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
weekly home cleaning Lake Forest ..Advertisements are one of the biggest indicators of a magazine's... Read More
1. Write to one person.When you're writing your article picture... Read More
Who remembers the 1979 movie, The Jerk with Steve Martin?... Read More
One great benefit of article marketing is the generation of... Read More
Frequently when I am communicating with other webmasters and I... Read More
Do you know one of the most powerful marketing techniques... Read More
Don't let overwhelm hold you back- follow this expert advice... Read More
Do you know the difference between simultaneous article submissions and... Read More
A Consultant could be an expert about absolutely anything.Calling yourself... Read More
MS: Shelley, you're an excellent person to talk to about... Read More
As we prepared to move our 12,000 article database from... Read More
Sometimes when I am communicating with other webmasters and I... Read More
Many writers do not understand that the online writing business... Read More
Writing articles is possibly the best way to generated free... Read More
Overture reports over 1 million queries for article keyword related... Read More
Want your articles to get picked up and reprinted by... Read More
The traditional print media newsletter is still useful even in... Read More
You say, I can't write an article, I have no... Read More
Do you have problems finding ideas for articles and speeches?I... Read More
There is some wisdom in saying that when you are... Read More
Lets face it people use articles to send traffic to... Read More
Looking to build your freelance writing career but don't know... Read More
It has become common knowledge that the smartest and most... Read More
Hey! Who's that I see, typing feverishly as brilliant ideas... Read More
If you have submitted your articles to EzineArticles.com you have... Read More
best cleaning company Arlington Heights ..Proven and Exceptional Click-Through ResultsTesting has proven again and again... Read More
Every successful website needs to be, what the experts consider,... Read More
I once wrote an article in which I offered the... Read More
It is no secret among internet marketers that writing articles... Read More
As you write the outline for your next article, there... Read More
When I started Ezine-In-A-Box I wanted to help people publish... Read More
If you are an article writer, you may have been... Read More
No one can logically argue against the fact that content... Read More
This free way to promote or publicize your book or... Read More
Rejection is part of a writer's life. You must cope... Read More
Lets face it people use articles to send traffic to... Read More
Article marketing is becoming more and more popular, especially as... Read More
It's no secret-link exchanges are dying a painful death. And... Read More
Now that you know the secrets to writing great articles,... Read More
Looking for another no cost promotional tool? Your fee will... Read More
Writing articles that are available for reprint is an excellent... Read More
Whatever you're selling, writing articles to distribute freely amongst webmasters... Read More
The ezine article is of major importance to the world... Read More
Every time I run a course on Freelance Writing, students... Read More
This is precisely what I am doing here today (and... Read More
Article writing can be such an intimate act as you're... Read More
Getting people to join your company can be hard work.... Read More
In today's busy world, whether your business is large or... Read More
***What is the Resource box?'Resource box' is an information box... Read More
Making your articles available for reprints by other ezine publishers... Read More
Article Writing |