I usually don’t know what I’m going to write about in this blog until I sit down in front of my computer. I go through my list of ideas, my RSS feeds from other blogs, and articles I’ve saved for later reading in Instapaper and Evernote. I read and skim, looking for ideas. Sometimes the topic grabs me right away, sometimes it hides and won’t come out until I’ve had more coffee.

This morning, I thought about you sitting in front of your computer wondering what you should write about. You may have begun the new year resolving to write one or two blog posts per week and you’re already falling behind. I’ve been there too, and it’s not a good feeling.

But I also know there is a never-ending supply of topics you can write about, even if at times they elude you. I’ve written before about how to find ideas for your blog or newsletter, and today I’ve created a checklist you can keep and use as memory jogger. As you read the list you’re bound to get some ideas for specific posts. Write down those ideas and pick one you can write today.

This is not something I spent a lot of time researching or thinking about. I just started writing. It is by no means exhaustive. If you have any suggestions for things I missed, or topic categories that you’ve found helpful, please let our readers know in the comments.

Blog and newsletter article categories:

• News (You, your firm, your clients, your client’s industry, the law, procedural matters)
• How to (DIY/Small claims, hire an attorney, find a good cpa/insurance agent)
• Educate (Liability, claims, value, process, timing, legal terms, issue spotting, legal history, FAQ’s)
• Predict (Trends, statistics, results)
• Ask (Polls, comments, referrals, information, like/tweet, blog topics, suggestions, feedback, testimonials)
• Comment (Other blogs, articles, news, trends, world affairs)
• Advice (Fact patterns/situations–yours, other lawyers, hypos)
• Recommend (Vendors, products, web sites, services, books)
• Invite (Seminars, live events, webinars, parties)
• Promote (Charities, causes, local candidates)
• Share (Stories, humor, articles, tweets, ideas, opinion)
• Offer (Your services, freebies, discounts, information)

Oh, and don’t forget, a blog post can be a few paragraphs. It’s not the length of the material, it’s the quality. Five quick tips or even three, an intro and closing paragraph, and you’re done. If you find yourself on a role and you write 15 tips, you might have a series of several posts you could do.

My best advice is to start writing. Say something, even if it isn’t timeless prose. Find an article you read this morning or yesterday that you liked, say why you liked it (or didn’t). Or, take one the points from the article and use it as the starting point for your own.

Another thing you can do is put your key words (or those for your client’s industry) into a search engine and see what comes up. Careful, though. You might find yourself wandering off for an hour, reading other blogs instead of writing your own.