From Careers in New Media…
When I am talking New Media, one question that always arises is, “…but what do I have to say that people will be interested in?” That fact is, we all have something interesting to say. We just don’t take the time to recognize it for what it is. We let it slip away instead of turning it into the powerful new media it is.
Assignment #1: Capture your great ideas!
Everywhere you go, take notepad or journal. This is both your capture device and your reminder to be aware of opportunities to gather great ideas. The act of carrying it around, setting it on the table when you sit down at the cafe, putting it your bag is like tying a string to your finger or snapping a rubber band on your wrist.
Now, whenever you are talking with someone, be aware of when you and they are particularly enjoying the conversation. Are you laughing out loud? Are you ranting? Are you commiserating over some lost opportunity, job, lover?
Now, write down in your journal the topic of your conversation. It doesn’t have to be a detailed reconstruction of the conversation, just a quick line noting the topic and perhaps why it was so interesting.
Before you know it, you will have a whole series of pre-vetted ideas for blog posts, audio podcasts, videos and even books. You already know these topics are interesting to you and at least one other person, so you can turn them into something more without worrying about whether they are interesting enough — a common pitfall of folks just getting started in New Media.
Do you accept my assignment? Start doing it today! Share your stories about how it works for you as comments here on the blog of on the New Media Interchange Community site. I’d love to hear what your are capturing and how this tip works for you.
New Media Interchange 
Doug,
I have a standard notebook that I carry with me all the time. I also have a primary notebook for songwriting – again, with me at most times. But in addition, I keep a small notepad with a pen in each car and in my bag.
Then, if I find myself without the two primary notepads, I can capture ideas.
Finally, because of the hazards of writing while driving, something I have done before, I also purchased a small digital recorder. I’ve used that digital recorder to write entire songs – once I wrote two while driving between Phoenix and Los Angeles.
Eventually, I consolidate all ideas – weekly going into my notebooks and taking the most salient ideas and writing them in a Google Document, so they can be searched for later retrieval.
The most important thing you can do is make it easy to capture ideas. When you do, I believe your subconscious allows for more ideas to be generated.