps me stay on track. I never follow that plan 100%; sometimes other topics come up or I shift things around. However, it’s easier to sit down and write when I have an inkling what I’m writing about than looking at a blank screen.

A schedule shouldn’t feel restrictive, but it gives you a structure to start your planning and brainstorming. I plan out ideas for posts at least a month or two in advance.

Create patterns for easier planning

I also follow some general patterns. I don’t follow these patterns rigidly, but they give me a starting point for planning and scheduling. These patterns reduce the cognitive effort of planning.

• Alternate brand new posts with revisions and updates of older posts.
• Link posts every 4-5 weeks
• Presentation or podcast recordings at least once a quarter. I try to avoid sharing recordings in two consecutive weeks, but sometimes it happens that way anyway just because of timing.
• Update my list posts of presentations or podcasts when I don’t have new recordings to share
• Update my book list in November (usually before Thanksgiving and the major holiday shopping season)

Sample blog schedule spreadsheet

Here’s a snapshot from my schedule spreadsheet so far this year. The left side is what I planned; the right side is what I actually posted. As you can see, my ideas on the left are sometimes a little rough. In one week, I hadn’t decided on what post to revise in advance, so the plan is blank other than flagging it as a revision.

• Green: New posts
• Blue: Revised and updated posts
• Yellow: Link posts
• Purple: Recordings (presentations or podcasts)

Originally published 12/22/2015. Updated 3/28/2024.

Upcoming events

Morning Buzz: Designing and Developing Scenarios. Tuesday, April 23, 7:30-8:15 EDT. I will be facilitating an open-ended discussion about designing and developing scenarios at the Learning & HR Tech Solutions Conference.

Generating Plausible Choices and Consequences for Scenarios Using AI Tools. Thursday, April 25, 10:00 EDT. This is a hands-on session to learn to use AI tools to generate draft scenario questions, choices, and consequences. Practice refining prompts, recognize the limitations of AI tools, and know when to rely on AI versus manual content creation. Part of the Learning & HR Tech Solutions Conference, April 23-25 in Orlando. Save $500 your registration with my exclusive promo code SPEAKER129.

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