by: Neal Naughton

The hardest part of nonfiction writing is finding a subject to write
about. Unless you’re a student or a professional writer no one is
going to select a topic for you. That means you have to come up with
your own themes. If you’re like most writers, your subject matter
will be things that interest you. I used the headings listed below
to generate ideas for my writing. Hopefully these idea generators
will help you become a more productive writer.

HOW DID I SOLVE THAT PROBLEM?: This question can lead to an infinite
number of article ideas. The articles that result from it are
generally the easiest to market, because many people have the same
problem. A writer just starting out could develop a niche by
answering this question. Which was how I got started. I was an
electronic technician when I published my first article. At the time
I was flooded with printed information, catalogs, data sheets,
articles, etc. To handle this overflow I developed a filing system.
Then I wrote an article about how I solved my problem. The article
entitled, “The Ultimate Electronics Reference File” was published in
The Electron, a technical journal. A couple months later I was
looking for a cheap source of electronic parts, test equipment, etc.
(This was before E-Bay.) That thought led me to write “Getting More
For Your Electronics Dollar” which appeared in the same publication.

OBJECTS: Observation and/or memory of an object can lead to many
ideas. For example, I once owned a multicolored 1955 Chevrolet. With
that old car in mind, I wrote an essay entitled “Ode To An Old Car”
which was published by a local newspaper.
CHANGES: Some are good and some aren’t, it’s that simple. Either way
using this topic, you can create an articles defending or attacking
changes. Which I did in “The Advantages Of Flex Time” also published
in a local newspaper. I set the piece in a gas station
HOW I DID IT: This is a variation on the above topic. As a
woodcarver, I used this statement to detail how I created a certain
kind of carving. The resulting article “Carving An Ancient Artifact”
was published by Chip Chats Magazine.
OPINIONS/RANTS: Now I’m passionate about a few things in life,
though some folks who know me might disagree with this statement.
“Nonfiction Idea Generators” is one of the things I’m passionate
about, after all I did write this article. But, what I’m not sure of
is whether this is an opinion piece or a rant.
READ: Newspapers, magazines, e-zines, cereal boxes, and anything
else you can wrap your eyes around. Read to find ideas for future
articles. Ask yourself, as you read, “is there anything here I can
use? Does this leave me with unanswered questions?” If so, good.
That is what you’re looking for. Write down your thoughts and save
them along with the article. More about this later.
LISTEN TO YOUR FRIENDS: Sometimes, when friends talk you’ll hear
something that sounds like a great subject for an article. An
article you know you can write. But before you do, you probably
should ask for permission to use the info—if you value the
friendship.

SOMETHING THAT MADE YOU LAUGH: Changes are, it’ll make others laugh,
too.
SOMETHING YOU’RE CURIOUS ABOUT: One of the best sources of
nonfiction ideas can be found by just wondering about something.
Example, in a chemistry class studying different types of sugars, I
asked the instructor how brown sugar was made. He said he didn’t
know and assigned the topic to me. I did the research and wrote a
two page report (about 300 words) on the subject.

PUT YOUR DREAMS TO WORK: I had a dream about selling an essay, which
I had hadn’t even written at the time of the dream. The essay, now
exists, and is part of an e-book I am writing. The essay is about
putting my world back together, as a freelance writer, after being
laid off from NASA Glenn Research Center, where I worked for sixteen
years as a subcontractor. This is not an easy thing to write about;
but since the dream, I now have a use for that story.
USE LISTS OF CURRENT MARKETS: Here is a great way to find not only
subject matter, but also a market for the piece, should you write
it. But before you do a knock-their-socks-off piece for a listing:
read the writer’s guidelines, study the publication and its
advertising. The advertising will tell you a lot about the
publication and its readers.
REVERSE A PUBLISHED ARTICLE’S IDEA: The article you clipped above
could serve as an idea generator, if you reverse the argument put
forth in the article.
SAVE YOUR ARTICLE IDEAS: When you find an article idea, write it
down. Use a single sentence. Put the idea away for a few days. Then
go back to it, find a target market. Study the publication you
intend to submit it to. What kind of people read this journal? Slant
your article for those readers.
Remember, use you Article Idea Generators often and wisely. An idea
is a terrible thing to waste. Good Luck.


About The Author

Neal Naughton is a technical writer, copywriter, and creative
writer. He is also a ghostwriter, who can handle your next
article etc. You can reach him at nealnaughton@WRITENEAL.COM.
All of his articles are copwrited and can not be reproduced
without his written permission.