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How To Find Your Article Inspiration

By on July 14, 2016
How To Find Your Article Inspiration - Writer's Life.org www.writerslife.org/

Life as a freelance writer means that you have to constantly be on the lookout for new stories. You can’t sit there twiddling your thumbs, waiting for an editor to call you to write something, you have to do the research, you have to decide what to write about, and you have to pitch your ideas.

Therefore one of the biggest challenges that us freelance writers face is having the ability to come up with fresh new ideas for content, ones that are tailored to fit a particular publication, that are completely unique (or at least have a unique angle), and ones that we are confident both editors, and their readers will love.

So how is it done?

Luckily there is a big wide world on our doorsteps, and whatever your niche, there is bound to be something going on that you can find interesting enough to write about. Coming up with engaging, sustainable ideas for articles can be a tough task, but it doesn’t have to be entirely draining either.

Identify your niche

Specialising in a particular niche will help you to become an expert in that area. It is good (obviously) to choose something that you have an interest in yourself. Don’t, for example, try to set yourself up as a fashion writer if you couldn’t care less about fashion. Finding something that interests you and that you enjoy writing about will make researching new stories enjoyable rather than tedious.

Do your research

Getting to know your markets and industries, connecting with people who work in them and staying abreast of changes, trends and news will help you continuously be on top of your game and producing fresh, new, relevant content that editors will love. Read and absorb everything you can about your market, every blog post, every article, every piece of news. Sign up for alerts and newsletters - make sure you are constantly learning and discovering more.

Dig a little deeper

If you hear about an amazing story or piece of news that you think could be of interest to a newspaper or magazine then try to dig a little deeper before you pitch. Chances are if you have heard of it, so will have all the other freelance writers and journalists so you need to find something unique, something that no one else knows, that way your story will have the edge.

Be interested …in everything

You never know where it might lead to! Being a ‘yes’ person, talking to new people, travelling to new places and trying new things will not only make your life more rich and varied, it will probably give you lots of inspiration for article ideas too!

Create a content calendar

Whatever you are interested in writing about, creating a content calendar can really help you brainstorm ideas. Look at useful dates such as holidays and celebrations, these could help inspire you with article ideas and also enable you to connect a big event to your piece and therefore give it more weight.

Stay passionate

If you continue to write about something that you love and are passionate about, you’ll have a much better chance of finding ways to present that idea in unique and interesting ways.

Finding article inspiration can be tough but as long as you stay true to yourself and what interests you, and use the tips above, you shouldn’t be short of ideas!

What methods do you use to make sure you stay inspired?

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

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