Ask HN: Do you have a framework for coming up with content ideas for your blog?

4 points by calculated 2 years ago | 4 comments

I want to start a blog, twitter and generally start putting out content on some platform so I can build an audience.

The problem is that I have a hard time coming up with ideas. I have some ideas for blog posts, but they're quite different from each other. And even if I don't take that into account they're really not a lot, like a single digit number.

I don't think I'm not creative, it's just that for me creativity works in a totally misterious way.

I wonder what's been your journey for your blog, twitter, etc. Did you read some book which helped you with that? Or did a lightning strike that made you realize how to get content ideas?

Most importantly I want to develop a framework with which I can come up with ideas consistently so I can produce content in a consistent manner. I'd like to think I'm decent at writing, in fact I actually love it, so that won't be an issue.

Best, calculated

gnramires 2 years ago |

Some advice:

(1) Be curious about everything -- of course, a guided sense of curiosity :) What interests you and why? (is it fun, useful, enlightening, important?) -- foster learning more about those things. Then write it down and share :) (The great Mr. Savage wisdom: "The difference between science and fooling around is writing it down!")

(2) Read a lot, people that write well, people that explain well, good people you like. Take inspiration, follow their footsteps (or if you prefer, "clone their style"), take a step further. I had a wise teacher say to me that there's no secret to writing: just read a lot and think, and over time something magic happens that you absorb it and become able to write well too.

Creativity is both more mysterious and less mysterious than we'd like. It's mostly just connecting previous ideas in novel ways, with some happy jumps of logic and happy accidents guiding our way. That's more difficult than it sounds.

Edit: Also, in the hacker (or maker?) spirit... make :D Talking about things without first hand experience is a lot more perilous and frankly more difficult. Specially when it comes to technical and practical stuff. Don't be too arrogant and don't be afraid of making very simple but nice things.

calculated 2 years ago | |

Thanks for the advice! I mean it in the maker spirit yeah. I don't want to write about thing I have no idea about, or haven't done. To be frank, I have the most experience in landing jobs, so I was thinking about niching down to more of a beginner audience. The ones who'd like to enter the market. And considering the state of the job market right now it might be the right time. Who knows, I guess I'll have to post about it to find out :D

Edit: Thanks for that last sentence you wrote. I've noticed I tend to come up with simple stuff for the most part, then I think hmmm... maybe this can become a blog post idea, and then I usually think - it's too simple, obvious, etc. I supposed that the best thing to do is for me to start writing about those and then see where it leads me to.

surprisetalk 2 years ago |

https://taylor.town/an-algorithm-for-generating-ideas

calculated 2 years ago | |

damn, straight to the point. thanks! :)