Tap Into TV for Ideas

I'll be the first to admit that the TV in our house is tuned in close to 15 hours a day, either to The Weather Channel (my husband farms and weather dictates his daily routine) or a news network.

The majority of the time, neither of us watches.

But, I listen. Intently.

In fact, the idea for this blog post title came from a commercial for a new fall sit-com that uses the word 'tap' to make a point.

That commercial got me thinking. Television supplies myriad ideas for writing, both fiction and non-fiction. A lot of times, I'll watch segments of Today and wonder how the latest news item applies to the region where I live. I also investigate Natalie's "Trending Topics" and try to find a correlation. Then, I send a query to a magazine or newspaper where the story is a good fit. And usually, I land an assignment.

If you get wrapped up in The Doctors or Dr. Oz, you may just find a topic for an article. Or maybe a disease that the antagonist suffers from in your latest fiction.

The History Channel, Biography, TLC, Current TV, ESPN, The Food Network. Each channel has its own specific format and programming list, but select a show and you'll discover a list of possible topics.

Need help with character development? Watch a sitcom or drama and you'll undoubtedly come up with mannerisms, speech patterns, or quirks that can easily take your character from dull to daring.

I'm not advocating you sit in front of the tube all day. But, I do believe the TV should be viewed as another idea source, offering a wealth of information on a wide range of topics.

So, go ahead, grab the remote, and tap into an overflowing resource of ideas.

by LuAnn Schindler. Original graphic by LuAnn Schindler. Read more of LuAnn's work at her website.