For many years I have been searching for something to write about. I didn’t always have this problem; as a child and young adult, I spent the majority of my time writing. I had many diaries and notebooks filled with thoughts and ideas.
Over time my love for writing began to diminish. With new “adult” responsibilities and motherhood came less time to write along with constant bouts of self-doubt and too many outside suggestions.
I have read many blogs and self-help articles on how to start a career as a writer as well as marketing and “How To’s” entrepreneurial books. They almost always suggest finding a niche- something you’re an expert at or something you love doing, but let it be that one thing and nothing else. It’s suggested among many successful bloggers that if you want to talk about everything just create multiple blogs.
Now I don’t refute these suggestions because I do believe in the mantra “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” But I also know how discouraging it can be for people like myself that love talking about and doing many things, sometimes all at once. (I can talk, watch a movie, and have sex at the same time and enjoy them equally…is…is that too much?)
So if I want to “niche-ify” my writing, how can I choose just one topic and even if I did create a new blog for every topic, how could I possibly manage them all?
Trust me this is not an exaggeration when I say my mind is like a thousand google tabs opened all at once. I think these days they call that adult ADHD. I like to think of it as an active mind unhindered by mental limitations. Plus I enjoy having a plethora of thoughts so I could never find myself considering it to be a burden that requires medication (though I do enjoy a nice cup of earl grey because the bergamot helps me focus- I’m not against any holistic, natural measures to assists with my hyperactive mentality.)
So what is a person to do? How do you choose the perfect,”won’t-get-bored-in-two-weeks” niche everyone says is pertinent for successful blogging when you have so many things to talk about?
It took me some time (ok it took me years) to figure out the key, or at least my key, to finding a calling.
Most writers I know, including myself, are usually writers from childhood. We had journals and pages of imagined stories and ridiculous amounts of notes and jotted ideas. We wrote love letters in class and poems for our friends. Essay writing typically came easy and book reports were a fun past time.
During those times we didn’t have to worry about what we should write, we just wrote what we wanted and it was always what we enjoyed.
Over time we are filled with so much information and many social standards that we begin to lose our true identities. We like things because other people do or we find ourselves unwittingly conforming with trends or societies status quo. Some people are fortunate to be rooted and self-confident in their identities while many of us are floundering in self-inflicted mid-life crises periods, trying to dismantle and reassemble a personification of our true selves we no longer feel quite fits our current spirits.
I make it sound fatalistic, but really for the would be and use to be writers or any other creative spirit that need a spark, it can certainly feel that way.
This is the first thing I analyzed to find my direction. As I said we lose sight of what made us write to begin with and going back to the beginning can help us determine what we have never actually lost, but just hidden away. If you loved writing about comic books you’ll find the passion for it may still be lingering and now with more knowledge about it gathered over the years. Sure, you may be the only one out of all the people you grew up with to still hold interest there, but you’re not writing for them. The 5th house is your naturally ability. It’s what you have a talent for if you nurture it. It is the house of children and child like love. Unconditional and joyful. Remind yourself of the love for your talents. Undo the damage of listening to others dismiss you Sun. The 5th house is the house of the Sun. Look up as many keywords for the sign and if you have any planets there and find the things you know you have talent or at least a joy for when you see it. A little intuition helps as you may discover something you hadn’t considered before.
Unless you still share the same passions, most of us drift away from what our friends and family enjoy. And you don’t want to choose something to write about that pleases them. You’re seeking to bare your knowledge on a topic for like-minded individuals. Even if your friends and family have your best interests at heart, they can be unknowingly discouraging by making “You should write about…” or “No one reads comic books anymore…” statements. They are motivated by what they want to read and most times won’t even visit your blog because they’ve already heard opinions on their interests from you times before. Good luck trying to educate them about something they already know. The 4th house, which is family, squares your expressions and opposes your aspirations. They should push you towards your dreams, but more often than not, they usually push against it.
You have to write or make this. Not your mother who loves pottery or your best friend who loves parasailing. You can choose to write about and create their passions if want to or if you share the same ideals, but if you’re not passionate about it you’ll quit before you truly get started. Not all 5th houses are built the same.
Personal blogs can be just as successful and lucrative as industry-specific topics. Sometimes being the expert of experience is all the niche you need. There are plenty of people out there looking for someone who shares the same interests and thoughts as themselves, especially if you’re able to conceptualize the experiences in such a way that brings insight to others.
Telling someone to write every day is like telling people to drink more water. The answer is always “But I do already!” Sure you do. I’ve told myself the very same thing, but in actuality and in comparison to those who really do write (or drink water) every day, I wasn’t even on the charts with them. Writing every day is like starting your car every day. If you let it sit eventually it becomes harder to turn on as all your parts start to rust.
It’s a way to keep your cogs oiled and moving so the more you do it the easier it gets. It doesn’t have to be novels or full essays to start. Just begin. One line at a time turns into one paragraph at a time until you’re shelling out written works like the miles to a car.
Hope this helps! Share and comment your ideas and what has worked for you!
