I’ve Written 270+ Days In A Row — Here’s My Secret To Endless Idea Generation
Over 117,500 word written without a single article generated by AI
Writing streak: 270 days.
I’ve written 83 long-form articles, hundreds of Substack Notes, and over 117,500 words without a single article being written by AI.
Here’s everything I’ve learned about idea generation to erase the blinking cursor and make daily content creation a breeze.
I’m not a writer by trade.
I almost failed English in high school.
My teacher took me by the shoulder and effectively told me to get my shit together or I wouldn’t graduate.
I’m not formally trained and don’t write for my day job. Writing and content creation were birthed out of the necessity of building a personal brand and growing my online business. So it needed to be quick and effective.
I’ve gone from scratching my head thinking about what to create to having more content written and scheduled than I know what to do with.
Here’s a screenshot of my content queue in Notion, stuff waiting to be posted.
It starts with the seed of an idea.
Knowing how to write isn’t enough.
To beat the blinking cursor you need to know what to write about.
Creating an endless stream of ideas has produced results I never imagined possible. I went viral on Substack, twice, and I’ve made $38,897.55 from my writing this year alone.
I don’t have a magical system that I’ve created.
My secret is that I constantly curate wisdom from those around me and have built a library of resources I can lean on when I need it.
I’ve assembled this over years of studying writing (and writers) and 2 decades of working as a marketer and refining my practices.
Today, I will share my library of idea-generation resources with you.
I hope you find it as valuable as I have.
Let’s dive in.
#1: The Stream Of Consciousness
Let the ideas flow.
Some of my best (and most viral) posts were a stream of consciousness. A thought dropped in, I wrote, and I posted. Hundreds of followers followed.
Substack Notes are great for this. The ability to post plain text, images, or videos without character length restrictions allows us to post as much or as little as we’d like.
Sometimes the best thing we can do is get out of the way and let the creation process happen without overthinking it.
#2: The AI Second Brain
Your new research assistant.
I don’t recommend having AI write your content outright. But it can be incredibly helpful when it comes to generating ideas, creating outlines, reviewing and editing your content, or even overcoming that dreading blinking cursor.
I use ChatGPT and NotebookLM (almost) daily.
In section 4 I had a quote on the tip of my tongue but couldn’t find the words. ChatGPT helped me out.
In the final section, I wanted to write about the incubation period. I used ChatGPT to confirm the steps involved.
Sometimes I will drop in articles, emails, or ads and ask how they can be improved. It’s feedback can be pretty damn good.
You can use AI as your second brain — Like a research assistant or coach.
There are now several studies showing how AI increases productivity, increases work quality, and even reduces skill inequalities, some show that even without prompt training it provides improvements.
While better and more advanced prompting will provide improved and more tailored outputs (better input better output) the sheer fact of using AI is beneficial to many.
I recommend this as a starting point.
Give it a persona.
Feed ChatGPT the details of your target market/ideal customer.
Who they are.
The problems they’re experiencing.
The outcomes they’re looking to achieve.
AKA Your avatar.
Feed ChatGPT details about you.
What you do.
Who you help.
Your unique experiences.
Your unique credentials or accomplishments.
Bonus: Give it examples.
Begin asking it questions.
Evaluate the response, and continue asking clarifying questions.
OpenAI (creators of ChatGPT) outline the importance of giving clear instructions.
Treat it like a research assistant or an intern. If you asked them to generate ideas, what information would they need to provide you exactly what you need? Treat ChatGPT the same.
If you want to do a deep dive into prompt engineering I might recommend checking these resources and publications out.
Matt Giaro (Free)
Write With AI (Paid)
#3: The Supportive Software
Sandwiched between ‘The AI Second Brain’ and ‘Model What Works’ because these idea-generators are closely linked but highly nuanced.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
One of the most common questions is “What should I write about?” While this can be developed through in-depth research and planning or using the other resources in this guide, sometimes we’re just stuck.
Here are a few free resources I like to lean on.
Google’s “People also ask”
Typeshare.
A writing tool created by Nicolas Cole. They provide top-performing post structure templates and a newly launched ‘Content Strategy’ tool that can take a few keywords and build a 3-month content calendar for you.
UberSuggest (Paid)
An SEO tool by Neil Patel. Like many SEO tools, they are designed to provide you with ideas of content that will rank in search engines. They typically show search volume (intent) and competition levels. Now, most of these aren’t free but Neils gives you 1 free search to try it (at the time of writing).
https://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest/
AnswerThePublic.
Another tool by Neil Patel and a personal favorite. It uses queries from Google, Bing, YouTube, Amazon, and TikTok to tell you exactly what people are searching for and asking based on your niche or keywords. You can generate 100s of ideas in seconds.
Google’s “People also ask”
Head to the largest search engine in the world and type in your question, keyword, or niche. For most searches, Google now displays a “People also ask” section showing common questions from Googlers. This in addition to Google’s autocomplete feature can open up content ideas you may have previously missed.
Note: There are plenty of tools available. The tools listed here are free and one’s that I have personally used.
#4: Model What Works
Success leaves clues.
We can find ideas and inspiration from what’s been proven to work.
This is done all the time we’re just applying it to content. How many viral TikTok videos use the same trending audio? How many viral memes use the same image or quote? Even Coke vs Pepsi or Instagram Stories vs Snapchat stories.
When it comes to content we can model what works.
Topics.
Questions.
Concept/style.
Structures and layout.
We can audit popular websites.
Quora.
Reddit.
Medium.
YouTube.
Pinterest.
Evaluate the top content or posts and see if they lead to a spark of inspiration where we can apply our own unique perspective and experience.
(This is also great for market research)
We can also analyze other creators.
Kleo for LinkedIn.
Tweet Hunter X (formally Twemex) for X.
These two Google Chrome extensions will show you someone’s top view/like/shared posts when you visit their profile.
We don’t copy. We seek inspiration. You quickly find that many of the most shared posts on platforms like LinkedIn and X have similar topics, structures, hooks, and formats and begin leveraging them yourself.
(From my experiences similar styles of content work well on Substack Notes)
Maybe they are talking about mistakes they would have avoided, or using a specific structure in their post, and you can model it.
As Austin Kleon says in Steal Like an Artist, “Nothing is original.”
Creativity begins with borrowing from those who came before. The key is to transform it into something of our own.
#5: Create A Content Flywheel
Every post is data.
When my posts generate likes, comments, and restacks I pay close attention. These insights form the foundation of my content flywheel.
Here are 8 ways to create a content flywheel:
Watch your data.
Expand proven topics.
Double down on what works.
Turn short-form posts into long-form.
Turn long-form posts into short-form posts.
Turn impactful statements into images.
Use comments and DMs as a source for future content.
Turn top-performing content, topics, or series’ into opt-ins and products.
Every piece of content can be the foundation of the next. And over time you begin creating more of what people want because you’re creating based on analytical insights.
Some of my best articles were first thoughts shared as a Note or short-form post.
Your next idea may be staring at you right now.
How I Planned 5 Substack Posts While Walking To Starbucks — Overcome Writer’s Block In 3 Easy Steps
#6: Building In Public
Content is everywhere.
Every problem you solve becomes a lesson you can teach.
Every roadblock you overcome becomes a story you can tell.
Every day is filled with inspiration, all you need to do is pay attention.
Sometimes the antidote to a well run dry of ideas is doing more stuff. Almost all of my content comes from my lived experiences and the private clients I work with.
The businesses I’ve run and lessons learned.
The time I spent living as a digital nomad.
The projects I’m building.
The private clients I’m working with.
If you can shift into a space where you’re thinking about content you’re going to start evaluating situations differently. You’ll see how everything can become a story to tell or a post to write.
This exact post came from a question a friend asked me. Meta, right?
He was starting on Substack and his biggest question to me was “What do I write about?” I am now writing a 2,500-word article to answer his question which is also a guide I’m sharing with you.
Here is a sample of things I turn into content.
DMs I get.
Questions from clients.
Comments I get more than one.
Problems my clients are running into.
Problems that I’m personally experiencing.
Things I’m actively working on/building/or testing.
You can derive a lesson from almost any experience if you get crafty enough.
I’m into Espresso. I bought a machine and I’m working on mastering the perfect Americano for my wife. I was wondering if 18g of bean tasted better than 16g. I turned this into a post about the importance of running split tests.
Don’t be afraid to share the journey.
Authenticity might be the spice your content needs.
#7: When In Doubt — Repurpose
Yes, it’s as simple as it sounds.
It's been said that less than 10% of your followers see your posts.
You can repost something and 90+% of people will never have seen it. For them, it’s a brand-new post. For the rest? They either won’t remember, won’t notice, or won’t care.
Here are 3 ways I like to repurpose content:
Remix.
Repost.
Promote your back catalog.
Remix.
This is similar to #5: Create A Content Flywheel.
Let your (good) posts inspire new posts by creating micro-variations.
Same post, different hook.
Same post, with/without image.
Same image, different caption.
Shorter/longer.
Pull quotes/impactful statements out.
Etc.
You get the idea — Variations.
Micro-adjustments take considerably less time and effort than new and original content.
Repost.
Each week I review my content.
Posts that performed above average I save to repost in the future. On LinkedIn, I’ve been able to use my top-performing posts (without changes) multiple times while getting similar reach and engagement each time.
These are new to anyone who didn’t see it or who’s started following since you last posted it.
Promote your back catalog.
Imagine this.
If you subscribe to a podcast with 800 episodes, what are the odds you’ll listen to episode 12?
What if they posted it tomorrow as “Last year’s most downloaded episode”?
If you started following me yesterday, chances are you will never see anything I posted more than 2-3 weeks ago. And I’ve posted almost 100 articles and 100s of Notes.
Don’t let your content get lost to time.
Don’t be afraid to resurface your older content.
#8: Question Everything
Be curious.
Tony Robbins has said that the quality of your life is determined by the quality of the questions you ask.
Well, our content follows a similar path.
The quality of your content is determined by the quality of your questions.
Spend 30 minutes and ask yourself thought-provoking questions and brain-dump everything onto paper or a Google Doc.
Things to explore:
Your experiences.
Things you’ve done.
Things you’re working on.
The wisdom you can pass on.
Things you’ve accomplished (or accomplished for others).
Think both personally and professionally.
Nicolas Cole and Dickie Bush use something called “The 2-Year Test”.
And my friend and copywriter Alex McMahon asked me “What would the you of today want to tell the you of 2-3 years ago.”
Try asking yourself:
What things would you tell “the you” of 2-3 years ago?
What lessons have you learned that you can teach others?
What knowledge have you acquired that you can teach someone?
Get the juices flowing by applying this to:
Myths.
Quick tips.
Personal stories.
Common mistakes.
Common questions.
Step-by-step how-to’s.
If you push yourself you can come up with dozens or even 100s of ideas.
Sometimes the easiest thing to do is imagine you're reaching your hand back to help your audience 2-3 steps behind you instead of making content for yourself.
The moments in between.
Great ideas cannot be forced.
You may have noticed that ideas rarely come when we’re staring at a blank page desperately seeking virality.
They drop in when we’re in the shower.
Walking the dog.
Or in the car for hours on a road trip.
Ideas don’t happen when we’re working. They happen in the moments between.
In the field of psychology and neuroscience, this is broken down into the following phases:
Preparation.
Incubation.
Illumination.
Verification.
Preparation.
This is the stage where you gather information, explore ideas, and immerse yourself in the problem or task at hand. It involves conscious effort to understand and analyze the situation.
Incubation.
In this phase, you step away from the problem or task, allowing your subconscious mind to work on it without direct focus. This period can range from a few moments to days or even weeks.
Illumination.
Often described as the "Aha!" moment, this is when a new idea or solution suddenly comes to you, usually after the incubation period. It’s the moment of insight where connections form, and creativity manifests.
Verification.
This final stage involves evaluating, refining, and testing the idea or solution.
Creating content ideas is led by brainstorming in the preparation phase. But we must acknowledge the moments in between — The incubation period — where our subconscious mind can noodle away and bring ideas forward.
Nothing kills creativity faster than poor sleep, or burnout.
This is why creative minds prioritize rest.
Wrapping up.
There you have it, friend.
My entire idea-generating library of resources.
Here’s a summary of what we covered.
The Stream Of Consciousness
The AI Second Brain
The Supportive Software
Model What Works
Create A Content Flywheel
Building In Public
When In Doubt — Repurpose
Question Everything
The Moments In Between
I truly hope this can become a playbook you can use, save, and leverage to create an endless stream of ideas for your work.
Landon
This was a great read. I am looking forward to writing with these tips as inspiration for guidance.
What great stuff Landon - really helpful.
I have a question:
if you read a post like this and you want to keep it as a reference guide, how do you keep track of it?
I find my self not being able to locate something I really liked later.
Or I end up with a ton of stuff and can't find what I'm looking for.
Thanks,
Michael