May 05 2009
Lost and Found
This morning I was out of ideas. I felt like a mental block stepped in front of me and was not going to let me pass. Nothing worked. I couldn’t even come up with a word to describe my numbness. Every word I put on paper felt dull, flat and emotionless. I thought, this it, the end of me and my writing. Why do I even bother trying?
I started reading through different blogs and articles in the newspaper. None of it was rocket science. In fact it all appeared so simple, basic, common sense really. All I had to do was look around me and think outside the square. After a bit more reading and browsing, two ideas popped into my head. The ideas were obvious but I had closed myself to them earlier on.
This time I wrote them down and started to brainstorm more using the popular ‘what if’ technique and noting down the many options related to the topic I wanted to write about, until it developed into something that can be put in a query letter and sent to a magazine.
Here’s how it goes, say you want to write about getting fit for summer. This topic has been done and redone over and over again. We see the same article in every magazine before the summer season starts, usually just after Christmas and New Year when we’ve indulged in a little too much food and drink.
How do you make this story more original?
Think about everything that’s going on around you. Right now we are experiencing a crisis. How about writing a story about keeping fit without spending any money. The rise in obesity levels among children is frightening, here you can try an article about keeping fit with your kids without spending a cent. I run most days of the week, and I’m trying to get my younger cousins fit, so instead of going alone, I encouraged my younger cousin to get on the bike and ride along side as I ran. Great workout for both of us, and it didn’t cost a penny.
The possibilities are endless. Just start thinking outside the square and see how you can connect one idea with another to make it more interesting or timely. I think it’s fair to say that originality is rare and hard to find, as most stories have been overdone but continue to be popular. The writers job is to make the outdated idea suit today.
