How to Find Ideas for Articles & Speeches

Do you have problems finding ideas for articles and speeches?

I know have had at times, and others tell me the same thing. At my Toastmasters club, for example, I've often heard members say they have difficulty finding topics for speeches.

But, I've learned, like others who write and speak a lot, to start with what I know. To use my own experiences or perspectives to make even a simple subject uniquely my own. And you can do the same.

Indeed, what seems mundane to you may fascinate someone else. Suppose, for example, you work in a fast food restaurant -- tell me about the best and worst customers, or tell me about the processes and training that make it possible to go from order to delivery in just a couple of minutes.

Here's a real-life example from my own experiences. I have a part-time job as a directory assistance operator for a telephone company, and that produces some interesting stories, like the time a woman called because the door knob to exit her borrowed apartment was broken, and she couldn't figure out how to get out. She didn't know who to call except Directory Assistance, and we had an interesting time figuring out a solution. Now there's a story to get an article or speech started, and perhaps even a theme such as "Strange but true stories from a directory assistance operator."

Then, there's the idea of providing insights for others. If you drive a truck, for instance, you might create a Top Ten list of common mistakes you see on the streets and highways. As a professional driver, you have special insight into the patterns of amateur drivers.

Beyond your personal experiences, think about issues that intrigue you. If you're interested, doing research and thinking about a subject will be enjoyable and easy. Perhaps you can even satisfy your own curiosity as you prepare an article or speech that enlightens someone else.

These approaches should lead you to any number of story ideas. Make a list, of say five or ten possible topics. Now, ask yourself which of them will be the most enjoyable or easiest to develop. You also might ask yourself if you have enough examples to illustrate the points that fall under a specific topic.

Now, write an outline, to set out the main themes in your speech or article. By the time you finish outlining these themes, you'll probably have a number of new topics that could be developed into topics that stand on their own.

For example, looking back at the contents of this article so far, I see that discussing something others don't know much about is one of the points. That would open the door to what I call the "Everybody knows" syndrome, the unfounded assumption that others know what we know. Perhaps you think that your parenting experiences are just like everyone else's. Yet, your feelings may very well be unique and of great interest to other parents.

If all else fails, get ideas from others. For example, I subscribe to many online newsletters because I write a lot of articles myself. As potential story ideas come in I store them away in a folder, ready to be searched when I don't have anything available in the top of my mind.

I can use the original article as the starting point, creating something new and unique by using my own experiences and ways of doing things. Or I can abstract someone else's article in my own words, again creating something new in the process. In both cases, I'm creating something new based on my unique experiences or perspectives.

So, never be stuck for an idea for an article or speech! You already have enough experience and knowledge; it's simply a matter of developing one of those ideas within that framework.

And here's a bonus: If you're writing or speaking about something that's happened in your life, you won't have to work hard to create the article or speech. Just follow the path through your memory.

About The Author

Robert F. Abbott writes and publishes Abbott's Communication Letter. Each week subscribers receive, at no charge, a new communication tip that helps them lead or manage more effectively. Click here for more information:

http://www.CommunicationNewsletter.com

abbottr@managersguide.com

---

One Well-Placed Article Nets 616 Mentions in Google

Evaluation of a Home-Run ArticleI've been writing articles and posting them online for several years. But it took a while before I learned writing well and developing... Read More

Seecrets on Website Promotion: The Hard Truths on Writing Free-reprint Articles

This author started with a clean website and wrote 5 articles in as many weeks. There is nothing else.Within a week, this author's site got a #1... Read More

Re-fresh, Re-hash, Re-write

You are running out of ideas, you sit down in front of your computer and stare at the blank screen with a blank mind.Your fingers are idly... Read More

Ten Essential Tips For Submitting Articles

Submitting well planned articles on-line will increase traffic and can even launch your career when handled right. They'll drive traffic from all over the net and show... Read More

There is an Article Deep Down Inside of You Just Looking to Bust Out

The Most Economical Way to Advertise online is to Submit Articles online for Redistribution. One of the Main Benefits of submitting Articles is one way Back Links... Read More

Writing Articles to Boost Your Sites Traffic

Two important factors that play a part in the rankings algorithm of leading search engines are content and link popularity. It can be expensive to make changes... Read More

Put Your Recruiting on Auto Pilot

Getting people to join your company can be hard work. Whether you are looking to hire staff or to build a downline for your network marketing business,... Read More

How Webmasters Can Become Experts and Write Expert Articles!

Write articles, be recognized as an expert, drive a surge of traffic to your website, increase your link popularity, create awareness - yes that is what all... Read More

The Online Writing Business Requires Constant and Regular Writing

Many writers do not understand that the online writing business is very different from the offline writing world. The economics are totally different and no amount of... Read More

Marketing Articles: Promoting Your Site Twice!

I recently became aware that promoting your web site in Search Engines can instantly be double within Google! That's right, you can instantly promote your site 2... Read More

Secrets About Freelance Writing They Dont Want You To Know

The first step to getting published is to find your market. Find a magazine you are familiar with and read the guidelines, read the magazine and as... Read More

How To Write Effective And Unique Articles That Are Optimized for the Search Engines

It is a well known fact that writing, distributing and posting articles to various location on the web is an extremely effective way to generate targeted traffic... Read More

4 Effective Content Writing Tips

Writing for websites -- content, as it is called -- is an important task for webmasters. Your site must be current, relevant, and interesting in order to... Read More

How to Find Ideas for Articles & Speeches

Do you have problems finding ideas for articles and speeches?I know have had at times, and others tell me the same thing. At my Toastmasters club, for... Read More

Visibility, Credibility and Position Through Articles and Celebrity Testimonials

A huge problem for many people who are working on market visibility and position is the amount of competition vying for the same market. An extremely effective... Read More

Building Websites with Articles

I've been blogging occasionally over the last two months about my ongoing experiment with writing articles. This is a super hot topic lately with the changes going... Read More

The Best Place To Submit Your Articles

If you've spent any time online trying to promote your website or business, you must have very likely realised that one of the most effective ways to... Read More

Advertisements and the Freelance Writer

Advertisements are one of the biggest indicators of a magazine's readership. They are also excellent for generating ideas.First, let's look at the readership. Ads tell you: The... Read More

Article Marketing: Know your Topic

Everyone knows an expert is just a drip under pressure. I want to share a little story, rather innocent on the part of one person that made... Read More

Make Money Online Using Keyword Articles

Routing traffic to your web page is incredibly important in order to make money online. However, you probably have noticed that getting your web page noticed and... Read More

Bugaboos of Article Marketing in Web Content Management Systems (CMS)

One of the most common blunders by those using article marketing to distribute free reprint articles is to include periods after domain names at the end of... Read More

Article Writing - Positive Author Questions To Ask Yourself

Article writing can be such an intimate act as you're always sharing a piece of yourself with the world. It's so easy for your mind to derail... Read More

Speakers and Trainers - The Internet is Your Biggest Megaphone

Speak to an Audience that Reaches across the GlobeAs a professional at home on the platform, you've spent years polishing a compelling message. The presentations you make... Read More

10 Article Writing Quirks

Much has been touted about the effectiveness of article writing in the promotion of their business. While everyone raves about its benefits I'll look into a few... Read More

1000 Ways to Improve Your Business

One of the best things you can do for your business is to give information away. Information empowers your customer and brings them back for more. There... Read More

Promote Your Home Business with Keyword Rich Articles

Do you wonder what easy, cheap, and fast way you can attract your targeted audience to your Web site? You probably have heard about Web optimization with... Read More