How to find and to choose the subjects for articles? (4 steps)

Even if this may seem surprisingly, but some journalists say that they don’t have subjects to write articles. Some bloggers say that it is difficult to find subjects so that they may publish an article per day on their blog. In this article I will share with you how to find and to choose the subjects for writing the articles that you are going to publish in a newspaper or on a blog.

1.Keep an eye on all that happens around

The events bring out the subjects, namely the problems that need to be touched in articles. Observe all that happens around you, the discussions with people, the events from your community, news, the newspapers, the problems that people deal with, the political life, Internet, etc.

2.Put down everything that you observe and that may seem a subject that has to be touched

Make a list with the subjects that some day you are going to touch. Some of them should be touched earlier in order to be relevant, others can wait some more time, others need time “to mellow”, meaning that you need to gather all necessary information after you study thoroughly the subject and the problems connected to it. The same thing did the evangelist Luke when he wrote the Gospel that has his name. That is how he writes:

it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught. (Luke 1:3–4)(NASB)

3.Be ready to put down the necessary notes

You must always have a little notebook and a pen with you and it will be very good to have the camera and if it possible a voice-recorder with you too. All these will help you not to miss anything important. When you see or hear a thing that you think it is good to be touched in an article, put it down immediately. Don’t let it be done later, because you will forget it or, possibly, you will not consider the subject so important anymore.

4.Choose from the list with the subjects the most relevant ones at the moment and write articles in this order

An article is relevant when it touches an actual subject and when it fulfills a specific need. In other words, when people want to drink, don’t give them candies, but give them water. In the journalistic language this means that when people face a problem, touch that specific problem and not other things that don’t interest him/her then. People will read the articles that answer to the problems and needs they face with.

Practical exercise: Think about the things you saw or found out yesterday and today and put down a list with 10 needs of the people that you can fulfill in 10 articles.

Translated by Djugostran Felicia