Where to Find Article Ideas

When you’re trying to come up with article ideas, sometimes it seems like it’s feast or famine. There are days when I’m so inundated with ideas that I can’t write them down as fast as they’re coming. Sometimes I get ideas at inappropriate times and places, so I end up jotting them down on napkins, receipts or my palm. Sometimes they even wake me up from a deep sleep.

But what do you do on days where everything looks bleak and uninteresting, days when the Muse forgets to show up?

Here are some of my favorite sources for article ideas:

1. Forums. To me, nothing is as stimulating as a visit to an active forum such as http://www.warriorforum.com/forum. People present both problems that need to be solved and suggestions at solutions. Sometimes after a visit to a forum, articles practically write themselves. If you’re in a hurry, just browsing discussion topics may be all you need to get started.
2. Browse article directories. By scanning through lists of newly added articles, ideas for a different angle on the same topic may suddenly pop into your head.
3. Magazine covers. If you’re still stumped, visit your local magazine shop or library and browse at the covers. Certain topics appear over and over and may trigger a new twist on a common topic. Make a habit of doing this frequently so that you’ll be aware of trends as they happen.
4. TV talk shows. These are not always interesting but can sometimes offer sudden inspiration. You may hear what problems are on people’s minds, or you may be exposed to a particularly inspirational person.
5. Keyword research. If you have a vague idea what you’re hoping to write about, plugging a word into a keyword research tool may be all it takes to inspire a new slant.

These are just a few ideas to get through an uninspired moment. Get in the habit of carrying a notebook and jotting down an article idea that suddenly appears out of nowhere. When you develop this habit, you’ll find uninspired moments will become fewer and fewer.

Ideas are everywhere. Learn to be open to them constantly and to jot them down and organize them when they appear. As you start to write them down and keep them where you can find them when needed, you’ll suddenly realize you have more ideas that you’ll ever be able to write articles for.