Constant Content

I've been writing for CC a few months. I've sold articles that fit a variety of tastes but I find that many times I am stumped as to what to write next. I freelance for several buyers (not through this site) and I spend many days writing about hair restoration, "cool" cars and gas grills. This is boring to say the least, but it pays the bills most of the time.
My point is, I'd like to write more interesting articles, but my success has so far been with the mundane writing of SEO content.
Does anyone out there have suggestions as to how we make articles less fluff and more substance? I feel like I am stuck in an infomercial and can't get out.

Hi Melissa,

To get away from "fluff" try thinking about the subject as if you were explaining it to a sophisticated friend. Your sophisticated friend will already know the obvious so you'll have to dig deeper in your research or get more creative with your solutions.

I also keep a list of topics that either interest me or that I know something about. For example, if I'm in the market for a product, I usually do a little research before I buy. I figure, others can benefit from my research so I'll write an article about it (plus when the article sells, it makes the product a little cheaper). I'm currently in the market for a new set of tires so I may write an article about buying tires - perhaps expaining the different options and how tires are measured (these things mystify me so they must mystify others).

Another one of my favorite ways to find new ideas is to use the Advanced Search feature of Google and restrict the search results to .gov or .org sites. This way, you get past the commercial sites and have access to credible sources. For example, you might find studies related to your topic or stumble across an angle you had thought about before.

I just googled Gas Grills using the .gov filter and found information about recycling propane gas tanks, official "appliance reports" (who knew?), carbon monoxide poisoning, fire statistics, and gas grill safety tips. Any of these topics would make a good article. Plus, you'll have credible information to cite

(According to the U.S. Fire Administration, mechanical malfunctions and failures are the leading cause of grill fires.) This took me a just a few minutes to come up with... If I had the inclination, I'd be able to write up a decent little article about how to inspect your gas grill and check for recalls - and all the information I need is at my fingertips.

Thanks! It's just a whole new way of thinking for me. I am a writer by nature, but I need to nurture the ideas and make writing articles more interesting for myself or I will let it fall by the wayside. So, I'm off to research, think, and provide articles that are more informative and less of the material I don't enjoy.

If it's any consolation, I know what you mean about getting stuck in the SEO writing corner! I haven't had much time to pursue some of my more creative writing projects, and sometimes I dread writing what I feel like is the same article over and over again, because it is what sells.

I have written a few pieces not traditional SEO and sold them here. I find the difference is these articles take a more discerning buyer, and as a result these articles hang around for a month or two before anyone notices them. For example, I wrote a piece on unique ways to fight shopping addiction, and it took about 2.5 months to sell, but it did! I have a ton of research right now in various forms hanging about my living room on gifted adults. Many school systems now have systems in place to identify gifted students, but what happens to these kids when they grow up? There are very few resources out there to help gifted individuals blend in easier in workplaces.

I would suggest a trade off, promise yourself 1 piece for you for every few pieces of SEO writing you do. Nothing is worse than losing the joy in writing....

Google Scholar is another good place to research; it will only respond with links to peer-reviewed research papers. If you don't mind wading through it there's a bunch of really interesting articles to be found. Great suggestions there, Celeste, Elizabeth! Thanks!

Ok, really dumb question...When we use sources for a more technical,in-depth article, we provide those sources at the end of the article in standard bibliographic format, right?

Just checking..

Hi,

Well, I go through that feeling of insecureness about what to write every day!
I'm thinking about a million topics at a time, and for a while, I really had a hard time developing one good topic. Now that I'm pursuing a career as a freelancer, writing in English, I decided to discipline myself the best I can, so I can stay on course.
Before I even start researching about a specific subject - getting lost in research happens to me a lot, especially if I'm not really centered on what I'm looking for! - I take an afternoon off and do a bit of brainstorming. I call it "a staff meeting with myself", just because thinking like this makes me laugh...
Anyway, I write down possible article topics on my notebook. Then, I pick some of them and, weekely, I work on them and try to have articles written on them, so I can submit them here, or to use them as writing samples. Basically, I don't want to stop, and I think it's important to exercise your writing.
I also believe that this is a good way to avoid procrastinating and to avoid also the writer's block. If you always have the notebook around, with ideas written down, then all you have to do when your imagination fails you, is to go back and read what you wrote down before.

Plus, it's very important to me to talk to people; ask questions to your friends, read the newspaper, watch. Sometimes, good ideas come from places you least expect.

Here are my 2 € cents...eh eh

Best regards,
Mariana