I'm Out of Ideas, Now What?

I'm Out of Ideas, Now What?
© Terri Seymour


I am actually out of ideas for an article this week,
so I guess I will make that into an article. Do you
have a similar problem? You write article after
article and finally you just seem to draw a blank for
ideas for another article! I am sure this happens to
all of us at some point or other.

Well, when it happens to me there are a few things that
I do to try to find some fresh ideas. Maybe some of
these ideas will give you an idea or two. ;-)

*Check the message boards - Message boards are a
great place to see what kind of information people are
looking for. Follow the discussions and see what things
people are interested in and need to know more about.
I have found many an article idea reading the boards.

Try these boards to get started:
http://homebizlink.com/wwwboard/
http://www.internet-marketing-forum.com/forum/index.php
http://www.friendsinbusiness.com/board1/

*Catch up on your email discussion groups - Another
great place to find out what info people are looking
for is email discussion groups. Not only can you get
ideas for your articles, but you can learn a lot as well.
If you are not subscribed to any of these groups, here
are a few I recommend:

mailto:digital-women-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
mailto:hbj_chat-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
mailto:ideasbypost-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

*Visit a few Internet news sites - These sites can keep
you informed of current events, happenings and online
news. Research and write your own news articles to
keep your readers informed.

These sites might be of help:
http://www.internet.com/home-d.html
http://www.internetnewsbureau.com/
http://www.newslinx.com/

*Read through your emails - Take note of what people
are asking you about and what they are most concerned
with. Keep a file on hand and record all questions and
email that can be turned into articles.

*Read through some ezines - Ezines are a goldmine
of information and ideas. They allow you to keep
abreast of the latest products, programs, home biz
opps, etc.

Find lots of ezines here:
http://www.myfavoriteezines.com
http://www.ezinesearch.com
http://www.directoryofezines.com
http://www.EzineLocater.com/

*Do a quick survey - Write a two or three question
survey and send it out to associates or discussion
group members. You will find people are usually
eager and willing to help in cases such as this.

For example: What concerns do you have for the
Internet marketing world? What resources do you
need but have trouble finding?

These types of questions might give you some fresh
ideas to expand on with an article.

*Read other articles - By reading other articles, you
might possibly come up with an unusual twist or angle
for an overused idea. It sometimes helps to get
different views and insights on the same old ideas.

You can find all kinds of articles here:
mailto:free_articles-subscribe@topica.com
mailto:ArticlePublisher-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
mailto:PromoteYourArticle-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
http://www.MakingProfit.com
http://www.ideamarketers.com

Always have an open mind for article ideas. After
awhile you will begin to see ideas all over the Net.
Keep a notebook handy and when you think of an idea,
no matter where you are, you can write it down and use
it. I get a lot of my ideas in the middle of the night
when I cannot sleep. I have learned to write them
down so they do not go into oblivion! ;-)

And remember, people want and need basic, straight
forward, helpful information. They do not need college
words, fancy storylines or over-dramatized articles.

Also, do not be afraid to give your articles a little
personality and/or humor. Just write from the
heart and do your best to provide real usable
resources and information. Write as if you
were talking to the person, not at the person.