The Reluctant Expert
Posted on 21 September 2007 by Sharon
Being able to write about a variety of topics can be both a blessing and a curse.
It’s a blessing, because you will never run out of freelance writing work. When other writers are experiencing a slump, you will be able to turn to one of several subjects and continue to turn our polished copy so that you get paid regularly. It’s a curse, because you might turn out to be very good at writing on a topic that you aren’t that interested in.
Every freelance writer has topics that they love to write about. They could write about them forever and always find something new to say. Then there are the other topics, where after a while they start to feel jaded, as if there’s nothing more left to say about this particular topic. It’s not burnout, exactly, just topic burnout.
However, if clients are hiring you to write about an area of expertise, then you need to get over this fast, and find some sources of inspiration to freshen up your ideas. Here are a few to be going on with:
- Try talking to someone who knows nothing about the topic and see what questions they ask. This might suggest some new angles for you to write about.
- Track the conversations on Technorati and the social networking sites to see whether there are new blog posts on the topic.
- Read the paper. Not all your sources of research have to be on the internet.
- Take a break and give yourself permission to write on another topic when this job is done. Knowing you can relax will make it easier to get through the temporary slump, and time writing on other subjects might suggest new ways of exploring your source of reluctant expertise.
What do you do when you get tired of writing on a particular topic? Drop me a comment and let me know.
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Tags | get paid to write, writing, writing business, writing career
September 21st, 2007 at 1:00 pm
Wonderful advice, Sharon. Last year I had to write 15,000 words in one month on the subject of colon cleansing. I had been writing about 6000 words a month for about 6 months already and didn’t know if I could do it. I really struggled to write original articles and did take a break after that big assignment was done but I wish I’d had this post to refer to then. You have some great ideas for finding fresh material here!!
Dana
September 21st, 2007 at 1:33 pm
That is really difficult, Dana. I had a similar challenge with 150 500 word articles about mortgages. It was hard to keep it fresh, but taking a break and tapping into new sources just about enabled me to complete the project - and I didn’t get any rejected, either
September 21st, 2007 at 2:31 pm
Great tips Sharon! I recently accepted a long term assignment that was in the same topic as my PLR content site. It was hard to come up with fresh topics for both my client and myself. My site suffered as a consequence, and then client and I ended up parting ways. I’m still burnt out in that topic area, but hopefully I’ll get some more ideas by following your advice.
September 21st, 2007 at 5:36 pm
Thanks, Courtney. We need to do something for inspiration, that’s for sure. Google News is another source I sometimes use.
September 21st, 2007 at 6:30 pm
Google news is a great idea. I also like changing countries for a different perspective. Google.co.uk is great for a switch over google.com or google.ca
September 21st, 2007 at 6:37 pm
Great suggestion, Dana. I often swap between US and UK versions of Google, but there are lots more locations to choose from.
September 22nd, 2007 at 1:25 pm
this is a great topic and one that every writer can relate to. There are time in every freelance writers life when you get tired of writing about a certain subject. I am a qualified nutritional therapist and for months on end I would write about herbs, diets, healthy foods, etc., and there were times when I found myself getting frustrated and tired of writing about the same thing over and over again. Trying to come up with unique articles was becoming difficult as you can imagine. To compensate I began taking assignments on completely different subjects in order to keep my brain functioning. Being knowledgeable in a subject has its advantages. For one there is very little research required. It does however have its disadvantages too and if you specialize in a certain subject you can get bored very quickly. I learned this the hard way but am happy to say that by venturing into the extremes such as adult content and finance I have found a way to keep my brain active and learn a great deal too. I guess in my situation being an expert in nutrition is great but you still need to keep your brain active and alert and this is where learning about new subjects helps.
Amanda
http://www.ghostwritinguncovered.com
September 22nd, 2007 at 10:14 pm
Good suggestion about trying new topics, Amanda. If you’re a skilled writer, then this can give you the boost you need.
September 23rd, 2007 at 2:18 pm
It’s a great example of why I gave up ghostwriting articles for websites. I had as much work as I could handle, but some of the topics were mind numbing. Not only that, but once I’ve written a few articles on a topic I’ve probably said all I need to say. If someone wants 25 articles for their blog or website, I’m scraping for ideas after ten.
September 23rd, 2007 at 5:05 pm
Yes, it can be hard to keep finding inspiration, but I suppose the paycheck provides some incentive, Terry.
October 3rd, 2007 at 9:06 pm
Reading blogs is also a fantastic way to reinspire your favorite topics. Reading about other topics can give you ideas as well. Blending two seemingly unrelated topics can enliven a new focus for your writing and capture the interest of both marketing categories if done creatively.
I’ve yet to run out of interesting things to write about in my ‘expert’ categories. It’s easier to broaden the focus. Writing about writing has so many sub-categories that (so long as you aren’t ONLY writing about writing) you could constantly find fresh, new insights and ideas to cover. I’ve found it’s the same for all of the categories I write.
If I start feeling pressed for ideas then it’s time to learn something new, study a new topic and become an expert for that one too.
October 3rd, 2007 at 9:27 pm
That’s quite true, Rebecca. I subscribe to a LOT of writing blogs, as well as blogs about blogging and other topics and they often give me new ideas. I also get inspired by talking to other writers.
November 10th, 2007 at 12:31 am
I write about a normally unrelated topic and then figure out how to relate it. Of course, I don’t claim to be a writer and I do not have to please anyone but myself.
November 12th, 2007 at 2:37 pm
Sometimes that works, James, when the creative juices are flowing. Thanks for stopping by.