Like most authors, I’m an introvert. Unless I’m really interested in the topic, it’s sometimes hard for me to even come up with something to say about it. Sure, I can fake the small talk with the best of them, but it can be a strain.
As can be thinking up blog topics.
A reviewer of my upcoming book asked me to elaborate on that very subject. Just how does a new blogger get started? What should they write about?
From what I’ve been able to tell, the most successful bloggers typical pick a topic and write about it. So if you are planning on writing a book about car repair, you write about car repair. It wouldn’t be too hard to make a list of questions people ask you about their cars, from how to find a good mechanic, how often should the oil be changed, or where to get spare parts. You could have a how-to feature, as in how to change spark plugs. Or you could broaden your range of topics to include reviews of new cars and new automotive technology.
What if you write fiction? You could write about writing. Or review books in your genre (or any novels, for that matter.) Write short stories or include excerpts from either a novel you’ve published or what you are working on currently. Take incidents from your daily life and write them as if they were part of your novel. Who knows, you could end up using these posts later.
If you get stuck for a topic, one easy way to get ideas is to sign up for Google alerts. This free service will send you daily emails on whatever topic you are interested in, giving you links to news stories and blog posts. From these you might get some ideas for a blog post. Or you can write some commentary about a news article or blog post and link to that item.
Another way to find topics is to participate in online forums about your topic or for readers and writers. Look at the questions people ask, and pick one that you know something about to answer. Write a blog post on the subject. You could also go back to the forum and write a short answer, and mention that you have a more complete answer on your blog, and give the link. You may end up with some more followers that way!