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Tuesday Idea File: Creating Freelance Pitches from Headlines – Words on the Page

Words on the Page

a freelance writing resource.

Tuesday Idea File: Creating Freelance Pitches from Headlines

Welcome to our second Tuesday Idea File day.

I’m rather glad we’re going down this path. As I mentioned in the comments section in last week’s post, it was something I struggled with at the beginning of my freelance writing career. No matter what career stage you’re at, there’s no need to struggle.

[bctt tweet=”With practice, finding great #freelancewriting ideas is easy.” username=”LoriWidmer”]

I know how you feel. At the beginning, I did what you may be doing; I’d look at an article, then come up with exactly one idea. That idea. Time and again, I’d just repeat that same mistake.

Then I got a full-time job as an editor. I watched and learned from the best — my managing editor — how to find an idea that didn’t seem like much of anything. She would come to me with an article, a press release, or an email from a PR contact, and she’d outline the story she wanted me to write. And she’d be waving arms and getting really excited about the idea as she talked.

You can’t help but get inspired by that. (Denise, you were the best, bar none.)

That inspiration became the fuel I used to get my freelance writing business off the ground. Today, please visualize me waving my arms and getting really stoked about what we’re about to do. Except my arms aren’t waving. But my fingers are flying across the keyboard.

Today’s Idea Exercise — Finding Ideas in Headlines

Sometimes headlines are so great, you can’t help but come up with ideas. Take this one, for example, straight from yesterday’s news:

Poisonous Toads Infest South Florida Neighborhood

You can’t make that shit up.

Okay, so what ideas come from that? Let’s not go with the obvious, which is “Hey, there are poisonous toads in that neighborhood!” That’s been done. And we’re not reading the article, just looking at the headline.

Here’s how to get some ideas from just that sentence — ask questions:

  • How many poisonous toad varieties are there in the US?
  • Where did they come from?
  • How do you know what’s poisonous and what isn’t?
  • What do I do if I think something in my neighborhood is poisonous?

Those ideas came from sticking nearly verbatim to the headline. Ah, but we’re not done yet. What questions come to mind that relate to those toads, but probably aren’t going to be answered by that article? The questions that came up for me:

  • What are the US’s most poisonous critters?
  • What dangers lurk on your next vacation?
  • What poisonous critters hang out in popular tourist destinations?
  • How are lethal, non-native species making their way to the states?

And whatever ideas you’ve just generated — add to that list. At this point, no idea is a bad one. Just brainstorm. I’m trying to get you used to looking at it from all angles. There are no wrong answers.

But not all headlines offer tons of ideas. Here’s an example of one that is more straightforward:

Nikki Bella Retires from WWE (wrestling) at 35

Wishing those toads were back right now, aren’t you? Fear not. There are ideas here, though not as obvious. This is when all the practice we’re doing right now will pay off — when you can see further into the headline.

Let’s start again with questions that are raised by the headline:

  • Who the hell is Nikki Bella? (okay, that was too obvious — and it’s not an idea. I’m just curious)
  • What is the sport of wrestling like for women? Here you can examine it from a physical, emotional, or gender-based approach. Each one of those areas would provide a good bit of dialogue, I’d guess.
  • Is 35 young for a wrestler? How does wrestling impact the body in comparison to other sports?

That’s the surface stuff. You may have more, or not. But you’ve asked questions about that headline. Now, let’s ask ones that were inspired by that headline:

  • What are the hidden risks of a wrestling career?
  • Same question from a female perspective.
  • Is there pressure on women to trailblaze in sports?
  • How rampant is sexism in sports, particularly the male-dominated ones?

There are probably more, but for now that gives you an idea of where you can take this headline.

Okay, one more headline:

Avocados Recalled over Listeria Concerns

Start with what questions you have that the article may answer.

Now list the questions or ideas that are inspired by the headline.

Ready? Go!

Writers, what ideas can you come up with from that one headline?
How have you found your ideas? What process works best for you?