Don't be fooled by that negative statement that 'it's all been done before', meaning 'don't even try'. Poppycock! Magazines are still printing new articles aren't they? The fact is that any writer can still come up with something different. And that means - you can too!
The secret is to find a way of making your articles unique. Here are a few pointers...
Brainstorm your subject. Use the library or Internet to collect some ideas and angles. I'm going to give an example below on a particular subject, but the method I'm going to show you can be used for almost any subject you care to think of.
Suppose you are a writer who likes knitting. Sit down and write a list of all the various aspects of the craft that interest you. Then take each one in turn and apply a twist to it. Needles for instance. You could write an article on the various types and sizes of needle and what they are used for. Useful though that might be it may be a bit 'ordinary'. But what about an article on how needles are made. What they are made of. Where they are made. Notice I'm using the 'what, where, how' principle.
Ask yourself 'what do people knit apart from the obvious woollen garments'? A search on Google revealed that in Cork, Southern Ireland 2500 volunteers from 22 countries came together in 2005 to create a Knitting Map. Their ages were between 3 and 82 years. What other knit-fests can you find?
Another item says that the World's Biggest Knitted Christmas Tree raised nearly £7,000 for The North Devon Hospice. Over 700 knitters helped to knit the tree, using 1,400 knitting needles and roughly 6,000 balls of wool. The oldest contributer to this knitting fest was 100 years old. Do some research for other instances of knitted Christmas trees and you're in business.
Follow the idea of out-of-the-ordinary knitted things and you could end up with some bizarre uses for needles and wool that could generate several interesting articles.
Knitting is actually becoming very popular again these days, so how about an article on the many knitting websites that are springing up? Give a potted description of the site and say what it is you like about it.
Did you know there are Speed Knitting championships? It's true! Research it and write it!
Find out what knitters are discussing by joining some knitting forums. In particular, what problems do people have that need solving? Write an article that provides practical solutions to those problems.
These methods can be applied to many other interests, hobbies and subjects. Once you start to think about it and pull in some facts and information, look for that different angle, something unusual that catches your imagination and go for it!
Oh, and one final piece of advice: don't send in your article without first writing or 'phoning politely setting out your idea. Your acceptance rate will soar and editors will love you for it.
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Mervyn Love offers advice, resources, competition listing, markets and much more on his website. Go here: http://www.writersreign.co.uk Subscribe to his free Article Writing Course here:http://www.writersreign.co.uk/WRac.html