Do you have problems finding ideas for articles and speeches?
I know have had at times, and others tell me the same thing. At my Toastmasters club, for example, I've often heard members say they have difficulty finding topics for speeches.
But, I've learned, like others who write and speak a lot, to start with what I know. To use my own experiences or perspectives to make even a simple subject uniquely my own. And you can do the same.
Indeed, what seems mundane to you may fascinate someone else. Suppose, for example, you work in a fast food restaurant -- tell me about the best and worst customers, or tell me about the processes and training that make it possible to go from order to delivery in just a couple of minutes.
Here's a real-life example from my own experiences. I have a part-time job as a directory assistance operator for a telephone company, and that produces some interesting stories, like the time a woman called because the door knob to exit her borrowed apartment was broken, and she couldn't figure out how to get out. She didn't know who to call except Directory Assistance, and we had an interesting time figuring out a solution. Now there's a story to get an article or speech started, and perhaps even a theme such as "Strange but true stories from a directory assistance operator."
Then, there's the idea of providing insights for others. If you drive a truck, for instance, you might create a Top Ten list of common mistakes you see on the streets and highways. As a professional driver, you have special insight into the patterns of amateur drivers.
Beyond your personal experiences, think about issues that intrigue you. If you're interested, doing research and thinking about a subject will be enjoyable and easy. Perhaps you can even satisfy your own curiosity as you prepare an article or speech that enlightens someone else.
These approaches should lead you to any number of story ideas. Make a list, of say five or ten possible topics. Now, ask yourself which of them will be the most enjoyable or easiest to develop. You also might ask yourself if you have enough examples to illustrate the points that fall under a specific topic.
Now, write an outline, to set out the main themes in your speech or article. By the time you finish outlining these themes, you'll probably have a number of new topics that could be developed into topics that stand on their own.
For example, looking back at the contents of this article so far, I see that discussing something others don't know much about is one of the points. That would open the door to what I call the "Everybody knows" syndrome, the unfounded assumption that others know what we know. Perhaps you think that your parenting experiences are just like everyone else's. Yet, your feelings may very well be unique and of great interest to other parents.
If all else fails, get ideas from others. For example, I subscribe to many online newsletters because I write a lot of articles myself. As potential story ideas come in I store them away in a folder, ready to be searched when I don't have anything available in the top of my mind.
I can use the original article as the starting point, creating something new and unique by using my own experiences and ways of doing things. Or I can abstract someone else's article in my own words, again creating something new in the process. In both cases, I'm creating something new based on my unique experiences or perspectives.
So, never be stuck for an idea for an article or speech! You already have enough experience and knowledge; it's simply a matter of developing one of those ideas within that framework.
And here's a bonus: If you're writing or speaking about something that's happened in your life, you won't have to work hard to create the article or speech. Just follow the path through your memory.
About The Author
Robert F. Abbott writes and publishes Abbott's Communication Letter. Each week subscribers receive, at no charge, a new communication tip that helps them lead or manage more effectively. Click here for more information:
http://www.communicationnewsletter.com
http://www.communicationnewsletter.com
disinfecting cleaning services Winnetka ..It's all the rage. It's what everyone is talking about.... Read More
It's not enough to scatter your articles across the internet... Read More
Some six weeks ago, I began writing and submitting articles... Read More
Writing articles is one of the best and most effective... Read More
I recently became aware that promoting your web site in... Read More
Being an Internet Article Author is far and away the... Read More
You may be wondering what persuasive writing has to do... Read More
Writing for the internet requires that you create a large... Read More
Ok, today we are going to talk about one of... Read More
It has become common knowledge that the smartest and most... Read More
Do you have problems finding ideas for articles and speeches?I... Read More
One question I get asked all the time is how... Read More
The more you write, the larger your impact. If that's... Read More
Still following along on the Copywriter's Crash Course in article... Read More
Many successful authors close their mind to learning HTML because... Read More
Queries are not written like business letters or emails; they... Read More
Search Engines are constantly on the "look out" for freshly... Read More
This may come as a surprise... to you, but writing... Read More
Rejection is part of a writer's life. You must cope... Read More
Have you ever seen articles that are not only related... Read More
Article writing can be such an intimate act as you're... Read More
Routing traffic to your web page is incredibly important in... Read More
Every field or discipline has its own specialized vocabulary and... Read More
For me, to decide to start a home business was... Read More
As an article author, sometimes you can only pull so... Read More
last minute cleaning help Highland Park ..Have you ever seen articles that are not only related... Read More
It doesn't really matter who you are; you definitely know... Read More
Increase your ezine subscribers by submitting articles once or twice... Read More
This article is dedicated to those who are afraid to... Read More
Writing effectively on the internet is the most effective way... Read More
Start by Being QuotableIt's tough to stand out online. With... Read More
"Ten Tips" articles are the easiest piece to write because... Read More
A large portion of your business relies on your ability... Read More
Find definitions from H to P... ~~~~~~~~~~~ H ~~~~~~~~~~~ Haiku... Read More
It is amazing to see how much we all still... Read More
If you are an article writer, you may have been... Read More
[Disclosure: I went into ezinearticles.com very innocently. I... Read More
Writing articles that are available for reprint is an excellent... Read More
Strategically developing online content helps to ensure a small-business owner's... Read More
This is precisely what I am doing here today (and... Read More
A few years ago as a webmaster with no money,... Read More
Writing articles is possibly the best way to generated free... Read More
Marketing on a budget is tough. This is a universal... Read More
How many times have you read the following? If you... Read More
Once you learn the benefits of article writing, you may... Read More
Recently I interviewed Kevin Bidwell of All-In-One-Business.com on some of... Read More
All writers aspire to recognition, but are we dedicated? Ambition... Read More
Adsense is a program designed by Google to help publishers... Read More
Most writers I talk with who experience "writer's block" do... Read More
I was asked to write an article on a short... Read More
Article Writing |