What Shall I Write About?

By Liza Othman
That is the first question that inexperienced writers ask their literary advisers. "If you haven't anything to write about, why write at all?" might be an easy answer. Most persons, as a matter of fact, have plenty to write about but do not realize it. Not lack of subjects, but inability to recognize the possibilities of what lies at hand, is their real difficulty.

The best method of finding subjects is to look at every person, every event, every experience - in short, at everything - with a view to seeing whether or not it has possibilities for a special feature article. Even in the apparently prosaic round of everyday life will be found a variety of themes. A circular letter from a business firm announcing a new policy, a classified advertisement in a newspaper, the complaint of a scrub-woman, a new variety of fruit in the grocer's window, an increase in the price of laundry work, a hurried luncheon at a cafeteria - any of the hundred and one daily experiences may suggest a "live" topic for an article.

"Every foot of ground is five feet deep with subjects; all you have to do is to scratch the surface for one," declared the editor of a popular magazine who is also a successful writer of special articles. This statement may be taken as literally true. Within the narrow confines of one's house and yard, for instance, are many topics. A year's experience with the family budget, a home-made device, an attempt to solve the servant problem, a method of making pin-money, a practical means of economizing in household management, are forms of personal experience that may be made interesting to newspaper and magazine readers. A garden on a city lot, a poultry house in a back yard, a novel form of garage, a new use for a gasoline engine, a labor-saving device on the farm, may afford equally good topics. One's own experience, always a rich field, may be supplemented by experiences of neighbors and friends. A second source of subjects is the daily newspaper. Local news will give the writer clues that he can follow up by visiting the places mentioned, interviewing the persons concerned, and gathering other relevant material. When news comes from a distance, he can write to the persons most likely to have the desired information. In neither case can he be sure, until he has investigated, that an item of news will prove to contain sufficient available material for an article. Many pieces of news, however, are worth running down carefully, for the day's events are rich in possibilities.

Pieces of news as diverse as the following may suggest excellent subjects for special articles: the death of an interesting person, the sale of a building that has historic associations, the meeting of an uncommon group or organization, the approach of the anniversary of an event, the election or appointment of a person to a position, an unusual occupation, an odd accident, an auction, a proposed municipal improvement, the arrival of a well-known person, an official report, a legal decision, an epidemic, the arrest of a noted criminal, the passing of an old custom, the publication of the city directory, a railroad accident, a marked change in fashion in dress.

A third source of both subjects and material is the report of special studies in some field, the form of the report ranging from a paper read at a meeting to a treatise in several volumes. These reports of experiments, surveys, investigations, and other forms of research, are to be found in printed bulletins, monographs, proceedings of organizations, scientific periodicals, and new books. Government publications - federal, state, and local - giving results of investigative work done by bureaus, commissions, and committees, are public documents that may usually be had free of charge. Technical and scientific periodicals and printed proceedings of important organizations are generally available at public libraries.

"If you want to publish something where it will never be read," a wit has observed, "print it in an official document." Government reports are filled with valuable information that remains quite unknown to the average reader unless newspapers and magazines unearth it and present it in popular form. The popularization of the contents of all kinds of scientific and technical publications affords great opportunities for the writer who can present such subjects effectively.

The most radical ideas of our day are not apt to be found in the popular newspaper or in queer little insurrectionary, heretical and propaganda sheets that we occasionally see, but in the technical journals and proceedings of learned societies. The real revolutions are hatched in the laboratory and study. The papers read before the annual meetings of the scientific societies, and for the most part unnoticed by the press, contain more dynamite than was ever discovered in any anarchist's shop. Political revolutions merely change the form of government or the name of the party in power. Scientific revolutions really turn the world over, and it never settles back into its former position.

The beauty of scientific discoveries can be revealed to the general reader if there is an intermediary who can understand equally the language of the laboratory and of the street. The modern journalist knows that anything can be made interesting to anybody, if he takes pains enough with the writing of it. It is not necessary, either, to pervert scientific truths in the process of translation into the vernacular. The facts are sensational enough without any picturesque exaggeration.

The three main sources you can use to find subjects and material for your articles are (1) personal observation and experience, (2) newspapers, (3) scientific and technical publications and official reports.

If you would like to find out more about how to find subjects and materials for your articles, head to http://WriteFeatureArticles.FunHowToBooks.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Liza_Othman

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Writers websites to improve writing skills

I have compiled a list of free resources for writers to improve there writing skills. These websites have writer forums, online writing classes, writer reviews, instruction and advice on how to profit as a writer.

Writing erotica may not be for everyone. If it sounds like something you might be interested in, this is a free four-lesson course. It teaches writers how to write erotic stories and market them.

Writing.com is a very large site with almost 550,000 members! You can sign up and get their free newsletter, read the forum and meet other writers by starting a group.

This is a new writers forum owned and operated by a writer. It is a place where you can get helpful writing advice from successful writers and learn about all the newest paid writing jobs. They advertise contests and allow you to promote your published work.

Poets & Writers has an online magazine with many interesting articles that you can read for free.

Novice writer’s has the biggest forum I have ever seen. You could learn a great deal about writing just by hanging out in the forum for a while. They focus on the beginning writer and offer many helpful tips and tricks to get you going in the right direction.

My Writer’s Circle is a forum that offers advice on grammar, editing and publishing. You can post your writings there for a review by other authors. In addition they also have a writer job board to help you find new writing jobs.

You MUST visit the freebie section of Writer Gazette! Free classes, software, ebooks, reports and advertising. This website is a great resource for writer freebies.

Writing Time offers fun writing exercises for writers. They also have well written advice on writing for blogs, kids, web writing, memoirs and even your own history.

Writing for dollars focuses on how writers can make money. I thought they were worth listing here because they offer a bi-monthly newsletter for free. The bi-monthly newsletter will give you ideas on how to make money with writing. In addition, you can also download the free ebook, “83 ways to make money writing for free.”

This website offers a discussion forum, writing jobs and contests. You can also download free ebooks about writing. To find that page, just click on “free ebooks” under quick links on home page.

Writing-World also offers a monthly writer newsletter. They have informative articles on site about: beginning writers, article ideas, how to write articles, researching info and writer’s block.

Write and get reviewed by other authors at this website. They also offer a community forum and many contests.

This is not a fancy website, but provides great information on article writing. They will teach you how to write better articles and how to promote them as well.

This is a free 9-week writing class. This online class brought to you by an ex-teacher from UCLA. It is the same writing class as UCLA, only it’s free!

This is a free 7-week workshop for creative writing.

This is another free online class in writing with 16 lessons. Focuses on grammar and communicating clearly.

Free website that will teach you everything you wanted to know about erotic writing but were afraid to ask. There is a strong market for erotic stories.

This website has helpful articles on writing and free ebooks for writers. Free ebooks are about writing verse for children, writing for the web and make your price sell.