| Every writer has heard it time and again, and it's not | | | | to learn about all the things you ever wanted to |
| without merit: "Write what you know." | | | | know, and don't worry if you're not yet an "expert" |
| When I began freelancing, I was just out of college, | | | | in any of these areas! Among my favorite writing |
| so what did I write about? College. I wrote profiles | | | | assignments have been topics in which I had no |
| of collegiate entrepreneurs, I wrote editorials about | | | | previous expertise: |
| college life... and after a while, I really wanted to | | | | -An article about a woman who started her own |
| move on and write about other things. But I didn't | | | | greeting card business for Woman's Own. Of course, |
| feel qualified. | | | | I've never started my own greeting card |
| Luckily, I didn't let that hold me back for too long. | | | | business-but the topic certainly interested me, and I |
| "Write what you know" is a very good starting point. | | | | wanted a good excuse to learn more about it. |
| But that's all it is. It's a place for you to go to get | | | | -An article about how "media overload" affects |
| your feet wet, and a place to come back to when | | | | children's development for I'm not even a parent, let |
| the tide gets too high. But it's not a place to stay for | | | | alone an expert in child psychology. But I've always |
| very long. | | | | wondered how increasing media immersion (TV, |
| A better piece of advice, in my opinion, is "Write | | | | Internet, video games, radio, etc.) has affected |
| what you WANT to know." One of the great perks | | | | people in MY generation. |
| of being a freelance writer is that you get paid to | | | | -An article about book packagers for Writer's Digest. |
| learn about things. So... what do you want to learn | | | | Okay, I had written for a book packager at that |
| about? | | | | point-- but just one, and I was eager to learn more |
| If I had completely disregarded "Write what you | | | | about the industry and its players. It gave me the |
| know" and simply opened a page of the Writers | | | | perfect excuse to contact book packagers and learn |
| Market at random, figuring I'd send a query to | | | | more about the market. And If not for this article, I |
| whichever market my finger happened to touch, my | | | | would never have written Celine Dion's book... I sent |
| career would be very different today. I might have | | | | my resume and samples to one of the packagers I |
| ended up writing about finances, miniature horses, | | | | interviewed, and an editor there wound up calling me |
| and aerobics. And you know what? I would have | | | | years later with the assignment! |
| hated it. | | | | -Several articles about interesting inventions for How |
| I have no experience with any of the above topics, | | | | much fun did I have learning about how Velcro, |
| and there's a good reason for that: I never really | | | | aspirin, and Post-It Notes were invented? This made |
| WANTED to have experience with them. Since I | | | | for great dinner table conversation for weeks. My |
| have no real passion for any of the topics, if I had to | | | | father always fancied himself a bit of a mad inventor, |
| write articles about them, it would feel like work. | | | | and I guess the gene spilled over to me. I devour |
| But did you ever stop to think about the things you | | | | these quirky stories of how the human mind |
| always wanted to know, but never found out? Or all | | | | approaches problem-solving creatively. |
| the interesting people you wanted to meet? Or the | | | | -Every disabilities-related article I've ever written. Was |
| problems you've encountered that you wanted | | | | I an expert in this area when I began? No. I have a |
| solved? Now those are article topics. | | | | brother who has Down syndrome, so I had the |
| Try this exercise. Fill in the blanks with your answers. | | | | benefit of some extra understanding, but I only |
| 1. If time and money weren't factors, I'd love to take | | | | became an "expert" by writing about this topic over |
| a course in ___________________. | | | | and over. Each time, I learned something new that I |
| 2. I've always wanted to ask (person you | | | | really wanted to learn-- new legislation for people |
| know)______________________ about | | | | with disabilities, profiles of amazing people with |
| _________________________. | | | | disabilities, issues of discrimination, etc. |
| 3. I've always wanted to know how | | | | When working to broaden your writing horizons, be |
| __________________________ works. | | | | sure to think about two things: your passions, and |
| 4. My life would improve if I could only | | | | your curiosities. You don't need to write only about |
| ______________________________. | | | | topics that mean "everything" to you; you can-- and |
| 5. When I have a sleepless night, it's usually because | | | | should-- also write about the little things that bounce |
| I'm worried about ____________________. | | | | around your brain. Have you always wondered how |
| 6. The worst injustice I can think of is | | | | the custom of kissing under the mistletoe evolved? |
| ______________________________. | | | | Or how Mexican jumping beans jump? |
| 7. When I was a kid, I was really passionate about | | | | Have you wondered what it feels like to go back to |
| _________________________. | | | | school in your 40s or 50s? Have you wondered if |
| 8. I have always been embarrassed to admit that | | | | there's a way to stop all that junk mail and those |
| ________________________really interests | | | | telemarketing calls from darkening your doorstep? |
| me. | | | | Do some preliminary research, formulate a query |
| 9. In my life, I have overcome | | | | letter, and... ta da! You get paid to find answers to |
| ______. | | | | these pressing questions, or learn more about your |
| 10. If I could volunteer for just one cause, it would | | | | hobbies and passions. |
| be __________________________. | | | | Consider it a challenge. Keep learning. Use your writing |
| 11. I wish I were better at | | | | as a vehicle to answer every question you never had |
| ___________________________________. | | | | time to answer before. There are lots of people out |
| 12. I have always wondered why | | | | there who have wondered about those very same |
| ____. | | | | things, and you can help them! |
| You may have lots of answers for each statement. | | | | You don't need to be an expert. You need to be a |
| That's great! Each answer is a possible article topic. | | | | great researcher, and you need to be willing to ask |
| Most of them won't be specific enough (or perhaps | | | | questions. Lots of questions, sometimes. But that's |
| too specific) for an article, but they should give you | | | | one of the great things about writers-- we're such |
| lots of new starting points from which to brainstorm | | | | curious creatures. |
| angles. | | | | Write what you want to know, and soon enough, it'll |
| Think of freelance writing as your own opportunity | | | | be what you DO know. |