Creative Writing: Another Perspective on Getting Ideas

Ideas Galore: Stay Alert
By Pamela Beers

Do you ever wake up in the morning wanting to pull the covers up over your head and go back to sleep? There are just no more ideas left in the old cerebellum. The creative well is dry and your article is due in 36 hours. Now what?

Keeping a list of fresh ideas is a must for writers. To keep that list new, it is important to be aware of what intrigues you while searching, or just glancing through, the various publications you have at your fingertips.

That wonderful institution called a library as well as the world-wide-web are gold mines for general information. Getting intimately acquainted with your local library provides you with a vast source of article ideas, and your librarian is always happy to help you find whatever you need. For those of you who just got out from under the covers, the www is perfect. It enables you to find a plethora of information without leaving the comfort of your home.

Trade and specialty magazines represent good markets for writers because the ideas from those magazines are what will interest the general consumer. If you are having a problem with understanding an article about the newest advance in computer technology, you can make a quick call to the principal researcher to request an explanation in lay terms. Once you feel comfortable in your understanding of the subject matter, you can query one of the numerous consumer-oriented magazines.

Go through old magazines and e-zines. There are stories that a magazine or e-zine has covered in the past, but new developments can occur which make the story worthy of follow-up. Chances are if the magazine or e-zine ran the story once, it will probably be interested in current material on the same subject.

Other good sources of article ideas are radio and TV, which most of us are exposed to daily. There is much grist for the writing mill when tuning in and listening to the radio while driving. Watching & listening to TV gives you an abundance of global ideas from which to choose. Just condition your mind to be alert. Constantly say to your self, "What intrigues me, and to what particular audience would this be of interest?"

The supply of ideas for articles is endless. All you have to know is where to find them and be alert.

Copyright © 2005 by Pamela Beers. All rights reserved.

Pamela Beers is a freelance writer, educator, and horse trainer who is a platinum ezine author and is in the process of having two books published. You can visit her website at http://www.pamelabeers.com for writing and marketing tips.

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