Gitika from
Birmingham sent this plea for help: I
am a student on a non-fiction writing course and I have to submit articles to
my tutor, but I really struggle to find things to write about. Everyone else
seems to come up with topics easily, but not me. Can you help?
Searching for article ideas can seem impossible, but in
truth there are always new topics to write about.
Listen to the news
The news is a constant stream of information on a variety of
subjects ranging from world affairs to new technology, from celebrity gossip to
climatic disasters, from fashion to religion. Next time you listen to the news,
jot down any item that catches your fancy. It doesn’t matter if you aren’t
knowledgeable on the subject – that’s what research is for.
Discussion groups
Join in forum debates on subjects which interest you. There
is nothing like a healthy debate to get your brain cells working. Keep paper and pen to hand. It might not be
the actual subject which sparks an idea, but a word or phrase used by one of
the other members.
Anniversaries
Anniversary articles are always worth considering.
Good starting places to search:
Do bear in mind that anniversary pieces need a longer lead
time than other features, so you would have to query at least six months in
advance.
Search engines
Go on search engine home pages and see which subjects are
currently hot. Look back through the archives and try to find a way to link the
old information with the new to create a different slant. Editors love new ways
of looking at existing ideas.
Read articles written
by others
Read extensively on topics of interest to you. Ideas for new
articles will come to you if you study with a questioning mind. Why has the
author said this? Why did the interviewee say that? What will be the
consequence of his or her actions? Ask yourself the famous W questions: who,
what, where, why and when?
If you question what you are reading, you can get a
different perspective and be able to use someone else’s ideas to spark articles
of your own. Running with someone else’s idea is fine, but never copy their
words, not even if you change them to hide the fact, as that is plagiarism.
Research
Think of a topic about which you know very little (or one
you have a passing knowledge of) but about which you’d like to know more.
Research the subject, read all you can, and then pass that knowledge on in the
form of articles – always looking to find your own way of dealing with the
topic.
Why not make a list of:
• The
problems you’ve encountered recently
• How did you
solve them?
• What makes
you angry?
• What makes
you happy?
• Which TV
shows do you like and why?
• Which ones
drive you insane and why?
• Who do you
know who has overcome adversity and how did they do it?
• Reasons to
make a living will
• Reasons not
to make a living will
• Who is your
least favourite politician and why?
• Holiday
destinations you’d love to visit – good for travel articles
• Funny
things you’ve heard people say
• Odd
coincidences in your life and that of others
If you do just a quarter of the things I have outlined above
you’ll have enough topics to write on for the next year at least.
Critique Service for Writers
Flash 500 Flash Fiction Competition
Flash 500 Humour Verse Competition
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