The hardest part of nonfiction writing
is finding a subject to write about. Unless
you’re a student or a professional
writer no one is going to select a topic
for you. That means you have to come up
with your own themes. If you’re
like most writers, your subject matter
will be things that interest you. I used
the headings listed below to generate
ideas for my writing. Hopefully these
idea generators will help you become a
more productive writer.
HOW DID I SOLVE THAT PROBLEM?: This question
can lead to an infinite number of article
ideas. The articles that result from it
are generally the easiest to market, because
many people have the same problem. A writer
just starting out could develop a niche
by answering this question. Which was
how I got started. I was an electronic
technician when I published my first article.
At the time I was flooded with printed
information, catalogs, data sheets, articles,
etc. To handle this overflow I developed
a filing system. Then I wrote an article
about how I solved my problem. The article
entitled, “The Ultimate Electronics
Reference File” was published in
The Electron, a technical journal. A couple
months later I was looking for a cheap
source of electronic parts, test equipment,
etc. (This was before E-Bay.) That thought
led me to write “Getting More For
Your Electronics Dollar” which appeared
in the same publication.
OBJECTS: Observation and/or memory of
an object can lead to many ideas. For
example, I once owned a multicolored 1955
Chevrolet. With that old car in mind,
I wrote an essay entitled “Ode To
An Old Car” which was published
by a local newspaper.
CHANGES: Some are good and some aren’t,
it’s that simple. Either way using
this topic, you can create an articles
defending or attacking changes. Which
I did in “The Advantages Of Flex
Time” also published in a local
newspaper. I set the piece in a gas station
HOW I DID IT: This is a variation on
the above topic. As a woodcarver, I used
this statement to detail how I created
a certain kind of carving. The resulting
article “Carving An Ancient Artifact”
was published by Chip Chats Magazine.
OPINIONS/RANTS: Now I’m passionate
about a few things in life, though some
folks who know me might disagree with
this statement. “Nonfiction Idea
Generators” is one of the things
I’m passionate about, after all
I did write this article. But, what I’m
not sure of is whether this is an opinion
piece or a rant.
READ: Newspapers, magazines, e-zines,
cereal boxes, and anything else you can
wrap your eyes around. Read to find ideas
for future articles. Ask yourself, as
you read, “is there anything here
I can use? Does this leave me with unanswered
questions?” If so, good. That is
what you’re looking for. Write down
your thoughts and save them along with
the article. More about this later.
LISTEN TO YOUR FRIENDS: Sometimes, when
friends talk you’ll hear something
that sounds like a great subject for an
article. An article you know you can write.
But before you do, you probably should
ask for permission to use the info—if
you value the friendship.
SOMETHING THAT MADE YOU LAUGH: Changes
are, it’ll make others laugh, too.
SOMETHING YOU’RE CURIOUS ABOUT:
One of the best sources of nonfiction
ideas can be found by just wondering about
something. Example, in a chemistry class
studying different types of sugars, I
asked the instructor how brown sugar was
made. He said he didn’t know and
assigned the topic to me. I did the research
and wrote a two page report (about 300
words) on the subject.
PUT YOUR DREAMS TO WORK: I had a dream
about selling an essay, which I had hadn’t
even written at the time of the dream.
The essay, now exists, and is part of
an e-book I am writing. The essay is about
putting my world back together, as a freelance
writer, after being laid off from NASA
Glenn Research Center, where I worked
for sixteen years as a subcontractor.
This is not an easy thing to write about;
but since the dream, I now have a use
for that story.
USE LISTS OF CURRENT MARKETS: Here is
a great way to find not only subject matter,
but also a market for the piece, should
you write it. But before you do a knock-their-socks-off
piece for a listing: read the writer’s
guidelines, study the publication and
its advertising. The advertising will
tell you a lot about the publication and
its readers.
REVERSE A PUBLISHED ARTICLE’S IDEA:
The article you clipped above could serve
as an idea generator, if you reverse the
argument put forth in the article.
SAVE YOUR ARTICLE IDEAS: When you find
an article idea, write it down. Use a
single sentence. Put the idea away for
a few days. Then go back to it, find a
target market. Study the publication you
intend to submit it to. What kind of people
read this journal? Slant your article
for those readers.
Remember, use you Article Idea Generators
often and wisely. An idea is a terrible
thing to waste. Good Luck.
| About The Author
Neal Naughton is a technical writer,
copywriter, and creative writer.
He is also a ghostwriter, who can
handle your next article etc. You
can reach him at nealnaughton@WRITENEAL.COM.
All of his articles are copwrited
and can not be reproduced without
his written permission.
|
This article was posted on June 21,
2004
