Topic Twists Or How To Generate A List Of Story Ideas

Whether you're a journalist or a fiction writer, you may rely on a brainstorming session to generate an idea list for an article or a plot twist.

Where should you start? Here's a technique I use every Wednesday, once the weekly where I serve as managing editor goes to print.

First, I look at the community calendar and see what's coming up in the next two weeks. Sometimes, I jot down specific events. Other times, I write a generalized tag - like basketball - that can be used in one of the upcoming steps.

Then, I take a look at holidays, especially those that are unique to a special time period. For instance, did you know that National Pancake Week wraps up today? If there's something relatable to my coverage area, I write it down.

Next, I list subtopics for each item, using the following demographics to develop a specific idea:

• woman's issue
• man's issue
• kid's/teen issue
• a twist
• outlandish idea
• evergreen idea

Let's use the basketball idea. My list might resemble this:

• woman's issue: check with area schools about girls' basketball participation numbers since participation is declining nationally
• man's issue: local town teams provide physical fitness
• kid's/teen issue: local team raised over $1,000 for Healthy Heart Month
• a twist: how local schools use social media to promote sports updates
• outlandish idea: local basketball players - Who would you beat in the latest NBA video game?
• evergreen idea: district basketball pairings released.

Right there I have at least six possible articles. While some may seem silly and will never make it to the paper, others are worth pursuing.

Generating a topic list allows you to think outside the box, to take a single word and twist and bend it to meet the needs of your publisher or editor.

And most important, the ideas work.

By LuAnn Schindler

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