Call a friend, tell them what's on your mind, and jot down the interesting remarks you both make. That'll generate talking points to write from.If you're passionate about an idea but you lack the interesting insights, you need to consume before you produce: Read blogs and books on your topic, highlight interesting parts, and bank good ideas to pull from when writing your first draft.

I have two shortcuts for finding topics you're passionate about:The problems that bug you — To identify your strong opinions, consume other people's opinions (via Twitter, editorials, and conversations) and note when you strongly disagree with them. Then sit yourself down, crack open a laptop, and argue your position while you feel the drive.The fun stories you tell — Readers love being privy to vulnerable stories from your life. Take a story you'd excitedly tell a best friend over dinner and write it down with as many cliffhangers as possible.

Start with your objectiveBefore writing, choose an objective to focus your thinking.

First, choose your topicThe best topic to write about is the one you can’t not write about. It’s the idea bouncing around your head that urges you to get to the bottom of it.You can trigger this state of mind with a two-part trick. First, choose an objective for your article:Open people’s eyes by proving the status quo wrong.Articulate something everyone’s thinking about but no one is saying. Cut through the noise.Identify key trends on a topic. Use them to predict the future.Contribute original insights through research and experimentation.Distill an overwhelming topic into something approachable. (This guide.)Share a solution to a tough problem.Tell a suspenseful and emotional story that imparts a lesson.Now pair that objective with a motivation:Does writing this article get something off your chest?Does it help reason through a nagging, unsolved problem you have?Does it persuade others to do something you believe is important?Do you obsess over the topic and want others to geek out over it too?That’s all that's needed: Pair an objective with a motivation. Now you have something to talk about.