Finding your Niche in Blogging

Looking for that place that just "vibes" with you in the blogging world? Are you blogging for fun or profit?
Either way, starting out is a bit difficult if you have no clear intention for the blogs content.

On this post, I will outline some ideas on how to overcome that blogging writer's block and "find your niche".

Start with brainstorming, which is a good writing tool used in many English or writing classes.
Some sample links are listed below for the readers' perusal. These are unsponsored
random links that I found just in doing a google search "brainstorming for writing technique". These links and articles by other authors can be very helpful.

Brainstorming

"This handout discusses techniques that will help you start writing a paper and continue writing through the challenges of the revising process. Brainstorming can help you choose a topic, develop an approach to a topic, or deepen your understanding of the topic's potential." -A must read article and an informative website.

Surefire Brainstorming Techniques

Obviously, on the above site, someone researched brainstorming techniques and spent time publishing the article in an effort to be reciprocated for their effort. I am glad to assist. One cannot earn too many brownie points in this industry that is so highly competitive. As my Mom used to say, "One good turn deserves another".

Purdue English Workshops

The site above offers a definition of brainstorming and compares it to free writing, another block busting technique. The paragraph is copied below for the reader's perusal.

"Brainstorming. This is actually quite similar to freewriting in how to treat your thought processes (remember, still no censoring) but the organization--the way you jot down ideas--is a bit different. Instead of an endless, non-punctuated, free-flowing paragraph, you only note down key words or short phrases in list-form under your subject or broad topic. Set the timer, take a deep breath, and go crazy. If you get stuck, look at one of the list words and see if that doesn't trigger something new or if there's a general term (loaded abstractions like "power," "education," "culture," or "knowledge" are good examples) that keeps popping up and needs some fleshing out or isn't self-containing or self-explanatory. Assume nothing is self-explanatory--at this stage stating the obvious is the best way to tap into original territory. When you're done, use your word processor's cut and paste features (or arrows or color coding for you paper planners out there) to re-organize your terms and find relationships and common threads that might form subheadings. "

For comparison, I'll add the Answers.com definition: (Found on http://www.answers.com/define+brainstorm?cat=entertainment)

Brainstorm-
Noun- A sudden clever plan or idea. A sudden, violent disturbance of the mind.

Verb intransitive-
To engage in or organize brainstorming.

Verb transitive-
To consider or investigate (an issue, for example) by brainstorming. To think of or produce (a solution to a problem, for example) by brainstorming.

These definitions are actually sort of vague, so my suggestion would be to refer to educational sites that teach creative writing for better guidelines on what is brainstorming and how to do it.

My Blogs Listed on this Page. Reading other research information on writing, blogging, brainstorming is another technique to get past that writer's block and "find your niche". It is helping me just to write about this, because now I have found a comprehensive, useful topic to get me started in creating an educational blog. With so much to read out there, that is my ultimate desire...to provide an educational source for other writers/bloggers.

While I gather more information and collect my thoughts, take time to visit some of my sites. Start with Mountain Spirit Productions which is my main freelance writing website. I have an open mind, so I welcome suggestions and useful information to share.

I also have a paid blog at Squarespace.

Thanks for visiting with me. Till next time, put on those thinking caps and start brainstorming...write...write...and write some more. You can do it!

If you would like to reach The Midnight Writer about blogging, email blogging@mountainspiritproductions.org.