Cover Photo by Alex Loup on Unsplash (adapted)
I hope they’ll inspire you for your next article
Now that I’m a full-time writer, I have to step up my game when it comes to headlines. As you might already know, a solid headline is what makes or breaks your articles.
So, one important habit I’ve recently started is to come up with 10 new headlines daily. It has only been a week and already I feel like I’m getting better at it.
In this article, I’ll share 31 I feel have potential and are original, yet I likely never will find the time to expand on. The most articles I’ll ever be able to write on a very good day is three, so I’ll always have way too many headlines to work with. So, I figured, might as well share with you, my writer friend!
Here’s the format I’m using for each headline:
#. Headline
Subtitle
Backstory
1. What If the Pandemic Never Happened?
How would the world be today?
The premise of this one was to view the pandemic from a different angle. I meant to analyze the pros and cons, in a very objective way, using evidence to drive the story.
2. You Don’t Need to Read to Be a Great Writer
A counter-argument to a very popular belief
Every writer tells you that to get better at writing, you need to read. Well, when I started writing, I was far from a voracious reader. If I read a book a year, that was a good year! In this piece, I wanted to argue that reading more limits your creativity and authenticity.
3. To Get a Single Hit Article, You Have to Publish Over 28 Articles
That’s the average for the top writers
This would have been a follow up on a key finding in this article about 721 hugely popular articles. In it, I would have expanded on the importance of persistence and quantity AND quality.
4. Why You Shouldn’t Publish 66 Articles per Month
Quantity beats quality, only when quantity comes in quality
This one has a similar story to the above. The very top writer published 66 articles in August. It worked for him because most of the 66 were of very good quality. Quantity only works when you can maintain quality.
5. 5 Important Life Lessons to Learn from Overly Simple Baby Songs
Who knew you could actually learn things from baby songs?
I might eventually do this one. I started going to an activity with my baby where we sing simple baby songs with other parents. The songs sound dumb, but watching my son react to them taught me a thing or two about life.
6. 2021 Won’t Be Better Than 2020
Unless you allow it to
I think morale is at an all-time low with no signs of picking back up any time soon. But we can do something about it. We have to build collective hope and change our mindset about the situation.
7. These Are the Worst Headlines I’ve Brainstormed this Week
You can’t get’em all right!
This is a similar idea to this article. I like this concept a lot. Many successful writers write bad headlines but never put them in the spotlight. In this article, I would have shown my worst work. Talk about vulnerability! I might do this one down the road because I really like this concept.
8. 2020 Was Actually a Good Year for Entrepreneurship
A new perspective on terrible times
This would have been quite similar to #6 above, but more oriented for entrepreneurs, who were hit damn hard by the pandemic. I know that full-well since my two businesses are now mostly on pause.
9. How to Travel Without Physically Going Anywhere
We have to get creative with the way we travel
As a recovering nomad, I love this idea a lot. When I settled to live in Montreal because of my son, I dreamed of travelling some more, so I had to get creative about the definition of the word “travelling”. In this piece, I would have shared some ideas on how to escape your physical world without going very far.
10. Here Are the Most Important Lessons From the #1 Personal Finance Book of All Time
20 years later, Rich Dad, Poor Dad remains a must for everyone to read
I love Rich Dad, Poor Dad. Outside the great advice, it’s one of the easiest books to read. The conversation-style and contrasting points of view make it a pleasure to read. In this one, I would have focused on the least obvious lessons from the book.
11. Robert Kiyosaki — Author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad — Reflects on 20 Years of Evolution in Finance
It turns out, his lessons stood the test of time
In the 20th edition of the book, there are great remarks about what happened in the finance world 20 years after the book was published. It adds a lot of value to an already great book. In this piece, I wanted to go over the best ones.
12. Rich Dude, Poor Dude
What rich dude teaches about money that poor dude doesn’t
I wanted to do my own take on the book with my own stories and make this a satire of Rich Dad, Poor Dad.
13. Creative Writings Happens When Intoxicated
I asked top writers about their writing happens. Here’s what I found.
My best writing happens either in the morning with coffee or in the mid-to-end of afternoon with a red ale. I wanted to explore how it happened for other top writers. My guess was that I wasn’t alone in this.
14. If You Work in Tech, You Should Take Afternoons Off
According to Daniel H. Pink in his book, When
I followed this advice yesterday when I decided to do creative writing instead of working on technical documents for complex software. In When, you read about the best times of the day to perform each type of task. It’s quite fascinating. I wanted to highlight this key finding.
15. I Predict More Babies to Come in 2021
People are bored so they have more sex
This piece would have been a data-backed article about why people have more sex during the pandemic and what the implications would be for future generations. Also, sex sells.
16. It’s a Weird Time to Have a Baby Right Now
The pros and cons of having a newborn during the pandemic
This would have been an introspective look at the good and the bad of having a baby during the pandemic. My son was born in June, so right in the middle of it. There are plenty of things to say about that, let me tell you!
17. All the Best Writers Have Multiple Talents
To be a great writer, you need other skills
All the best writers I know have many other talents. They use writing as a channel to communicate their other talents.
18. My Journaling Habit Could Save You Precious Time
Monthly Think Days bring you much-needed clarity
Every month, I do what I call a “Think Day”. Essentially, it’s a day where all I’m doing is reflecting on my past self, my current self, and my future self. I usually get a ton of clarity on what I need to do going forward.
19. The Real Data-Backed Reasons Why There Aren’t More Women With a Top Writer Status
And suggestions on how to change that
As I kept digging and sharing data about Medium in September, many noticed that there were more men in the results I was sharing. I wanted to find out why that was and share the real reason why. I’m still working on figuring this answer out.
20. The One Habit You Need to Drop to Build Good Habits
Good habits all start from this
To be honest, I’m tired of these types of headlines. There is no “the one”. But these headlines work, so I wrote it, with no plans of ever using it.
21. What If You Actually Took Time to Breathe?
Your impulses just might be your worst enemy
Breaks are your super-secret weapon. This piece would have gone in detail with science-backed evidence why it’s better to take it slow sometimes.
22. Schools Are In the Direst Situation They’ve Ever Been In
Can schooling as we know it continue?
I’m a fervent believer that schools need an overhaul for the 21st century. The sooner the better. And I was preaching for that way before the pandemic. This piece would be a mix of facts and personal opinions on what a good school system could be.
23. Not Getting Results from Doing Online Courses? You’re Not Alone
Online courses are part of the solution, but they’re not the solution
I personally dislike online courses. Only 7 percent of students finish them. It’s not high enough. We can create a new format that’s more effective.
24. The Subtle Art of Actually Giving a F*ck
How to choose the things to care about
I mastered the art of not giving a f*ck long ago. But there’s another equally important skill: giving a f*ck about the right things.
25. How to Decorate Your Home to Increase Your Happiness
Simple upgrades make all the difference
This is a fun one I might do at some point. I’ve decorated my home with things that make myself and others happy. For example, I have a wall full of smileys. I have another one full of quotes.
26. I Travelled to Over 50 Countries and I’m Not Any Smarter for It
But I’ve learned damn important life lessons!
When I came back from travelling around the world, I was lost like never before. I had fun, but I felt like I wasn’t any smarter for it. But in hindsight, I learned so many important lessons, which I would have shared in that piece.
27. These Habits Help Me Cope With Intense Adversity
They only take a few minutes a day
This is similar to #20. I’m tired of articles like this. At least in this headline, I don’t claim that there’s a single simple answer. Also, I don’t know that I have such habits, I just came up with a clickbait headlines… :)
28. Writing 10 Headlines a Day is a Game-Changing Habit for Any Writer
Headlining is a skill not many master
In this article, I’d have shared my experience writing 10 headlines a day. I might expand on this one after I’ve done it for over a month.
29. Money Is Damn Sexy in 2020
But does it have to be the only sexy thing?
In August and September, it seemed like the only thing people wanted to read about was money. I wanted to change the dialogue and focus on other things that are at least equally important.
30. No, What You Drink in the Morning Won’t Make or Break Your Day
Mastering your day is a lot more complex than simple hacks
I’m tired of reading about life hacks. I wanted to show a counter-argument to the dialogue.
31. I Spent $200,000 and 10,000 Hours on This Game
I regret none of it
I built a game for over seven years. It cost me greatly, both in terms of time and money. And it flopped by most people’s standards. :) This article would show my lessons learned.
31 headlines to get inspired from. I can’t wait to see how you use them as inspiration for your next article!
Which ones do you like best?
— Danny