Looking for story ideas? Here’s 8 places to find them

“And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”  ~ Sylvia Plath

Don’t you just sometimes read a really interesting article and think, “I wish I had come up with that idea?” and then you wonder, “Where in the world did they even get that idea?”

Coming up with fresh, salable story topics can be a challenge for freelance writers. Believe me, I’ve sat looking at a blank page more times than I would like to admit. But, finding good ideas is really not very mysterious or magic. They’re everywhere, if we just keep our eyes, ears and mind open. Sometimes I’ve ignored the ideas that have come to mind because they seemed too simplistic and not “special” enough — like, “Geez, anyone could have thought of that,” so I tossed them away and then racked my brain trying to think of something more brilliant. But, really, the most brilliant ideas come from simple ideas…we just have to let our minds explore and expand on them.

So, here is a list of eight places to consider for some really simple, but eventually brilliant, ideas:

1.  Friends and family – Just last night I was able to jot down about 10 great story ideas as I sat talking and having a beer with a my friend Todd. It all started as we discussed our home state of Idaho and some of its unique features. Soon, one subject after another popped up and by the end of the night I had scribbled story ideas all over three large bar napkins! (Note to self: Perhaps beer also facilitates the flow of ideas). Ask people what interests them, what they wonder about, what they would like to read about. It’s amazing the stuff that people want to know.

2. Your own life experiences – Do you have a dog that you pamper? A parrot who curses? A cat with neurotic licking issues? Interview others with similar animal stories and weave them into a submission for a pet magazine. Did you learn French when you were 50? Maybe you climbed the highest mountain, or helped your child compete in his or her first half-marathon when they were 12 years old. Think about interesting things you have accomplished or have been through and how that could inspire others.

3. Former story research – So, I have way too many notebooks filled with past interviews and research. But guess what? I could go through them and perhaps find a new, interesting story that could be rewritten for a new audience. For example, my interviews and notes from a murder trial I covered for a newspaper a few years ago could be dusted off and repurposed. Maybe I could track down some of the key players and see how their lives have gotten on since the event, perhaps follow up on all the murder evidence and who is taking care of it. Maybe find a juror or two who were on the trial and talk with them about what its like to convict someone of murder…lots of ideas here!

4. Magazines you read – Check out some of the online archives of the magazines that you are interested in writing for to see what they covered five or six years ago. Many of these topics haven’t been revisited in a while and could use an update or a fresh perspective. Moreover, you know that the topics already fit into the publication’s editorial format.

5. Local business – Local news stories, especially if they reflect trends, can be great pitches for a variety of publications. Once I was doing some online research and I came across the web site of a locally-based high tech company that had created the technology behind the “camera pill.” I pitched the idea of a medical feature focusing on the technology and landed an assignment from a daily newspaper. Are there any local businesses that are doing something so unusual that it could create a national trend? Did someone in your local area invent or discover something interesting?

6. The annual calendar of celebrations – Just look at the year’s calendar and you can come up with a seasonal story idea. Jump ahead several months and note what is coming up. You will need to pitch these about six months in advance. So in the spring you will start thinking of 4th of July articles. Perhaps a story on how firework injuries correlate to the states in which fireworks are legal and illegal. Or, maybe a feature on a firework makers – what goes into those blasting caps anyway, and how do they keep from blowing their eyebrows off as they make them? At Christmas, maybe do an article on how post offices around the country handle “Dear Santa” letters.

7. Your own local calendar of events – Along the same lines, find out what special events are happening in your own city and state. Travelers want to know about significant events such as festivals, fairs, dog shows, horse auctions, whatever, so they can plan their trips to your city. They want to know where to stay, eat, drink, play, and you can write a travel preview about it because, after all, you ARE the expert on your city! Places to pitch these types of stories include regional magazines and in-flight publications that service your area.

8. Your own travels – Remember that vacation you took last summer? Could you pitch regional or travel magazines about your trip? I vacation every year on the Oregon Coast and I landed a magazine assignment to write about a bird sanctuary in one of the small coastal cities I visit. The magazine also paid me for the photos I shot, so remember to keep your camera with you. That first bird assignment led to an ongoing writing relationship with the magazine publisher, I am happy to say. Places to pitch might include Sunset Magazine, the American Automobile Association (AAA) magazine VIA, in-flight magazines or publications in states that are in close proximity of where you live.

Finally, If you are looking for sources for your article, one of the best places to go for information is Help A Reporter Out (HARO) where you can post your request for story interviews, information, and sources and then receive feedback from all over the world.

Okay, so just writing this has already given me some new inspirations for stories and I hope it provides some brainstorms for you too.  I would love to know what you think. Thanks for visiting www.murphywrites.com!