How To Obtain Freelance Writing Ideas

by Steve Amoia

One of the benefits of freelance writing is that the need and audience
for quality articles is very diverse. With the advent of the Internet,
along with the growth of personal and commercial web sites, the need
arises for content that focuses on a target audience. Whether that
audience is local or global. As with all writing, quality is better
than quantity. In this article, I will discuss five prospective
methods to obtain ideas for your future works: Specialization,
previous work experiences, generalization, awareness, and an article
archive.

Specialization

As Ernest Hemingway suggested, “Write about what you know.” We live in
a society that prizes specialization; consequently, becoming an expert
in any area will be of significant personal benefit. For example, if
your college major was focused on Business or Finance, most likely you
were exposed to coursework in personal finance and investments. As our
population ages, financial planning will become a growth industry.
Especially due to concerns about the future of Social Security.
Articles about estate planning, wealth building, transfer of assets to
children, spouses, and domestic partners, along with “How To” pieces
on investments and the stock market, will be in demand.

Conversely, younger people need to understand how to invest. No longer
are pensions and retirement plans managed primarily by employers. Each
of us has to navigate 401-Ks and other retirement options. Those new
to the workforce have an added burden to plan for retirement, which is
something that their parents and grandparents didn’t have to address
at such a young age. Hence, the need exists to educate younger members
of the workforce about these issues.

Another area of potential growth, especially with the “Baby Boomer”
generation, is alternative health articles. Acupuncture, massage
therapies, nutrition, Tai Chi, and Yoga, are areas that our aging
population have begun to embrace. They want information about these
topics, since in many cases, their primary care physicians may be
reluctant to direct them away from traditional therapies. Perhaps you
have experienced some of these alternative methods? You could write a
first-person article about your own experience. Works of that nature
are well-received, and you would write from personal, rather than
empirical, life experiences. For example, I have written about my own
experience with acupuncture.

Previous Work Experiences

Previous work experiences can be a good source for article ideas. Most
of us held other jobs before becoming freelance or contract writers.
Some may write as an adjunct to their current employment, or for the
mere joy of sharing their knowledge with others. Whether it was your
first job in a restaurant, your college work experiences, or your
current professional employment, you may have knowledge and expertise
that would be helpful to others.

When we visit a bookstore, we see hundreds of books about “How to
Interview.” We don’t see many instructing us how to do our jobs
better, or how to get along in a diverse workplace. These topics may
also provide future ideas for articles. We all have had good and bad
bosses, difficult colleagues, and hopefully, some individuals who left
very positive marks on our careers. All of these topics could be
addressed in a respectful fashion.

Generalization

Or, as I like to think of it, “The Renaissance Man or Woman Approach.”
Learn about something that you know very little. As writers, our jobs
are to explain and educate about a variety of subjects to a target
audience. Often, experts can’t explain esoteric topics. Because they
know the subject too well, or understand it on a level that exceeds
the rest of us. Make it a challenge to learn something well outside of
your comfort zone. For example, if you are more technically inclined,
research and write an article about art history. If you have a liberal
arts background, learn how Internet routers work. My point is that you
need to use your skill as a writer, and not limit yourself. Even
though Mr. Hemingway encouraged us to write about familiar things, if
we look at his vast array of publications, he wrote about a variety of
topics.

The benefit of this approach is that you will educate yourself in the
process. And perhaps overcome some self-imposed limitations, such as,
“I don’t know enough about that topic to attract the interest of an
editor.” As writers, we all face rejection. Even with our best work.
Developing a more general perspective may open avenues that were
previously closed. For example, an editor may say, “I really like your
portfolio, Steve, but I need an article about freelance writing ideas.
Can you handle that?”

Awareness

We should always cultivate a strong dose of curiosity about the world
around us. Due to the Internet, we can read newspapers from San
Francisco, California to Sydney, Australia. Along with publications
generated in smaller metropolitan or rural areas. Read the news. Both
locally and globally on a daily basis. Observe some of the top stories
on Google News or Yahoo. Read an online newspaper such as the
International Herald Tribune. Learn what is happening beyond your own
region and country. This process will expose you to a vast amount of
ideas, and you may learn more about the world in the process.

Last year, I interviewed a young journalist in Tristan da Cunha, which
is the most remotely inhabited island in the world. It is located in
the South Atlantic Ocean, and their lives are very different than the
rest of us. Mail arrives about eight or nine times a year. There is
one medical center for the entire population on the island. The costs
for the Internet and other media are exorbitant. I was surprised that
she knew about miners who were trapped in West Virginia. Even in a
place with scant telecommunications resources, she was aware of a
major story in North America. Sometimes, as North Americans, our focus
is very narrow. People in other countries understand the value of a
world view. The world is becoming smaller. Our country is becoming
more diverse. Learning more about different countries and cultures
would be an asset.

Article Archive

Another good practice to develop is to write an article for the
future. Without any hopes of eventual publication. Develop an archive
that you can draw upon. If you write one article a week, of perhaps
750 to 1000 words, you will have twelve completed in three months. The
purpose of this exercise is to make you more disciplined, generate new
ideas for the future, and to create an archive that you can access
when you see advertisements for specific articles.

Scanning the news, as I suggested before, can yield many leads in this
area. Write about something you know well. Perhaps a hobby or a
passion. The next week you can tackle a topic such as global warming.
After that, stem cells or your favorite restaurant. There are no
limits or ground rules. In the process, you will broaden your own
writing and intellectual base. Along with the tangible benefit of an
archive of articles. That will give you confidence to tackle new
projects in the future.

Conclusion

Ideas can come from a variety of sources, along with specific
practices that you may take. Specialization makes you an expert about
a particular topic or genre. Previous work experiences are full of
episodes that you can develop into articles. Generalization forces you
to step outside of your comfort zone and develop new writing skills.
Awareness is a necessary trait for all writers, along with a global
focus. An article archive produces writing discipline, along with
tangible works for the future.

About the Author
Steve Amoia has published articles and book reviews about alternative
health, art history, career-related themes, historical figures,
international soccer, martial arts, psychology, and sport topics. He
is the author and editor of World Football Commentaries, and also
writes for Soccerlens. He has begun a new blog called Career Tools.
His writing portfolio may be found at http://www.sanstefano.com. His
email address is info@sanstefano.com.