A Word from Our Sponsor
Advertisements are a treasure trove of writing ideas
What do you do when the commercial comes on? Get a snack? Surf other channels? Attend to other - er - personal matters? Well, if you are a nonfiction writer, you may be missing a potential source of article ideas.
Every product you see advertised is designed to solve a problem. . That problem may be getting from point A to point B. It may be getting from point A to point B without emptying your bank account on gas. It may be feeding your family. It may be looking good to the neighbors. Within every product is an implied solution to a problem.
Products address problems. Your articles can address the same problems. So, sit down with a paper and pen. During your next commercial break, write down the products, the problem addressed, and a magazine that might also address that problem. For instance, I just saw a commercial about a "Power Juicer." The problem addressed in the commercial is that people don't eat as healthily as they should and that a juicer will help them get a full complement of fruits and vegetables everyday. Immediately, Prevention magazine comes to mind, but also Cuisine and Parents.
Do this during an entire evening of TV watching. Look at your list of problems and magazines. Choose the problems addressed by the magazines you have targeted for publication. Write down two article ideas for each of these problems. Write down each idea that comes to mind even if you think it is stupid or something you couldn't write. Even stupid ideas may stimulate your thinking.
A variation on this is to choose a magazine for which you want to write. Look at the ads in that magazine and do the same thing. Remember, advertisers are trying to help people solve the same problems that editors are. They often know more about the audience of a particular publication than even the editorial staff.
Therefore, the next time you run across an ad, don't consider it a nuisance. Consider it an opportunity.