Top 10 Ways to Find Story Ideas

Story ideas are the very heart of freelance writing and not that
difficult to find. The trick to coming up with story ideas is making
the search a habit. Once you train yourself to look at everything as a
possible story, you will find that the ideas come to you easily and
constantly. Here are a few great places where you can begin your
search. Good Luck!

1) Morning Shows

Morning shows cover the most important daily, national and
international news. They also cover what’s hot in entertainment and
any odd happenings across the country. The Today show is a good source
but others will work just fine. Keep in mind that you can localize any
topic a show covers since most of their topic choices are meant to
cater to the nation as a whole.

2) Your Personal Experiences

Every writer has been told to write what he or she knows. Well, do it
because personal experience goes a long way. Magazines generally have
a section dedicated to personal essays and most newspapers have an
opinion page. I once used my personal experience to write an op-ed
about the film The Alamo for The Dallas Morning News. Although I do
not have expert knowledge of the Alamo, I am Mexican-American and used
this perspective to write about the role of Mexicans in this film.
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3) Friends

Your friends are like your audience. Pay attention to what’s going on
in their lives and careers. It’s a safe bet that something that
affects them probably affects the community as a whole. Friends may
also know people who can help you get an ‘in’ where you might not
otherwise have been able to. Fostering relationships is very important
as a freelance writer. So, when hunting for ideas make sure to keep
your friends close.

4) Internet

The internet is a goldmine of ideas. All you need is a topic you want
to write about and an internet connection. Run a search. You will
instantly have several links from which to feed off and create a story
of your own.

5) Newspaper/Magazine Blogs

Most major publications have blogs where readers can post opinions and
suggestions. This is a great place to get ideas because readers will
often make suggestions that editors take seriously. If you pitch an
idea that the editor thinks needs to be covered and that readers have
suggested, then selling your story will be that much easier.

6) Other Cultures

The United States is a diverse country and this is a great advantage
to a writer. Topics about culture can range from food to immigration,
and you don’t have to be an expert to write about them. The Hispanic
community is at the forefront of immigration issues in the United
States. This group alone could provide the subject matter for pieces
ranging from opinion to hard news.

7) Eavesdrop

People talk about the most personal things in the most public places.
You don’t have to go out of your way to do this but if you hear
someone talking about something interesting, don’t be afraid to ask
them about it. I once overheard a young lady talking about a friend of
hers who spent six months on his couch waiting to die from AIDS, only
to come to the realization that it was not yet his time. This ended up
being a four-page story in a magazine.

Press Releases

Press releases are a great source of basic information about topics
that generally want or need some sort of coverage. Pick a topic and
follow the press release trail for about a month. You will soon notice
how helpful press releases can be in your search for story ideas. The
added bonus is that you will know exactly who to contact when you
start working on a story.

9) The Oprah Winfrey Show

Whenever she’s not interviewing a celebrity, Oprah can cover some
pretty sizzling topics. And let’s be honest, the woman is a
trendsetter when it comes to this, which is great because she has a
built-in audience. Take a topic she covers and find a new angle. Not
only will the topic still be a hot one, but mentioning that it was
covered on a major talk show lends it credibility.

10) Talk Radio

If it’s worth talking about then it may be worth writing about.
National Public Radio is a personal favorite of mine. NPR covers an
array of subjects that are both interesting and easy to build on.

from albertusindratno.wordpress.com