Look no further than the telephone for your next article or blog post idea.

It’s your client calling

For instance, imagine that your favourite client is calling in later today for a meeting with you. What topic do you secretly hope that she or he will want some guidance about?

Oh, I know – it’s the client’s agenda that counts, and all of that. But look deep and notice what topics feel more exciting to you than others because you can’t WAIT to hear what comes out of your mouth when you talk about it.

Write about that!

It’s your long-lost relative calling

Of course, the inevitable question, "So, what are you doing these days?"

When you gave your answer, what new points of clarity did you notice when you were invited to explain your business to someone outside of your niche group?

Where was the "juice" or excitement when you described the specific problems that you help your clients to solve?

It’s your best friend calling

Here’s another call you may have had. You took your "coach hat" off and you were just having a casual chat with your best friend. What brilliant ideas or solutions did you offer for a problem they were facing?

Quick Writing Prompt: Think back to one of those conversations or imagine a future conversation, and capture those gems in writing!

A client asked me to do some research into storytelling as a writing tool, and I started with the book "Never be Boring Again" by Doug Stevenson.

I had remembered Doug because I’d subscribed to his email newsletter years back, and I always liked what he had to say.

Though the focus of the book is on public speaking, and specifically business presentations, I found a lot in here that I plan to use in my writing projects – both for myself and for clients:

1. I’ve added "website for more great resources about storytelling.

If you're hesitant to put your thoughts down into an article, special report or e-book, it might be because there's a voice inside of you saying, "Who do you think you are, some kind of expert? Hah!"

I know this situation intimately, since that same thought or one like it pops into my head at least once a day.

It's called the Imposter Syndrome and it can be extremely self-limiting to your success. The good news? You can face these thoughts and talk back to them.

Here are five things to remember when the imposter syndrome sets in:

1. You can't be wrong if you're sharing something you've experienced personally.
2. For any given topic, you'll always know more than some people and less than some people.
3. The people who seem the most confident are sometimes the most afraid.
4. No one expects you to be perfect.
5. You can trust yourself more than you think, so watch out for the temptation to put other "experts" on pedestals and hand over your decisions to them.

Quick Writing Prompt: If the Imposter Syndrome is keeping you from putting pen to paper, talk back to that inner voice and write about something you've experienced personally – remember, you can't be wrong!

1. There's no point. Is there a clear focus to your article, or is it just a rambling of opinions and ideas? Using the structure of a Top 10 list should help.

2. There's no space. Is there enough white space for the reader in between ideas? A good rule of thumb is four lines maximum per paragraph. If you're publishing an HTML newsletter with a sidebar, that could be as few as one or two sentences!

3. There's no discretion. Oh my goodness!!! Are you overusing exclamation marks? If it's really that important, tell us why! Otherwise you're just distracting your reader.

4. There's no reader. Are you talking AT your reader or TO them? Ask them questions, use the word "you," and take a conversational tone in your writing. Try reading your articles out loud as you write; imagine a client is listening.

5. There's no end. Do your sentences tend to run on and on? Don't make it hard work to read your articles, or your readers won't stay with you. Write clearly and your ideas will be read, understood and shared.

6. There's no action. Do you let your reader off the hook with passive language? Pull them in by using lots of action words for things they should do, or to describe things you or others have already done.

7. There's no logic. Are you confusing your reader by combining too many points in the same paragraph? Use a clear and concise structure to separate your ideas.

8. There's no match. What is the focus of your list? If it's problem-focused, or a "don't" list (Top 10 mistakes, Top 10 symptoms, etc.), then that's what the header of each point should be. If it's solution-focused, or a "do" list (Top 10 ways to, Top 10 tips, etc.), then ALL of your list items should reflect that.

9. There's no magic. Do your list item titles (mini-headlines) stand out and attract attention? Choose a similar short phrase or keyword for each, rather than a full sentence. Make each mini-headline approximately the same length.

10. There's no invitation. Have you ever heard Andrea Lee say, "A confused mind always says no"? In the Author Resource box at the end of your article, make it clear which ONE action you'd like the reader to take – preferably to visit your website and sign-up for your free gift.

Quick Writing Prompt: Print this post and use it as a checklist when you're editing your next Top 10 article. Make sure you haven't made any of these mistakes!

Note: This article was edited on July 26, 2008 to conform with The Customizable Style Guide for Coaches Who Write.