Not sure what to write about?

Not sure what to write about? Got absolutely nothin’ to say on your blog, on your podcast, or in your newsletter?

Feel like your life is boring? Feel like nothing interesting has ever happened to you? Well, that’s definitely not true. Plenty of interesting things happen every single day. You just have to be “awake” and “tuned in” and notice your life as it’s happening — instead of, you know, staring down at your cellphone screen.

Your everyday life = an infinite source of material to write about.

To stir up some new writing ideas, choose a STORY PROMPT from the options below.

Do all of these prompts if you feel like it. Or just choose one prompt that intrigues you today. Sit down and write something in response to that prompt. Set a timer for 15 minutes and see what comes out. You might remember some really interesting details about your life that you’d kinda forgotten.

STORY PROMPT #1. MY FAVORITE THING.

We all know that “experiences” and “memories” are more important than physical possessions. However… some possessions can represent big, important things.

What’s one of your most treasured possessions? A scarf that your grandma gave to you? A purse you bought to celebrate your first year of self-employment? A pair of running shoes? A wallet you’ve had since you were 15 years old?

Write about your most treasured possession. Describe how it came into your life. Describe what it represents for you. If this possession could “talk,” what’s the advice / lesson / reminder / message it would give to you — and to other people, too?

STORY PROMPT #2. FEELING BULLIED AND SCARED.

Can you remember a time when you felt bullied, teased, or shamed as a kid?

Maybe someone told you that you were stupid, or your science project was dumb, or the “cool kids” wouldn’t let you hang out with them, or someone made fun of your body, skin color, hair, or clothes.

What happened? What did you feel in that moment?

Imagine a kid — or a grown-up — who’s going through a similar experience right now. Feeling bullied. Feeling teased. Feeling scared. Feeling worthless.

If you were sitting down with that person over a cup of tea, what would you like to say to them? What words of advice, comfort, or encouragement would you give to them? What do you want them to know?

STORY PROMPT #3. SO DISAPPOINTED.

Can you remember a time when you felt really betrayed or disappointed by someone close to you — like a friend, client, employee, or a romantic partner?

What did they do? How did you feel? What did you learn from that experience?

If you could do things over, what would you do differently?

STORY PROMPT #4: ROCK-BOTTOM MOMENT.

Can you remember a time when you felt really depressed, lost, alone, afraid — a “rock bottom” type of moment? Maybe you got really sick. Maybe you were unemployed. Maybe someone broke up with you. Maybe your mom died.

Think back to a really challenging time in your life.

How did you get through that time in your life? What helped you to keep moving forward? What helped you to survive?

Now imagine someone who’s dealing with that exact same scenario, or something pretty similar. What words of advice, comfort, or encouragement would you give to that person? What would you urge them to do — or not do? What do you want them to know?

PROMPT #5. BACK IN THE BEGINNING.

If you’re self-employed, or if you run a business, this one’s for you…

Think back to the very early days of your business. How did you get your first 5 clients or customers?

What were the specific things you did — every day, every week — to find clients and get people to hire you? Did you cold-call people? Did you ask your friends for help? Did you march down the street and knock on doors? Did you email everyone in your network? Did you set up a whole bunch of coffee dates with potential clients? What did you do?

Write about what you did. And, imagine a newbie business owner is asking for your advice. She’s got zero clients lined up and she’s freaking out. She needs some help. Tell her your story and give her some guidance.

Was this helpful? If so… I’ve got a brand new writing class full of videos, workbooks, checklists, and fun writing prompts — just like the one in this article. You can sign up and start anytime. Check it out!