Finding Article Ideas

                                                By Bernice Curler

Ideas are everywhere.  Really! Here are some places to start

1.   Newspapers.  Sunday papers are full of features.  Daily papers.  Any item that is representative of problems or of a widespread interest.

2.   Magazines.  Published articles can trigger different approaches to the same idea.

3.    At home.  Any problem you’ve found a solution to.

4.    Neighbors.  Any problem they’ve found a solution to.

5.    Clubs and association meetings.

6.    Experiences.  Ones you have had or experiences of others if they would have a widespread interest.

7.    Travel.  When you take a trip for travel magazines.

8.    Personalities.  Famous people or unusual people.  People who are doing   something special.

9.    Local projects.  City projects, school projects, church projects that other communities could benefit from.

10.  Crafts and hobbies.  Good for “how-to” articles.

Getting the angle

You have found a subject to write about, but a subject can be too broad; you must narrow it down to the ‘angle’.  You can do this by asking questions about the subject.

            Example 1

            Ecology.  That’s a subject.  But it’s too broad.  Start asking questions and you narrow it down to the angle.

1.      Are we really overpopulating ourselves out of existence?

2.      Are the oceans in the same danger as the Great Lakes?

3.      What is smog doing to the forests?

4.      Are the community recycling efforts being effective?

5.      What are pesticides doing to the environment?

Example 2

Women: That's another subject. Again, however, it is too broad. Start asking questions to narrow it down.

1.      Just how different are women from men?

2.      Why are women buying a majority of the electronics today?

3.      Will having children after 50 catch on?

4.      Just why do women control most households?

5.      Why are more and more women staying home today?

 When you have narrowed your idea to the angle then ask these questions:

1.    Is this item similar to anything I’ve been reading about in magazines lately?

2.    Is this a problem that will be of interest to these readers?  If so, can I come up with good statistics, quotes?

3.    Eliminate the details which have only local interest—is there enough left to expand into a national article?

4.    What else will I need?  What angle should I develop?

5.    How good a chance do I really think this has of selling?

Now, who will read this piece?  A successful writer seeks only those ideas that directly or indirectly caters to his reader’s self interest.  For instance, a fisherman wants to read a story that tells him where the big trout is hiding, a child likes a story about other children, a woman picks a woman’s magazine to get ideas for her home or answers to family problems.

You never write for yourself.   You write for your reader