PRBreakfastClub

Social comments and analytics for this post…

This post was mentioned on Twitter by AllieMcKenna: Just commented on @KOttavio’s #prbc post! Where do you find inspiration for blog posts? http://bit.ly/8HXSnR...

Remind me never to tick you off…I don't want to be immortalized in a blog that way!

Love the post Kate! I have an abundance of post-its all over my planner, my desk, my lap top…my car. When inspiration strikes, I can't rely on my memory so I write it down. When I was a reporter I would write down key words to trigger my feelings again and it usually works. But I know how you feel, sometimes I'm full of inspiration and then I have my dry spells too.

A lot of times my inspiration comes from TV (I guess when you watch a lot it happens). And then, I write the idea down, get distracted and cant remember anything…I also get jazzed from reading the WSJ media and marketing section…

Kate, I hear ya! My muse seems to be on an eternal roller coaster. Flashes of brilliant ideas (at least at the time they seem brilliant) come for short periods of time separated by a huge drop and long periods of blaaa. But then when I least expect it, I'll hear a radio interview, pass scenery, or remember some great idea I've stored in my MS Word vault, and the muse returns. Voicing your opinion with passion is not a bad thing, we all need to let it out once in a while. Regards, Scott

Haha, oh Mike, Kate isn't THAT scary.

A lot of my blog post ideas come from real-life conversations. I think it's easier to write out your thoughts on a topic after a discussion. 90% of my posts are a direct result of talking to Stina or my boss!

Aww. Would you say Stina is your muse, Teej?

I'm not all THAT scary

I totally have to write them down when I first think of new ideas…or they are long gone! Ha!

Writers block is the worst. I will sometimes take Kerouac's stream of conscientiousness approach and write anything that comes to mind and see if that sparks anything.

Copyblogger.com had a good suggestion today on this topic: http://www.copyblogger.com/quotations-for-bloggers/

Kate as we discussed, anger is a good thing. It's just not letting it show during work hours (I am not good at this either). In posting blogs I look for something that moves me either in a positive or negative way and have taken out those frustrations on the writing and the occasional anger source – looking at you USPS & YellowBook.

I also carry a notebook with me to jot story ideas down and expand upon them when thoughts come to me which also helps keep you a number of posts ahead if you are in a cheery and non-pissed moods.

I am her muse for things that annoy her probably

And Mike, Kate can be that scary just not all the time

I'll avoid the scary issue for my own well being .

As far as finding inspiration – lots of different ways for me

1) Force myself – sit down w/ pen, paper and not leave until there's something on paper I can work with later

2) Ask a non-trade person what they think of a certain topic, get the outsider's opinion – we can all get a little jaded.

3) Drink (no, seriously) or get so exhausted you're not thinking straight – those little tangents we all go on in those states can provide a new avenue for discussion or a subtopic that hasn't been explored yet.

4) Same as #1, but add in a dictionary – open to a page, pick a word (may need to be done a few times to work) and see how you can make it relate to the topic you're writing on. You can end up with headlines like “How client relations is like parenthood” but it gets the ball rolling.

You fell victim to one of the classic blunders, the most famous of which is never get involved in a land war in Asia, but only slightly less well-known is this: Never go against a Sicilian when DEATH is on the line!

(Sorry, couldn't resist)