This week, we talked about
generating story ideas…which are everywhere just waiting to be discovered!
The tried and true angles to use
for story ideas include: how to save time, how to save money, how to be loved
and how to make money. However, many story angles exist beyond these popular
four.
Some tips on looking for story ideas
include:
- Be observant in your everyday life
- Look at things through a reporter’s eyes
- Be curious
- Write down ideas (keep journal)
- Look through a publication’s archives
- Check out competitors
- Watch TV, read magazines and newspapers, check out Web sites
You never know just where you
will discover an idea.
Once you have a general story
idea, take time to brainstorm (list everything you can think of about a topic).
Then try some idea/story mapping. We practiced this briefly in class. Idea
mapping is also a great way to tackle school papers, create outlines, find
answers to a problem, etc.
One strategy is to be still and
use your senses. What are you seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, etc.? Look
around. Absorb. Notice. Listen. Be curious!
Another strategy is to build a
list of your favorite places. What do you like about them? What’s new about
them? Lastly, think about your hobbies. What are you interested in? What are
you passionate about? What are you an expert (know a lot about) on? Building
lists with answers to these questions can be your “go to” when you have
writer’s block or need to come up with something quickly.
Freewriting (as we practiced in
class) is a way to overcome writer’s block, as well as come up with story
ideas.
Lastly, “story mapping” is a
great way to creatively brainstorm ideas. We will talk about this more next
week, along with feature style. Be sure to read pages 120-121 on Feature Style
in preparation. Also feel free to work ahead on Assignment #2 due in two weeks.
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