Today, I sent out the second lecture and assignment for my online article-writing course. It’s not too late to sign on and catch up. http://www.matilijapress.com/course_magarticles.htm I also teach online courses on demand (sign up when you’re ready to take the course) on writing a book proposal, book promotion and setting up your own publishing company. http://www.matilijapress.com/courses.htm
Here’s an excerpt from the lecture I sent out today.
Come Up With New Article Ideas
What happens when you run out of ideas related to your original topic? Hopefully, you will tire of your subject before that happens. It’s time to get creative and tap into all of your senses. The fact is that if you can’t come up with an article idea, you aren’t paying attention. I tell people to look everywhere for article ideas. My friends laugh at me because I’m always interrupting a conversation to say, “Hey, that’s a good idea for an article!â€
Keep your eyes and ears open and you will find ideas. They’re everywhere just waiting to be noticed by an aware writer. Find article ideas at the local coffee shop, airport, grocery store, shoe repair shop, post office, Little League Baseball field, while traveling, at the barber shop, the mall, while fishing, at an animal shelter—absolutely anywhere. I’ve written several articles and, in fact, a book on how to be an effective grandparent even at a distance. The idea stemmed from a conversation I overheard while waiting in line at the grocery store. I met a woman at the post office one day who was working in her retirement as a handywoman. Of course, I wrote an article about her for a senior magazine. Once, while watching my grandson play baseball, I sat next to a Little League dad who earned his living using storytelling as therapy in prisons and other venues. This article idea earned me around $1,500 total as I sold versions of the story to a couple of different magazines.
It pays to pay attention—literally!! And it pays to reach out to others. As writers, we tend to hole up in our comfy cubicles allowing only our family pets into our space. But if you want to earn a living writing articles for magazines (or supplement your income), you really must get out and mingle once in a while. Being a writer, you probably are already observant—hone this skill to the max. And if you aren’t naturally social—if you generally stay to yourself when in public, I’d suggest changing that. You might be surprised at the gifts and opportunities you will glean when you reach out to others.
Do you remember Art Linkletter’s show (and book), Kid’s Say the Darndest Things? Well so do adults, teens, seniors, the mailman, the clerk at the ice cream parlor, your pastor and your neighbor. Heck, you can even find stories in the junk mail you receive if you open your eyes and your mind.
Just today, for example, I received my 4th or 5th letter from a major investment company that is changing the way they operate. With each letter, they attempt to clarify the scope of the changes and who will be in charge of my account from now on. Each letter refers to the letter before and states that it may have contained some erroneous information. Upon reading each of these letters, you feel as though the Marx brothers are now running the company. Use your imagination and you can visualize employees in cubicles holding a small slice of information that they don’t dare tell to anyone else. So each letter coming from each of these people tells a different part of the story. Can’t you just envision creating a humorous essay from this scenario? Or maybe I could write a piece featuring ten tips for better communication within the workplace.
Here are 8 of the 15 things I suggest you consider when trying to come up with new article ideas: (Of course, in my lecture, I flesh each of these points out with examples and instruction.)
1: Write about what you know.
2: Write about what you’re interested in.
3: Write about what you want to know.
4: Write about what’s hot.
5: Write from your own experiences.
6: Write from the experiences of others.
7: Create articles from conversations you have or overhear.
8: Extract ideas from the media.
As many of you know, article-writing is close to my heart. It is through articles that I entered the world of writing for publication. It is article-writing that supported me for many years. Articles help to promote my books. Writing this blog is like writing an article, so it is my way of communicating, of expressing myself and it’s a good vehicle for spreading information. If you have tried to sell articles and failed, if you have a book to promote, if you want to shift from factory or cubicle worker to writer, this course could hold the key to your dreams.
Learn more about article-writing for book promotion in my book The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html Contact me with questions: PLFry620@yahoo.com I also work one-on-one with authors and freelance writers. Check out my credentials and fees at my website: http://www.matilijapress.com/consulting.html