I started my Medium writing journey on 20 June 2023. I’ve been writing regularly ever since. It’s become a bit of a habit that I cherish. It gets me in the zone for the day, keeps me motivated and disciplined, and fuels my urge to write even more. I’m not sure how long this writing streak will last, but I know there will be times when I can’t keep it up, and that’s fine. However, one question that friends often ask is, “How do you find things to write about?” Well, let me tell you how I deal with it. Maybe it will help you on your journey too.
Photo by Johnny Briggs on Unsplash
After pumping out about 50 articles, I’ve come to a conclusion about a few things. Although I often stick to certain themes, I also write about things I just like. Sometimes I get curious about something and it becomes a title in my head. Other times, during chats, an idea will click. There are moments when I jot down my thoughts and voila, a theme appears. And then, when I’m writing my stories, an angle just pops up. So, jotting down ideas, chatting with mates, immersing myself in my favourite books, thinking about what’s bothering me, checking out deep conversations, watching interesting videos that catch my eye and sharing my thoughts, all these ingredients mix and create themes. These ideas become hot stuff for my brain to chew on. Then I sprinkle my words on them and share them with everyone. That’s the deal. But I know it’s not that simple. So don’t worry if you’re not in a similar situation.
Playing games — although it’s a rare occasion for me these days — watching movies, anime and shows, or reading books and manga is where I get the best ideas, I think. Not just the stories themselves, but the spark of curiosity they ignite. So sometimes, as a different approach, I don’t come up with a theme out of nowhere, I work with what’s already there. That gives me a lot to talk about. In fact, I try to look at them like stories — because they are my favourite subjects to work on — and try to see how these two sides would fit together if they could. Sometimes they don’t fit at all and then I find another angle to spend time on. So I direct my thoughts in that direction.
Getting involved in research is important. There will be news and things you’ll want to know about. It’s OK if you don’t know everything, or if what you do know makes you feel a bit insecure. Do not worry. Learn from other people’s writing. Think about it and try to work out how it works. Write down what you remember and keep it real; no false information. If you can’t remember, read it again. If you’re still confused about something, just leave it alone, or maybe skip it altogether. You don’t have to understand everything, some things are just too much or too complicated, and that’s alright, that’s human.
In the midst of this effort, remember to take a break. While I’ve mainly discussed methods of active information acquisition, your mind needs space to think and breathe. Simple, but important.
If you maintain discipline and motivation, ideas will flow naturally. You’ll rarely find your mind devoid of thoughts; mine often feels like a non-stop engine that needs to cool down from time to time. So don’t worry, when you’re working on these articles, ideas will come to you even when you’re doing other things you love, like hobbies, peaceful moments or just your daily chores.
Finally, let’s talk about our life experiences. While I always draw on personal anecdotes, sometimes inspiration comes unexpectedly. I don’t actively think about my past for each topic. Instead, as I write, I stumble across moments from my life that I can weave into my pieces. Perhaps my brain instinctively and willingly chooses topics with a connection to my past, or it makes new connections. This mysterious process gives my articles a unique flavour, a blend of personal history and contemporary ideas.
Not everyone needs a constant flow; life can be complicated and busy. I too may be taking a break soon. These are just a few ideas to help you think about your articles as you write them. If you have different ways of keeping your work alive, then you already have your own way.
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