Get Weird: Write More
So, you’re feeling stuck while writing.
I get it. Writing is hard. I'm writing right now (surprise surprise) and it's difficult to think of things to say. I've spent all morning trying to think of things to write about and I've come up empty. I'm sure if you're reading this, then you've most likely hit a snag in your writing as well. But, my dear friend, I have a solution. A brilliant solution that will give you a million and one things to write about. Ready? Here it is:
Write about something weird.
Pick a weird topic and run with it. Find something esoteric or bizarre. Something strange and curious. Instead of writing about something you know, write yourself into knowing about something.
Write about the variation of tiger stripes across regions and species. Or write a narrative about the existentialist experience of deep-water freediving. Write about the history of chewing gum and high school. Maybe don't write about that last one—it's too interesting and I want to keep it for myself.
Open the dictionary and point to a random page (read this article for why you should have a paper dictionary). Go for a walk and look at road signs. Even if you've never really thought about them before, someone has. And there’s probably information about them out there. Do the research; distill the information; put it in a blender with some tequila and a whole lime—that's your article right there. That's a bona fide interesting article. Because it's not what you write about; it's how you write it. So go—find something weird and learn all about it. It will give you more than enough material to work with.
Also, make sure to strain that cocktail—I don't think I was supposed to put a whole lime in it. Oops.
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