Cure your writer’s block with these prompts
Greetings, my friends. I’m coming to you live from Los Angeles, where I’m staying for the next four days for IDEA BlogFest and IDEA World Fitness Convention. My travel here was not too terrible, with just a short flight delay. I used the Super Shuttle to get from LAX to my hotel, which I had never done before, and it was virtually seamless, although it took a while. I’ll be sharing all of my adventures at the conference in real-time on Instagram and in a few recaps on the blog next week, so stay tuned for all of that. But I’ll give you this image from last night — it’s the ESPY awards in LA just around the corner, and I’m sitting in a fancy hotel lobby blogging while people are decked out around me in suits and gowns. Fun times.
But today, I’ve got other things to talk about. And I’ve got to be honest with you — in my rush to get many things done and taken care of before flying out of the Bay Area yesterday, I had some moments of stress. No, it wasn’t all because I had to say goodbye to my little pup (and Dave!) for a few days. I had spent so much time making sure things were in order in my life and various fitness jobs, that I waited until the last minute to come up with a blog topic for today.
And you see, today is not an ideal time to have a last-minute post thrown together. There are times as a blogger, in which you have new readers introduced to you and your site because of an event or particular post. It’s important to grab them on their first arrival. It’s important to put your best foot forward, because first impressions are so important. Well, one of those times will likely happen to me today, as I participate as a speaker in the “Lightning Round” of BlogFest in front of a couple hundred healthy-living bloggers, in which I’ll be talking about writing. Yet today of all days, I really have very little to write about. Go figure.
Writer’s block happens to the best of us, and there’s a cure
Writer’s block is a very real thing, and I’ve been fortunate enough not to have it very often. But when it strikes, it can seem scary. Writer’s block is not only a blogger thing. In fact, it’s natural to feel “stuck” in your thought process with many things in life.
So today, on a day in which I had very little new and fresh content to share, I’m offering up some prompts to you, in case you ever find yourself in a time of need. Perhaps you write in a journal. Perhaps you need some conversation starters. Or perhaps you’re a fellow blogger looking for something different.
And these are not necessarily topics I’ve ever addressed, but a few fun things I’d love to see:
- What are the top five places that you’ve ever visited and why
- What did you study in school and does it relate to your current occupation
- What are some hobbies that you’d like to take up
- Have you ever tried a fad diet and how did it go
- What’s the biggest news to hit your hometown this year
- Do you have any goals for the rest of the month or year
- Who do you most admire in your life and why
- Pick out your five favorite TV shows and explain why you like each
- What are the most popular posts on your blog
- What are you most thankful for
- What are your favorite things to ask people when you meet them
- What are your top five dream vacations and why
- How do you maintain a healthy lifestyle
- Share a list of what’s in your pantry
- What’s the best thing you’ve cooked lately
- How do you start your day
- What are five items that you cannot live without
- Share a “day in the life” of what your typical day looks like
- Take your laptop to the mall and recap your reactions to what you see
- Write a letter to your future self
- Why did you start your blog
- What’s in your purse or gym bag
- Write a letter to your past self
- What does your perfect day consist of
- What’s on your regular grocery shopping list and why
- What are a few new things or terms you’ve learned recently
And with that, hopefully your creative juices are flowing …
What do you want to see on A Lady Goes West?
I love it when I receive requests from readers for particular topics that they’d like to see on the ole’ blog. So if you’ve got one, don’t hesitate to let me know.
Now, to all my regular reader friends out there, I’ll be back tomorrow with my usual “Friday Favorites” post, so don’t miss it. And to all my new friends, give me another shot, okay? Have a lovely day everybody!
Questions of the day
What type of topics are most interesting to you?
Have you ever suffered from writer’s block?
Good morning, Ashley,
I hope you have a fabulous time at the IDEA Blogfest and Fitness Convention. I have always wanted to go the IDEA Fitness Convention……. As a personal trainer and group fit instructor, I would like to hear more about Orange Theory. An OT opened just down the street from my gym!
Hi Linda! For sure, I did an initial overview of Orangetheory, which you can find on the fitness page of my blog, but I’ll definitely do some follow-ups for more information. Thanks for saying hi! Go visit that OTF!!
Great topics! It can be so frustrating when you’re mind is blocked! Good luck today. I can’t wait to hear how everything goes!
Thanks, Heather! SO far so good at BlogFest! Happy Thursday to you:) Wish you were here!
Thanks for this list! Sometimes I feel like I have so many ideas to write that I can’t pick just one! I enjoy reading day in the life posts and when bloggers share their personal side – relationships, job or whatever it is! Enjoy LA!!
Hi Marielle! I agree, I like the personal stuff the best too! Happy Thursday, lady! 🙂
Writer’s block definitely hits me very hard sometimes! I love these ideas and I’m saving this post to come back to when it strikes again! 🙂
Hi Lindsay! It happens! Hope these help you out in your next time of need. Happy Thursday! 🙂
Thanks for sharing these! I will definitely be coming back to this list when I need ideas!
Hi Lisa! Oh writer’s block. Yes, hope these help you out one day! 🙂
Fabulous post! I just bookmarked it for future use! I especially love the one about travel. I love reading about other people’s travel adventures, so I would love to hear about some of your favorite trips. I hope you have such a fun time on your trip!
Hi Heather! For sure! I’m hoping some of my best trips are yet to come heheh! Vacations are the best, but yes it can be stressful leading up to it! Happy Thursday! 🙂
Awesome list! Not sure I could think of all these until I thought of them randomly (if that makes any sense at all).
Enjoy BlogFest, and greeting the new furry family member when you return home. Pretty soon you’ll be buying Dave doggie birthday cards and signing them with paw prints (as a true dog family does…)
Hi Alyssa, AS you can imagine, Dave has been sending me frequent updates and pics to let me know how our little Rudy pup is doing hehe. And yes, we may celebrate his birthday and start signing his names on cards. Totally acceptable hahah! 🙂 Happy Thursday!
Oh yes, writer’s block happens!! These are some great, fun prompts to help when those moments strike. It also helps me to just step away from the blog for a bit … maybe just for an hour, or maybe it’s more of an extended break like a day or more. Almost every time, I come back feeling refreshed and ready to write again. Have so much fun at BlogFest and good luck with your presentation!!
Thanks, Ash! BlogFest is going great so far! And I bet you are totally refreshed after your vacation. Happy Thursday to you lady!
I actually believe that stress can sometimes cause writer’s block. Any kind whether it be time, logistics, pressure, etc. I don’t get it too often, but when I do it feels like I will never have anything come to me again! Lol. A walk or just doing something else usually helps to get the creative juices flowing again. Good luck today!
Hi Lauren! So true! I totally agree that my writer’s block could have come from that. And had I only had the time for a nice walk, it could have helped hehe. 🙂 Happy Thursday!
Love these suggestions! For someone who never seems to run out of things to say I have definitely found myself “stuck” when writing. I usually take a step back, go for a long walk, and allow myself to destress. More times than not I get writers block due to anxiety and the feeling of “I need to write something right now”. Have so much fun in LA!
Hi Jamie! That’s SO true. I think the struggle days are when I have so much else going on. A long walk is a good cure too. 🙂 Happy Thursday!
Thanks for sharing! These are all great prompts. I’m currently struggling with writers block. Hope you have a fabulous time at IDEA! Can’t wait to see what you do there 🙂
Hi Liz! Thanks, so far BlogFest is great. And I hope these ideas help you out one day. Happy Thursday! 🙂
Great list! I definitely have those days I have that writer’s block, so I will definitely be saving this post for those days! Have a blast at Blog Fest & IDEA!
Thanks, Brie! BlogFest is great so far! Wish you were here too! 🙂
Oh, writer’s block is for sure a thing. Hence, the reason I didn’t put up a blog post today 😉
Have a BLAST at IDEA! I had so much fun last year…wish I were there again!
Hi Courtney! I know! We miss you! I wish you were here so we could finally meet in person!! 🙂 And yes, writer’s block totally happens. Ugh!
Have a great time at IDEA! I really enjoy reading how people go about their normal life, routines, etc… it’s the nosy in all of us 🙂
Hi Jessie! Good to know! I like reading normal-life stuff too. Thanks for chiming in, my friend! 🙂
I’ve so been there! I always find stepping away and not forcing it helps. These are good topics. I’m book marking this one for future blocks!
Hi Megan! Great! Thanks again for sharing this one:) We miss you at BlogFest!
Totally bookmarking this post. My writer’s block has been wretched lately. And I used SuperShuttle once to get to SFO, and they showed up 20 minutes early and were totally rude when I told them I wasn’t ready yet. There is a big difference between being ready to leave at 5:10 am and 5:30 am!
Have fun at IDEA, can’t wait to hear about it!
Hi Emily! Too bad about your SuperShuttle experience. And I hope these ideas help you out when you need it. Happy Thursday! 🙂
Great prompts, thanks. I have run into writer’s block a lot lately. Definitely saving this.
Hi Angie! You’re welcome. I hope these help! 🙂 Happy Thursday!
Very creative ideas. I would love it if all the blogs I read would do any of those posts, I love learning about everyone and reading their stories… everyone has something unique to share with the world!
I agree, Niki. That’s why I love writing and reading blogs! You are exposed to so many different people. Happy Thursday to you!
Have fun at BlogFest! can’t wait to read about it on your blog next week!
Thanks, Dani! It’s going great so far! 🙂 Happy Thursday!
Thank you Ashley for sharing your knowledge and experience. The worst blog posts are those that I push through and quickly publish despite facing the daunting “writer’s block”. Nice to have a list of ideas for when that happens!
-Dr. Jeff Favero, D.C. (www.faverochiropractic.com)