What do you know? How to reflect on potential writing topics

Maybe you’re like me and you’ve been struggling with finding your place in the world lately. While I decided to drop my PhD in English, I’m still not sure what new path I should start following. While I’m trying to take my place in the blogging and Web content world, there is still much I have to learn.

One of the main things I have gathered from professional bloggers is “write about what you know”. Most of us know many things, but often we don’t know most of them deeply enough to write about them on a regular basis. But dig a little deeper and you may find that there is indeed something you know well enough to share with the world.

Here are some tips on how to reflect on potential writing topics.

What do you know?

In what field have you trained? What’s your job right now? Does it require any special expertise?

Think about the skills and the abilities you use every day. There must be something you know how to do better than most people you know. Look at your resume or make a list of things you know. Don’t censor yourself and freewrite about your knowledge.

After looking at your list, you may find something that sparks your attention. Put your knowledge list in groups and see if a topic gathers a lot of words. You may have a potential list of keywords for your next blog.

What do you like?

Sometimes it’s not so much about what we know but about what we enjoy. For example, while I’m not a knitting expert, I can certainly say I enjoy knitting and could probably find ways to build a blog around it.

Sometimes, focusing on something you like may eventually turn you into an expert. Think about when you chose your major in college (if you did go to college): did you choose it because you were already an expert at it or because you were curious to learn more?

What do you want to share?

Sometimes people want to share concerns and ideas that may have nothing to do with their knowledge or their hobbies. However, sudden interests can be turned into hobbies or knowledge.

Read plenty of news and blog posts about a variety of subjects. Something new might just be thing you were looking for. Sharing these new finds is often a great way to begin to take part in a community. Share everything you find interesting with your friends and peers and you might become a reliable source of interesting news.

Everyone has something to say. What’s your thing? How did you find out what you wanted to blog about?