We show you how in one line of a poem, Raymond Carver gives us the best lesson of all in how to create content.

Henry David Thoreau once said, “…most men lead lives of quiet desperation“. That phrase epitomises the life and work of Raymond Carver.

Carver was a short story writer and poet. Much of his writing reflects his personal struggles with alcoholism and domestic life. His short stories are bleak and touching, but never sentimental.

He would use 5 words where other writers would use 25 and Carver described himself as “inclined toward brevity and intensity”. Writing with brevity and intensity is good advice for any blogger, but one line from Raymond Carver’s poem, “Stupid“, can teach you everything you need to know about getting into the mindset of creating great content.

Here’s the line:

“So what if he’d rather be remembered in the dreams of strangers…”

So what can this one line teach us about creating great content?

Create something worth remembering
If you want to create something that strangers will remember then your content needs to be exceptional. Of course, this is easier said than done, but every so often you need to push yourself to write the best post of your life. “Good enough”, simply isn’t good enough.

Think beyond the web. A good post will be linked to by others but a great idea will make your audience think even when they‘re nowhere near a computer. Do you want to make a top 10 list or do you want people to answer a phone call in hurricane for you?

Reach out to strangers
You might have a number of friends who vote on every story you submit or comment on every article you post, but you need to look outside your circle of friends if you really want to be really successful. That’s not to say that your friends aren’t important or that you should forget about them altogether, but if you want to get better at anything then you need to go beyond your comfort zone and reach new people.

Not every post will be remembered in the dreams of strangers. It might take days, weeks, months or years to get to even that point, but it’s something we should all strive for. If you’re looking for inspiration then go read your favourite authors, watch your favourite film or listen to your most cherished album.

Don’t try to emulate others - try to surpass them. This isn’t an easy task and there is no magic button or formula that can teach you how to do this, but try to really push yourself to your creative limits.

What have you done today to push yourself? What will you do tomorrow to be remembered in the dreams of strangers?

If you want to read more by Raymond Carver then check out his poem, “What The Doctor Said” or his amazing collection of short stories, “Where I’m Calling From“.