If there’s one question all bloggers ask eventually, it is: “BUT WHAT DO I WRITE ABOUT #HELP.”
But take heart, dear fiend of the interwebs! We all go through this. Some of us stare at our blank blog screen and have mini crises at least once a week. Maybe 9 times a week. Maybe we just have an ongoing crisis. Because it’s HARD to come up with interesting, new, fresh content all the time. And as someone who’s blogged for nearly 5 years, believe me. I knooooooow the pain.
Especially if you keep accidentally these sorts of things:
“But hasn’t this already been discussed?”
“But does my opinion on this matter if someone else summed it up more succinctly?”
“What if I write so confusingly no one knows what the flip flapping avocado cracking I’m on about?”
“I am an avocado???”
ACCURATE REPRESENTATION OF YOU AND VALJEAN HAVING A CRISIS RIGHT NOW
And it’s okay. Believe me. It’s okay. You are not a bad blogger. You are allowed to have those thoughts. And I will answer ALL those questions systematically and with great confidence because I know everything. *
- BECAUSE YOUR PERSPECTIVE IS IMPORTANT. And it’ll be different! Even if you just word your opinion differently…it’s your post. It’s your perspective. You don’t need permission to use your voice, just go get ’em, Adam.
- BLOGGING IS A CONSTANTLY TURNING AUDIENCE. I just go back to my posts from last year, sneak a peek at the comments, and realise at least 50% of my commenters are different now. There are ALWAYS new people coming and going who haven’t read the old discussions before! Your discussion will be new to someone. Even if it’s just that stray speckled alien reading your post in their lunch break.
- PRACTISE MAKES PERFECT. The most annoying line ever, but unfortunately a true one. Your 1st discussion might be rambly. Your 2nd discussion might end in a puddle of confused thoughts. Your 13th discussion might end up with you arguing with yourself. You know what? YOU’LL GET BETTER. And my #1 trick with making discussions less confusing is (a) different sized fonts and bolded texts, (b) lots of graphics or photos or gifs to break up the text, (c) lists !! and (d) a recap at the end, (e) and bribe people with cake to stay and read it. **
- YOU ARE AN AVOCADO. Sorry, but like I’m also here to give you reality checks too, you freak.
* HAHAHHAHHH AHH AHHAHAHHHAHA HAH HA.
** Speaking of which…how do you feel about coconut cake.
So now that we’ve established you should 100% be blogging your opinions…the next question is obviously:
“but what do i blog about, cait?????”
What do you discuss? How do you think up topics??? How do you be an avocado but yet wear red and not look like a christmas parcel???
These are all good questions and I am here to give you a list of suggestions on how to think up discussion topics for your book blog. Which a few people have actually asked me about in the past so: LOOK, YOU!! I WROTE A POST FOR YOU!!! DON’T YOU LOVE ME SO MUCH NOW.
- GOOGLE IT. You think I’m joking, but I’m not!! And perhaps you have been googling it right now and that’s how you’ve stumbled across me. But I’m not listing prompts today. I’m dusting off your adventurer hat and renaming you Indiana Jones and telling you to go be a dashing treasure hunter. But seriously: google for topic prompts. (You can also use pinterest for this.) Also try:
- Oh The Books: Discussion Topics from A to Z
- Molly Green’s 101 Fabulous Blog Post Ideas
- Osmosio’s 101+ Killer Blog Post Ideas. (Spoiler: no blood or stabbing involved in that list. I know. I was disappointed too.)
- Daisybutter’s Post Prompts and Ideas
THAT AWKWARD MOMENT WHEN YOUR OWN POST IS AT THE TOP. WOAH GO ME FAMOUS BEAN I AM.
- TWIST INSTAGRAM CHALLENGE PROMPTS TO BE BOOK DISCUSSIONS. This can go for any type of prompt! A twitter tag, or a tumblr tag, or a #bookstagram tag. For instance, I’m participating in a instagram photo challenge called #BookishTravels17 hosted by @novelheartbeat and @darkfaerietales_ and it would be SO AWESOME to do a post listing different books for different countries or settings!
- NOTE: Credit people, okay?!? I would credit this tag and these creators if I did this post! But if the post was more broad, like in another challenge I’m doing there’s a prompt called “underrated books”…I could do a post and not have to link to them because EVERYONE blogs about underrated books. No biggie.
- DO SOME OLD TOP TEN TUESDAY LISTS. Because they’re here for us to use! And so what that it’s not Tuesday or they did that prompt back in 2011 before you were even born??? DO IT ANYWAY.
- Also let these prompts inspire discussions! For instance, this Tuesday the prompt was “small books” but I didn’t want to take photos of small books, so I did a discussion on big vs small books and made a quiz to go with it for something different.
- AND you can also join in other helpful memes that’ll give you ideas on what to post about! Here’s a Master List of Book Blogging Memes from GirlXoXo.com.
- LET WHATEVER BOOK YOU’RE READING INSPIRE A DISCUSSION. This is my favourite because it’s a great way to discuss something that might be a little different to the usual. Basically just pick out a topic or a theme or a style of the book you’re reading and twist it into a discussion. FOR INSTANCE:
- I just finished reading (AND FLAILING WILDLY OVER) the Reckless series by Cornelia Funke. I could do a discussion about translated books, since this was German! I could do a list of other retellings I like. I could do a post on what I want to see in a retelling. I could do a post on what myths/folklores don’t get retold enough!
- I’m eagerly awaiting the arrive of my audible preorder of Strange the Dreamer. Soooooo…I could do a discussion on what makes you preorder a book?!? What do you do while waiting for a highly anticipated book??
- I recently read Frostblood which was full of overused tropes. I could discuss tropes I like vs ones I don’t like!
- I read Lucky Few which I LOVED TO DEATH but then…the ending really disappointed me. A post on what makes a good ending? A discussion on which part of the book matters most: beginning, middle, ending?
- I just started reading The Silent Invasion which had an AWFUL first chapter. I could discuss what hooks me into a book and what turns me off. Or I could discuss when I know if a book will be good/bad. I could list my favourite/hated first sentences. I could discuss what makes me put down a book.
See?!?! There are literally endless discussions if you’re reading something!
- BE INSPIRED BY WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE BLOGOSPHERE. For this you need to be fairly active on some sort of social media, like instagram or twitter. But there are always people discussing things, and while those topics might seem a little beaten to death like someone trying to put avocado on a sandwich with a steam roller — you can always find twists. FOR INSTANCE:
- I got up the courage (!! a !! rare !! occurrence !!) to tweet an author I admired and she tweeted me back how much she loved my review. SO PAUSE TO FLAIL. But also, there’s a discussion topic: pros vs cons of interacting with authors online. Or what do you expect from an author online. Or do you think authors are under more pressure with how much more online they are these days.
- I constantly see book-to-movie adaptations being announced. Do you like them or hate them? Best vs worst adaptions? 10 Things Book Adaptions Are Getting Wrong?
- I just saw someone tweet a cover release / excerpt of their upcoming book. (Congrats to them!) Discussion ideas: do you like reading excerpts without having the whole book available?
While looking for topic inspiration, make sure you don’t steal!
It’s always disappointing to be an artist and find someone copying your post or doing a discussion exactly like yours a few days afterwards. Sometimes these things happen on accident, so don’t jump to conclusions! But do YOUR best to (A) always give credit where credit is due, and (B) if in doubt, ask, and (C) be a treasure hunter not a pirate!
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Suuuuure everything’s been done before — BUT NOT BY YOU. SO GO FOR IT, YOU INTELLIGENT CREATURE OF THE DARKNESS. I believe in your ability to contribute to the conversation.
Oh. And spoiler alert: if you are an avocado and wear red YOU WILL LOOK LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE, I’M SORRY, ALLEN. IT’S JUST THE WAY IT IS. TRY TO BE TRUE TO YOURSELF ANYWAY.
I usually do reviews on the blog. And I have been thinking of including discussions and random posts, So your post comes at the perfect time, Cait
Resh Susan recently posted…Contemporary Indian Women Writers who Should be on Your Reading List
Oh oh yay that is marvellous news!! I’m so glad this is helpful!! *gives you cake*
I love these tips! I often try to discuss patterns that I’ve noticed across multiple books (e.g. white girls in fancy dresses on the cover) and how I feel about them, but I absolutely use these methods too, except I don’t google ideas much. I also think it’s important to write down your ideas when you have then, otherwise you might forget, which is dreadful. I really like writing tags and also discussions, though they take more time to get right.
Shanti recently posted…Why Harry Potter is so great
Oh yes absolutely write down ideas!! I have a sticky-note app on my Mac and I have SO many ideas listed there.😂Lists are life.
Awesome tips! I’m terrible at coming up with post ideas, which is why I often end up posting much later than I intended whilst I furiously try and wrack my brains for some sort of idea! I do occasionally get bursts of inspiration, and then I’ll write lists and lists of ideas so I have some as back-up for when I’m struggling.
I love the idea of coming up with a post inspired by what you are currently reading! There’s probably some kind of discussion topic you could garner from every book you read, so that’s a great way to always have ideas! I’ll definitely give that a try 🙂
Laura recently posted…What makes a ‘strong’ female character?
Oh I do the same! With like collecting post ideas for when the inspiration is actually flowing haha. It’s great and it always feels good to have posts scheduled or just waiting to be finished off.😂
Ideas are SO difficult. I’ll have weeks where I can write all the things, and weeks were nothing comes out right. 🙁 Great post. Really helpful!
Rain @ Ivyclad Ideas recently posted…(We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson)
I am absolutely the same, don’t worry.😂Some weeks I think I’m never going to get a post up because it’s being so diiiiifficult. And then people will say they enjoyed it and that makes it all worth it.😂
That avocado gif xD oh my god. How did you even find something like that 😀
I usually just post reviews, although I realize that’s probably boring. But I don’t have a solution for that yet (read: don’t want to write about anything else currently xD and don’t have that much time to hunt for inspiration). Maybe one day.
Evelina recently posted…A Gripping Story About Mothers and Daughters, Adoption And… Tea?
I have MASTERFUL gif finding skills. 😉 And no I would never write a post around a gif because I wanted to use it…shhh, of course not.😂
Reviews aren’t boring! And one can post WHATEVER THEY LIKE!!
You really do when it comes to GIFs! I think I’m just too impatient sometimes with looking for them 😀 especially you know how the PC starts lagging when you’re mid-scroll because every GIF is moving? 😀 yes… THAT too.
BTW. I have actually peered into the abyss and found out how many e-books I have on my Kindle! (I mean, unread). 437! Not too good, but not too bad (honestly, I was expecting like 700?) Have you ever counted your actual TBR? Minus Goodreads to-read shelf, that’s the ghost TBR 😀
Evelina recently posted…How to write a book about kicking rockstars out of your house, or…
My first issue with blogging is that when I have inspiration I don’t have the time to write a post and when I have the time I don’t have the inspiration. I love discussion posts but I find it hard to gather my thoughts and to order them when it comes to making this And I’m with you practicing make difference so I’ll try to write more of them. Also looking for gifs is hard I don’t know which one to choose.
Ugh I get that feel SO MUCH.😂 I often am writing down “great ideas” but when I get a chance to draft them up the inspiration is gone haha.😂I tend to go for it anyway and just beat the inspiration back into submission. I’m sure that can’t go wrong.😂
Oh this is so good! Thank you for sharing. I usually stick to reviewing books on my blog. But recently decided to start posting an extra “bookish” post at least once a month. Seems to be working out well too. But discussions Oi! Haha! Thanks for the tips and encouragement! (I always enjoy your posts immensely)
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Oh you are most welcmoe and I’m glad you liked the post!! MY DAY IS MADE. *beams happily*
I usually take inspiration and just use my avocado brain to think of ideas. I think using the book you are reading is definitely a good start. Take the last book I just read. Everyone seemed to hate it, but I loved it and that gave me an idea to talk about the other end of hyped up books, super-hated books, that are popular because everyone hates them! Your methods are really cool because Google and Pinterest are just beautiful treasure troves of knowledge that you can just SOAK UP! I never thought of old TTT’s – OMG that’s such a good idea! The blogosphere is my main source of inspiration, though. I’m always adding a twist, taking notes, and brainstorming ideas from other posts I see! Coincidentally enough, bookish discussions are my favourite types of posts a)STATS-everyone seems to love them b)they’re super fun to write c)I made a name for them (DREAMS AND DISCUSSIONS) so my intros always sound cool!
Mahriya recently posted…Let’s Talk About My Secret Life As A Writer
Pinterest is a beautiful treasure trove and LIFE SAVER LET’S BE REAL HERE.😂 I love pinterest so much omg. Like I was supposed to be plotting my novel yesterday but instead I ended up with an amazing aesthetic pinterest board. How did that happen. Who can know.
😂
And I agree that discussion posts are really fun to read!!! 😀 😀
Most of the time, because I’ve only been doing this for like 3 weeks and have already been deemed (by myself) to be an avocado wearing red, I take inspiration from my favorite blogs to read (COUGH YOU). Yes, I do very much so like coconut cake!!!! I have been googling RELENTLESSLY because it’s so hard to be original. I’m not sure I’ve had an original idea in my life because its 2017? and there have been many humans before me??? Even if they didn’t have access to the internet? (IMPENDING EXISTENTIAL CRISIS OMG). I did find this very helpful in looking to my current read for inspiration. OH ALSO I HAVE A GIANT WALL THAT I MESSILY PAINTED WITH CHALK BOARD PAINT AND I MAKE MIND MAPS ON IT A LOT W/ CHALK AND STICKY NOTES (BECAUSE WHO DOESN’T LOVE STICKIES)????????
My brain is a very complicated environment. It’s chaotic. Endlessly. Having a giant space to actually get down what I’m thinking about on a fracken wall helps. I think so far I like discussion posts the most. I love talking to people and interacting with those who are interested in what I am. Also being able to get a different perspective on topics I’m wary of having an opinion about is MAGICAL.
FAJDSKLFAD I GET TO BE A FAVOURITE BLOG OF YOURS???!? I’M SO HONOURED. *gives you cake* 💕💕
oh haha, original ideas don’t exist. 😂 I think it’s just how WE write them and put our twists on them that make them new/fresh! Which is awesome! Like I drafted a post recently on love triangles and that sure isn’t a new topic…but I made a few diagrams I’m proud of and hopefully it’ll be funny when I get around to posting it. So honestly, discuss whatever you want, I say! JUST HAVE FUN WITH IT.
DUDE. I’M REALLY ENVIOUS OF THAT WALL THOUGH.
This was such a helpful post,Cait.Thank you <3 My favorite posts to write are reviews(though they don't get much views).But I love sharing my thoughts!
I mainly get my discussion ideas from pinterest and from what I am reading.I am currently reading a retelling of Cindrella so Imight do a post on Retellings or recs of retellings 🙂
I love writing reviews so much too!! And like maybe the views are lower, but they’re still fun and it’s great to share the bookish love!! *flails*
Ahh I freaking loved this post Cait! And I loved that you provided so many resources😊👍 I will look at them when I am on my computer 😂😂 Okay but like yesterday I did a post about tropes I have had enough of, and SO MANY people have done it! So I don’t really think I need to give credit lol but I get you when you say that you should give credit if you are inspired by another post, you know? And omg when you said that ideas come from reading a book, I LITERALLY GOT SO MANY IDEAS YES. *writes furiously in notebook*
Great post!
Prabhleen recently posted…BOOKISH TROPES THAT NEED TO #STAHP
Oh I agree! Posts like “tropes you hate” don’t need credit.😂I drafted up an anti-love triangle post and THAT has been discussed to death adn back again like 293839 times.😂😂 There are tons of topics no one needs to credit for haha. And I’m off to read your trope post now. 😉
ALSO YAY THAT THIS GAVE YOU IDEAS!! I AM PLEASED.
I don’t have a lot of discussions, but I’ve barely started blogging so. And OMG YES COCONUT CAKE (although tbh I don’t need cake to read through your wonderful posts <3 ) I think that if/when I started doing discussion posts, I would just like rant about whatever is going on for me in the bookish world. Like, for example, I am reading a surprising amount of contemporaries right now (I don't usually), so then I could discuss about what are things I like/dislike in contemporaries, or what makes them unique, or how the characters play a huge role in the story. (Omg I just thought of that right now I'm so proud.) Your methods will definitely be helpful too!
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That is EXACTLY the perfect way to do discussions!! I also think that when we pull topics from our current reads that it makes the discussion more likely to be original and somewhat different to what other people are talking about?!? Which is awesome.😂 And like there’s no pressure to do discussions or not to do them…just have fun blogging. 😉 That’s the trick.
Yeah…. At the moment I’m still just trying to get my blog started. It’s a books and music blog, so I’ve done a tag and a couple of posts on that and I think I’m going to do a couple of Beautiful People posts in the next week or so and….
Yeah, I’m inspired. It’ll probably take at least a year for me to run out of ideas, but when I do, I will hit the ground very hard.
The Florid Sword recently posted…ALBUM REVIEW: Brave Enough
(yaaas that you like doing Beautiful People posts! I AM SO HAPPY!!) And honestly starting up a blog is really hard, so reward yourself with cake, my friend. You’re doing great! And pfft, no you won’t run out of ideas. The more you write, the more ideas you get. I promise!
Coming up with discussion ideas is a constant struggle. I’ve been blogging for years, and it feels like I’ve already discussed everything. I’ll start writing a post and then get déjà vu and realize that I’ve already written this discussion. I’m plagiarizing my own discussion posts! Thinking is hard, and I’m not very good at it.
Aj @ Read All The Things! recently posted…Review: The Wave – Morton Rhue
I actually totally relate.😂 I’m constantly “plagiarizing” myself hahah…but sometimes I figure it doesn’t matter because whoever was reading my blog 3 years ago is probably gone OR won’t remember either.😂
AVOCADO 😛 😛 I love discussion posts although I’ve done like 2 so far 😛 I need to do more! I wish my exams would be over soon so I can work on blogging, reading and WRITING!! 😀 Thanks for the links! I’m gonna check those out 🙂 I yes to giving credit!! I always mention even if I’m inspired by someone to write a post or anything for that matter! It’s totally rude to not :/ Also i wrote my first post about Writing Cait <3 So excited and nervous!
Uma @ Books.Bags.Burgers. recently posted…For the Love of Writing #1 – Meet the ‘writer’ me!
SO MUCH AVOCADO I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON IN THIS POST.😂
But yaaay I’m glad this was helpful! (And I’m so excited to read more of your writingish posts!!) And agreed that it’s always best to mention when inspired by others *nods* It spreads the love around too, which is always lovely. <3
I honestly don’t know how I think up discussion topics?? 😂 Usually, I just think of a topic that I’ve been wanting to talk about forever, and then I end up writing it. Honestly, I’m set for posts until April of next year, but it’s never too early to brainstorm, right?
I think my main fountain of inspiration for discussion posts is always other blogs. I go to the blogs I admire that start a discussion, and look through their blogs, and I usually just get an idea out of nowhere from looking at that! Some of my discussions are about stuff that come from the community, and sometimes they are things that other people have talked to death about already, but no one really ever seems to care, so it’s always worth a shot, even though you think it’ll suck!
That seems like a good method to me.😂 Whatever works is the best way to do it right!? BUT HELLO WAIT, YOU’VE GOT POSTS TILL APRIL NEXT YEAR?????? HOW??? I barely have posts scheduled a week in advance.😂
I was actually just inspired by your blog last week! I tried your tips for creating an aesthetic Pinterest board for the novel I’m working on, and while I loved the idea of using Pinterest to plan my novel, the aesthetic thing wasn’t working for me. I realised what I really wanted was to build a chronological storyboard of significant plot points in the book, so I wrote a blog post on that (and gave you credit for the initial idea and linked to your amazing post, of course).
This post has come in handy today because I need to put up this week’s blog post and I have absolutely no ideas. I may just review a book I’ve read recently.
A.A. Frias recently posted…Building a Chronological Storyboard with Pinterest
Omg that absolutely makes my day!! I’m off to read your post ASAP. 😀
This post is wonderful, thank you! I’ve started to gear my blog more toward my writing pursuits recently, but often I feel pretty stuck in figuring out just WHAT to blog about. Honestly, I do worry that I’m not experiences or professional enough to even be allowed to discuss some of those topics! This has given me some ideas and helped to take a little bit of that pressure off. Thanks for the motivation 🙂
I also wonder why only sometimes my blog shows in my comments. I think I must be doing it wrong 🙁
(I don’t actually know what’s up with commentluv tbh. SORRY ABOUT THAT!! Sometimes it works for others and sometimes not?? But I can still click on your blog link so all is well hehe.)
And I totally get that! Sometimes I want to blog about writing but then…like what do I even know about writing.😂 So I totally admire you for going that direction. GOOD LUCK!! And lots of these kind of topics can be twisted to a writing point of view too!
This post was exactly what I needed right now- thank you for your excellent timing!:) I’m trying to take notice of my thoughts about books as I read them and base my blog posts around that. Random thoughts like – “Why is the main character like this?” or “Why is this book exactly like this other book I’ve read?” I like looking for the commonalities in books and writing list posts for specific situations, people, or moods.
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Those are all excellent methods to think up posts too!! And honestly the more you do it, the easier it gets to just pull topics out of the air and write something fun/interesting on them!!
This post came about at a really helpful time!! I’ve only got two posts on my blog so far and I’m already struggling :/ so thanks Cait for this awesome post which has given me loads of new ideas *high five*
Oooh, YAS, I’m so glad! *gives you motivating chocolate cake to aid you as well*
Discussion posts can be difficult to come up with sometimes, but I tend to get mine just by reading to be honest, or I’ll see something online and it will inspire me.
-Lauren
ShootingStarsMag recently posted…A Bit More About Usborne Books and More
That’s awesome! I think the best way to get them is to pull a topic out of your current read…because it makes sure it’s somewhat different to what everyone else is talking about!
Damn it, Cait, you’ve given me too many ideas! I need to give up everything and become a full time book blogger asap. (But also thank you, because I’ve done like 2 discussion posts in my whole blogging life, and I desperately need ideas for more when I have the time.)
Reviews are definitely my favourite posts to write, because that’s what I started my blog to do. Analysing and critiquing the heck out of books is underrated. Ranting or raving about a particular book is FUN! (It is sad, though, that review posts don’t get many hits.)
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I’M SORRY BUT ALSO NOT REALLY.😂😂 Honestly I gave MYSELF a ton of ideas haha. But could someone pls pay us to be full time bloggers??? Because I would be very good at that job and also have more money for books because #priorities.
And I also really love reviewing!! They’re not my most popular posts but I really love putting them together. <3
This is such a helpful post Cait!! I mostly write reviews on my blog but a lot of the time I’m horrible at thinking of new post ideas – there will be moments where I think of an idea and can write the whole post in a session but unfortunately that’s not often. I usually come up with discussion ideas when I’m not racking my brain for some and leap to the nearest writing source to write it down because I have an avocado brain and my memory is horrible. I am a rambler when it comes to discussion posts (or just blog posts in general) so that can be a bit of a struggle for me. But I will definitely use these tips, especially the one about letting your current read inspire discussion 😀
Emily @ theBookishLounge recently posted…Life update & current happenings: March 2017 // Updates
I have an avocado memory too *pats shoulder* there there, we can be guacamole together. SOMEONE BREAK OUT THE CORN CHIPS!! Ahem. I digress.
I’m glad the post was helpful though!! No one should feel pressured to do discussions if they don’t want, but if they do want, then hopefully this helps haha.😂
THIS IS SUPER HELPFUL. Because there are times where I KNOW I should be writing a blog post but my brain decides THAT IS THE PERFECT TIME TO SWITCH OFF. Which is always massively frustrating. But for some reason I never even thought about Googling for post ideas, which is odd because I Google literally everything else??? Like, even things I know the answer to just to make ABSOLUTELY SURE.
HERE TO HELP. Actually, well, here to shout randomly about food but you know…also to help if I can. *nods sagely* But honestly half the time I get a great idea and just write it down on my list of “things to blog about” and then lose my train of thought on it.😂😂 BUT I TRY.
There are a lot of things I wish I’d known before starting blogging, and a post MAY be coming your way on that soon. I’m really interested in what other bloggers wish they had known, so this could be a really interesting post!
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Oh yes! That is a great topic!! I have tons of things I’d have for that too.😂😂 Good luck with it!
I… am such a lame-o, because.. I have never written a discussion post. I just don’t feel like my thoughts are interesting enough at random, I guess? And I don’t think anyone will read it? OR they’ll read it and be offended lol. But I often randomly feel like “YES. TODAY IS THE DAY. I SHALL WRITE MY 1ST DISCUSSION POST”… but alas XD
Brittany @ Brittany’s Book Rambles
Brittany recently posted…When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon ARC Review
EXCUSE ME YOU ARE THE OPPOSITE OF LAME. YOUR BLOG IS AMAZING AND I ADMIRE YOU SO MUCH!! *flings confetti at you* Not everyone has to or needs to want to do discussion posts. 😉
I’ve always struggled with coming up with discussion topics so I adore this post! It’s so helpful. I’ve actually done the whole google topic lists thing before and came across something that ended up inspiring a whole different idea. Anyway! Great post and thanks so much for the tips. 😁
AHH I’M GLAD IT’S HELPFUL!! That’s what I was hoping for!! *gives you cake*
Great post Cait, as always!
Luckily I have a notebook I use as book blogger bullet journal, where I write down ideas, notes, list my whole book library (took me 4 days to finish), and currently I have enough to keep my blog for a whole year, even if I don’t post any reviews or do book tags lol All ideas are more or less tightly related to my own know-hows, but can be shared as tips-to-do-something 😀
This list wouldn’t even come up if I didn’t do long researches on pinterest and google :))
Let’s slay the book dragons, Cait!
OH THANK YOU, LILIANA. THAT MAKES ME VERY GLAD. I think a book blogger bullet journal sounds amazing?!??! That’s so cool! I basically just collect ideas on a sticky note app on my laptop because I’m lazy haha. I have SO many ideas on there which I need to get to…and, well, this post only spawned several more. 😂
This is amazingly useful! My blogs are usually centred around…nothing? Anything that catches my fancy or I feel strongly about ends up on my site. Random. That should be my theme. Bits of poetry (if it can be called that), lots of rambling. I have done a book related post yet, but I will soon! Also, can we take a moment to sigh over how beautiful your rainbow bookshelf is? It is so pretty, I could cry. For real. It’s a thing of beauty. John Keates, why isn’t this in your poem?! Ahh. Okay, I’m done fangirling (not really, but I’ll pretend to have stopped). I fee like people totally think I’m an avocado after reading my posts or even comments. 😂😂 You’re thinking, it aren’t you? That’s okay. I am an avocado (and proud of it). I love your blog; it’s amazing.
I hope you have a wonderful day! xx
OH THANK YOU ABOUT MY BOOKSHELF. I quite adore it too. 😂 And I’m glad you think the post is useful!! That makes me HAPPY, so thank you for visiting, dear new avocado friend.
AHH THESE ARE SO HANDY. Also, incredibly true that the turnover of the audience is insane – back in my day…
Reading is definitely where I get most of my blog post ideas. I don’t know, it’s the same with book ideas. I never seem to have a shortage of them, it’s just writing that’s the problem!
I’M SO GLAD YOU LIKED IT. And omg the turn over is so fast?!? Just the other day I was thinking I don’t read a ton of blogs that I used to because…they are gone. 😳😳 Either the aliens are coming or else people keep drifting off.😂
Look at you being all helpful and constructive! (Also mildly terrifying with the avocado stuff, but we’ll just neatly slide over that.) 🙂
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SOMETIMES I AM HELPFUL. I try not to be helpful too often tho, because otherwise you’ll all get unrealistic expectations of me. My next post will probably be about how to survive life if your family thinks you’re an avocado.
This is a great post and it really inspired me!
I often doubt my work as a blogger. Sometimes I wonder whether or not I’m creative enough, sometimes, I think I ramble too much in my writing, and once in awhile I sometimes fear I don’t make the post about my readers enough.
This post really helped me set aside those worries and just write (While also laughing my butt of at the jokes) which was really great.
So thank you! Someone should give you cake for this post 😀
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I think we ALL get self-doubt a lot as bloggers! So you’re not alone. *gives you comforting cake* I think it’s important to do the “just write” thing and to learn and like try and listen to what our audience wants…but ultimately have fun?!? Because blogging should be fun!!
Oh Cait!! You crack me up but I donlove your suggestions!
I actually wrote a post a few months back about author interactions on social media inspired by an author I follow, used to love her books, and now I don’t.. so how to review her books since she follows me to…
I don’t Google ideas, but I try to come up with one in the show (yeahp I do my thinking there) and write them down. But on weeks that I can’t come up with an idea, I just let it go.. I’m pretty sure something will come up without me stressing over anything.
I do worry about being accused of copying, but since I write my own thoughts, I should be okay. Also, say I just read a discussion post that I absolutely want to talk about on my blog, I try to a) write it in a future blog post like maybe a minth later? not immediately after b) credit said blogger because I read the post and got the idea from her/him
You have given me other ideas tho, so THANK YOU CAIT! I think the best advice I got from this post is to bribe everyone with cake…
Btw, coconut cake is AMAZING! 🍰🍰🍰
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OH THANK YOU SO MUCH. <3 I'M GLAD YOU LIKED IT!!
ooh, that'd be awkward with that author. Eek. I find it hard to fall out of love with an author's work, tbh. Everyone assumes I still love a certain very famous series because I liked the first two books. But now I don't! And I'm constantly being expected to flail over it. #awkward 😂
And I do that with staggering things out too! Like if I want to talk about something I think is being talked about too much right now...I'll do it later. Crediting is good though, aaaalways good. 😜
ALL CAKE IS GOOD.
These are all fantastic tips, Cait. I totally agree that we don’t need to stress as much as we think about coming up with “original” ideas because the audience is constantly changing. As long as you have something new to say about a topic, why not say it?
Exactly! Our audiences are always going to be different and even if the topic is kinda “cliche” I often want to know what a blogger thinks about it anyway. I’m nosey. 😂
This post was so much needed. I’ve been struggling to organize my thoughts when it comes to discussion posts. Ideas but then I think they are not good enough or too small for a blog post. So thank you Cait. <3
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Oh oh I’m so glad it’s helpful!! YAYYYYY.
You’ve got some great suggestions in here! Most of my discussion posts lately have been about different kinds of things I see in fantasy books: like fae, or retellings, or assassins or whatever. I’ve been having a lot of fun doing it, and it’s a great way to give some recommendations with a theme 😀 I’ve also started writing more posts about writing and giving tips and tricks (which is SUPER intimidating because I do NOT think I have a lot of experience as a writer). So much about discussion posts is about putting yourself out there and just being true to YOU. If it’s honesty and halfway decently written, people will read it 🙂
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I LOVE your discussion posts!! I always enjoy reading them, btw. 😉 And your writing posts and tips are so on point omg, I envy your talent to write such clear and concise posts like that. I get asked for writing advice and I’m like “IDK WHAT I’M DOING”😂😂
And I think if people like you as a blogger, they’re probably going to enjoy your content no matter what. So that’s always great! 🎉🎉
Cait, you tips are really appreciated! I don’t have the courage to make a discussion post on my blog exactly because I always fear copying someone by accident and never believe my ideas are that good >.< Maybe someday? When I'm a bigger and fearless panda instead of a small baby panda? Ugh, this is hard!!
Oh I’m so glad!🎉🎉 But definitely don’t be scared to try writing discussions if you want to!! Like I said, it’s all been done anyway, it’s just about giving your twist/perspective on it.😉
*takes notes*
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*gives cake*
These are all super genius ideas! I definitely need to use some of these methods. Thanks! 😉
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YAYYYYY I’M GLAD YOU LIKED THE POST!😊😊
Ah, I don’t know anything. I have written posts about how NOT to come up with discussion topics. I have written about topics that I deemed fundamentally awful that no one should have had to read about. The other day I waited around for some inspiration to strike, but then I gave up. Because… I just couldn’t. It is really not fun when you have already written about all the things. I can’t even write about avocados because I don’t like them. Plus that would be stealing from you. You have already claimed avocado baby as your own… or something. See, I can’t even comment like a human anymore. I may do a tag this week because I seriously have no other plans, and blogging is HARD.
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Awwwwk, Shannon your posts are always AMAZING. You have such a good blogging voice and basically I flail when your posts come into my inbox. ❤️❤️ I AM JUST SPEAKING THE HONEST TRUTH HERE JUST SO YOU KNOW.
Wonderful post.
Thanks!
I don’t really write discussion, but this year I plan to write more of it, so I joined the discussion challenge 😀 It’s hard to find new original ideas to discuss, but I think even though the topic is different, each bloggers have their own opinion and perspective, which makes it fun to read. Also, books can give interesting discussion ideas. Like some of the books I read this year has given me so much ideas for discussions 😀
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Exactly! And I, personally, love knowing bloggers’ opinions even if the topic is considered “cliche”. Like heck yes we’ve all discussed love triangles to death, but I’ll still click on a discussion post about it. 😂😂 Good luck with your discussion writing!!
ACCURACY ON POINT, CAIT!! IN FACT, I’M GOING THROUGH A BLOGGING CRISIS RIGHT NOW! 😥 (sorry, Anj didn’t want to scream but she gets really excited when she wants to speak) I love to read anything: from book reviews to discussions but I adore reading reaction posts and reviews with gifs and avocados😉 and gifs and lots of sassy humour. This was hella useful and much needed!! THANK YOU, CAIT 🌌
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IT’S OKAY ALL CAPS IS MY LANGUAGE SO GO WILD, MY AVOCADO FRIEND.😂 I’m glad you liked the post!! It was tons of fun to write too haha.😂
❤😚
A a dragoncologist, I worry greatly about the dragons reading my posts. And Cait, I had no idea I was an AVACADO until today! I thought I was a caocao bean! Thank you so much for clearing that up.
Great post- love the GIFs.
I’M SORRY FOR GIVING YOU A LIFE CRISIS. Maybe you are a part-time avocado, part-time bean.
Man it’s been awhile since I commented on one of your posts!!! I didn’t die….my wifi just died for a whole week. Fun right?
I don’t actually do that many discussion posts (because they scare me. What if I accidentally start a comment war?! no thanks!) but recently I gathered up the courage to do one on rating books before they come out/before you’ve read them, and I enjoyed writing it SO much, I feel like I shall do another discussion post in the near future.
Your methods were super helpful, plus all those links to go through!
Probably my favourite type of post is book reviews. But that’s a recent thing. I used to HATE book reviewing, and enjoyed tags far more.
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No WiFi for a WEEK?!?! WHAT IS THIS. THE APOCALYPSE. *gives you cake for your suffering* 😂 And I’m glad you enjoyed doing that star-rating discussion post! Discussions aren’t for everyone and I always maintain you should blog what you want to blog about, but they can be tons of fun if you like doing them!!
This has nothing to do with your post, but I just wanted you to know that I’m definitely that “stray speckled alien” who’s reading your posts during my lunch break! 🙂
HELLO STRAY SPECKLED ALIEN!! IT’S SO NICE TO MEET YOU!! 😉
Discussion questions are a part of my job, but I really struggle with doing this on the blog. This was a great post and I think I might have a few ideas for approaching this now.
Oh thank you!! I’m glad it was helpful! *tosses cake of happiness at us all*
First, I want you to know that it’s okay if you’re an avocado. I love avocados. They’re delicious. (Not that I’d eat you. Well… are you an avocado? Hm. I’ll have to get back to you then.)
Second, HEEEYYYY! I wrote that OtB discussion post you linked to ages ago. So funny (and nice!) to see old posts like that still popping up here and there. My words have lived on without me :O
Third, I think the credit thing is so important. I think sometimes bloggers may overlook it “everyone has written a post about love triangles, why should I have to say who inspired this one?” but I think it’s such a great thing to do. No one looks at a blogger negatively for being inspired by someone else (as long as they don’t steal the content, of course) and you actually increase your chances of your post being shared if you link it to others and tag them! Sharing the blogging love is always good!
And fooorrrrttthhh, I’d say you pretty much have everything covered but I think looking at your old discussion posts is always a good idea too! You can choose to rewrite it if you think you didn’t do a good job or provide an update on how your thoughts have changed over the years or even read it to see if it inspires a different but related discussion with which you can link back to. It doesn’t always have to be something new; sometimes inspiration can be hiding right under you!
Anyways, great post (as always) and let me know for sure if you’re an avocado or not. For reasons…
DON’T EAT ME, ASTI. I’M TOO PRECIOUS FOR THAT. (Although tbh guacamole and corn chips though…like maybe cannibalism is an option….)
Omg!! That’s awesome!!😂 I’ve had that post of yours bookmarked for YEARS so basically you’re an incredible lifesaver. 😉
And I do think crediting is great! Although I kind of don’t think it’s necessary for like a post that is really common. Unless you’re, say, writing about love triangles because Other Blogger just did and you had all these thoughts…but otherwise, eh.😂 I’m flexible. But if in doubt: CREDIT IT!! I’ve had so many people “be inspired” by my posts/art and not credit and it’s really annoying as the creator.
Omg yes rewriting and updating! I can’t believe I forgot that. *facepalm* And the audience turnover is fast so no one’s going to remember if you want to revamp old posts hehe.
See, I love writing and reading discussion posts but I can never for the life of me think of any good prompts. So thank you for this post – these are some great tips and I’ll definitely try them out. 🙂
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Oooh, I’m glad this was helpful!! I always adore your posts, Zoe!!
I tend to do the most posts as reviews as I have such a hard time coming up with exactly what you talk about 😂😂.
That’s fair! It is kind of a skill to practise right!?? GOOD LUCK.😂
This post! This post, Cait! SO helpful! I am one of those people who really struggle to come up with non-review posts, and I may have been one of the people who has asked you in the past how you come up with your ideas. And this! Look at this! It’s a gold mine of advice! I am most definitely checking out those memes and looking on Pinterest. I’ll be seeing if I can work an instagram challenge prompt into a post, and I’ll try to be more inspired by what I’m reading. This is just wonderful, Cait! Thank you so much!
Ohhh, I’m glad this was helpful!! I’ve had people ask me this so much hahah, and I thought it was finally time to get my act together and actually write the post.😂
I guess I kinda have it easy with the whole “what the hell to talk about” with books, because no one IRL actually wants to listen to my rants (they are rants. very graceless.), so the internet is the poor, poor recipient.
Also, coconut cake is always a deal maker! I am easily bribed by food, especially cake!
The internet is great for book rants!😂 No one in my life talks about books either haha, except my smol niece and nephew and there are only so many conversations I’m willing to have about Elmer and Spot.😂
I love doing discussion posts. And I haven’t done many (any?) lately. You have inspired me to think of some going forward!
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Aww, I’m glad this was inspiring!! 🎉🎉 It was lots of fun to put together hehe.
sobbing forever because this is everything i need but I STILL CANNOT FIGURE OUT HOW TO DISCUSSION POST HELP ME CAIT.
or rather, i can think up post ideas but the actual writing is just me going “???????????????”
JUST START WRITING, ARA, AND PUT YOUR THOUGHTS OUT THERE!! YOU CAN DO IT!!
Isn’t it just the worst when you have a blog post idea but when you open up your document to start writing, you just blank out?
OR YOU HAVE THIS GREAT IDEA AND THEN FIVE MINUTES LATER WHEN YOU WANT TO TAKE IT DOWN YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN WHAT IT IS???
this is me right now Cait. what’s this “just write”???
Loved it!
Loved it!
The ideas are endless.
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I’m so glad you liked the post!! 🎉🎉 *sends you cake*
I love this! I’m someone who usually has lots of thoughts, so coming up with ideas is not a problem. But the more I’m blogging, I started to notice that a lot of times my ideas have been posted before I even started writing my post. Then I’m all, “Oh, someone did this already. Is there a point then?” But, that doesn’t mean that my opinions don’t count anymore. I can still contribute to the conversation and it shouldn’t stop me from writing what I’ve planned to or have been thinking about (sometimes for weeks, sometimes months). I do think though, it’s important to give the other blogger(s) credit if you read h/her post and got inspired to write something. It’s like you said, be a treasure hunter not a pirate, haha.
Thanks for including my post in this feature! x
Thank you for this – I mainly review books but have been starting to think maybe I need extra content – so I’m using your post as my leaping point for my research. So many things I could do – I’m trying to get more people than just my dad to comment on my work as well. Dad, I love you but I really need comments from other readers!