When my primary writing work involved articles, I always carried a camera and a notepad to every event and on every outing. I still do. While I’m not as enmeshed in article-writing as I once was, I continue the practices and the thought processes I adopted back then.
Yesterday, for example, I attended a cat show. About halfway through the day, I realized that I was automatically forming article ideas in my head. As I observed, assimilated, absorbed, evaluated and learned, potential article topics came to mind.
If you write articles for publication or would like to, it helps if you can train your mind to see the article potential in the activity, situation, innuendo, etc. you are observing or involved in. Start by viewing each and every aspect of your experience as a potential article. Here are some tips:
• Look for the story in everything around you. Yesterday, I became aware of cat breeds that I have never seen before and I am pretty sure that the standards for some of the more common breeds are changing because the cats’ looks are changing. Both of those observations, with adequate research, could be expanded into articles.
• Listen in on conversations. I overheard a couple of cat breeders discussing some new regulations or policies with which they were not pleased. This might be an area of interest to other breeders, thus worth an article in a cat magazine.
• I also caught part of a discussion among visitors. They wondered about the judging criteria. An interview with a couple of judges could result in an article or even a booklet or pamphlet for folks who like to attend cat shows, but who don’t understand how the cats are judged.
• The huge array of cat items for sale prompted my idea for a review of various homemade cat foods, the best cat toys for encouraging agility, toys that entertain cats while the owner is away, favorite cat beds and so forth.
• While watching the people who brought cats to show, I began to wonder who they are, what prompts them to want to show their cats, how far they travel to shows, etc. I think an interview with a serious cat breeder and then someone who just shows household pets would make for interesting reading.
• And what about the judges. Most of them at the show yesterday were men. How do they get started as judges? What do they get out of it? Do they judge just certain types of cats or do they need to know the various points of several breeds? I’d be interested in reading this article.
• As I drove home to my own little cat menagerie, I thought about how Max, Lily and Sophie would fare in the show ring. These cats don’t even like getting in the carrier or riding in the car, let alone being handled by strangers and leered at by cooing cat lovers. I wondered how one trains or chooses cats to endure this type of life. Now that’s another article idea.
Where are you going next? To a concert, sophisticated gala event, wine tasting, chili cook-off, charity walk/jog, talent show, street painting exhibit, haunted house tour, walk on the beach, to visit a nursing home, car show, class reunion, the zoo, a playground…? If you are interested in writing articles for magazine, don’t go alone. Carry your camera, notepad and an open, creative mind with you. And plan to score at least one article out of the experience.
Not only could you make a little money selling your article, the event or activity could be a write-off.