Writing Prompt #1: Think of the things you DO have and write about them. For example, maybe you don’t have much money and/or no one is responding to your pitches. So what should you do? Fret about it? Waste of energy! Instead, use your free time to take inventory and then write them down in your blog. This inventory can help remind yourself and your readers who you are and what you do, and perhaps attract new readers who are searching your particular keywords. You may opt to “stick this post to the front page” (check the box next to the Visibility option on the right hand nav in your admin).

Writing Prompt #2: Now, let’s build on the previous writing prompt. You’ve got your inventory, now how about writing a separate blog post about each of those items in your inventory? Expand on each item by adding research from online articles, quotes from previous clients, a flickr or lightbox photo gallery that illustrates this particular item in your inventory, and if you’re really feeling inspired, use your web cam to make a video of yourself talking about that item by creating a free account on Ustream.tv (or you can use YouTube, if you know how to edit a video and upload it).

Writing Prompt #3: If your already exhausted from prompts #1 and #2, you may want to have a guest blogger write about your particular inventory items. It should preferably be someone who has first-hand experience with your inventory. Having someone else’s opinion helps you add things you didn’t consider, or delete things that shouldn’t have been published for public consumption. You are also building a relationship with this other blogger, and this will both of you increase traffic to both your sites.

Writing Prompt #4: You’ve got quite a lot of content now, so post each blog entry to your Facebook or Twitter account so that your friends, family and colleagues can check them out if they are interested. But don’t post them all at once. Milk this time so that you can rest before you get to the next writing prompt.

Writing Prompt #5: Open up a Paypal account so you can charge for your inventory now – whether they are products or services. Sure, you are counting on banner ads and affiliate marketing to make you money, but this is your opportunity to create other potential revenue streams you never thought about before embarking on this series of writing prompts.

Writing Prompt #1: What were you doing in 1985? If you were a kid watching cartoons, and you have a blog about politics, maybe you could write about the political structure of the Smurf society. If you are a veteran journalist, perhaps you can pull a story from that year and follow up on the people you interviewed. If you were born in 1985 or after, do a Google search for that year and write about whatever results come up from your own brilliant point of view.

Writing Prompt #2: Look outside your window or sit at a busy cafe and write what you see. Blogger Clayton Littlewood transcribed the dramatic antics of the colorful characters outside his shop window and landed himself a book deal.

Writing Prompt #3: Write about something you need to learn. The speed of the Internet has made it so that we have to learn something new on an almost daily basis. For example, this blog post was composed entirely on WordPress for iPhone and working out the bugs will be our next blog post, so stay tuned!

Writing Prompt #4: Answer someone’s question. Let’s say you’re an expert golfer and you teach a golfing class, but people in your social circles keep asking for free advice on their golf swings. Kill a couple of birds with one stone by writing a blog post that gives enough information to satisfy the inquiring minds, but holding out on some tips so that they might take the next step in signing up for your class (and if they don’t, at least they increased your blog traffic).

Writing Prompt #5: Visit your favorite news web site and respond to today’s top story. This is a no-brainer and the number-one prompt for the majority of blogs out there. Just be sure you have a unique point of view, otherwise you may get lost in the mix.

These prompts should get you going, and if they don’t, stay tuned for more writing prompts, right here on the Hostwire blog.