Writing is tough.
Exploring ideas for writing doesn't come easy.
Whether you are a published writer or used to write and want to continue, you need at least one good topic with creative thoughts and ideas.
An excellent way to find "new" material is to search for and read old notebooks, journals, diaries or even ancient computer files where you jotted down or typed ideas from years ago.
That old material might give you enough inspiration to finish a good story.
As you read through those old pages you should be thinking: Is this material I could use to publish a book, a magazine, newspaper article or, even a blog? Reading your old musings enables you to find great ideas from your own words, sentences, paragraphs, outlines, personal stories, poetry, opinions, old papers you wrote in high school or college, or letters you wrote or received.
They might jar memories that include incomplete thoughts, ideas you gave up on, or feelings that turned your emotions in different directions.
Those unfinished works might become prompts that could help you flesh out more ideas.
Before you know it, you will have an outline of a potentially publishable piece.
To write publishable material, here are some thoughts you need to consider: 1.
Can I recycle my old ideas into a published work? This is certainly what you should hope for.
You need to do a lot of rethinking, rewriting and tinkering with spelling and punctuation marks.
2.
Are your ideas relevant today? Let's say you wrote about fixing your 1985 computer that ran on DOS or, the new fashion designs for dresses in 1991.
You might want to mark an "X" over them.
3.
Read magazines and books on a regular basis.
Reading gives you ideas for expanding those old journal entries.
Besides, to become a good writer, it's important to read a lot.
Reading strengthens your language skills, increases creativity and fortifies grammar.
4.
Proofread your old completed essays.
This is crucial to revising, so they will be presentable for publication.
5.
In your journals, was there anything interesting you wrote that jumps out at you? 6.
Write all of your new ideas down in a fresh new notebook or journal and keep it with you in case you think of more.
Don't rely on your memory all of the time.
Keeping a journal is an important way to preserve old ideas, thoughts, and memories.
Whether you are a published author or a less seasoned one, reading what you wrote a while ago can be an excellent source of creative ideas that are publishable.
After all, many famous and non-famous writers kept journals for jotting down ideas that worked themselves into published material.
As prolific Scottish author, Sara Sheridan wrote, "To me, reading through old letters and journals is like treasure hunting.
Somewhere in those faded, handwritten lines there is a story that has been packed away in a dusty old box for years.
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