Finding Topics for Writing

I write for the eHow site and any topic is fair game, as long as it’s a how-to.  Usually I write about things I’ve recently experienced.  Keeping my camera at hand, I capture step-by-step photos of everything from How to Divide a Banana Plant to How to Find Solutions to Computer Problems Online  to How to Eat Restaurant Meals and Keep Costs Down.  At other times I dredge back through my life experiences to find informative topics that others might find interesting.  Those range widely from How to Do a Life Review with Someone with a Terminal Illness to How to Play with Paper Dolls the Old-Fashioned Way to How to Clear Up Library Fines. 

Sometimes I write how-to articles on a requested topic.  This results in articles like How to Find RV Kitchen Supplies …How to Find Support Groups for Children Taking Care of Elderly Parents …How to Get Your Child to Move Out After High School …How to Win Arguments Against Your Parents …How to Find Support Groups for Caregivers Who’s Spouses Have Severe Tramatic Brain Injuries (not my spelling error) …How to Find Living Arrangements for the Learning Disabled …How to Fundraise for Dog Shelters …How to Make an Adult Tinkerbell Costume

Sometimes I research and write on topics that I think will meet demand.  I find these by checking Google trends, sites that track keyword requests, and also note what the newspapers and television news are hyping.  Some of these are proving popular, like  How to Find People Who Give Away Money …How to Become a Census Taker for the Upcoming Census … How to Get Free Directory Assistance on a Cell Phone …How to Estimate a Home’s Current Value …How to Decide if You Should Postpone a Divorce During Hard Times …How to Get the Economic Stimulus Check at a New Address …How to Get Help Before Foreclosure

Another category that I get inspired to write about is charities.  I hope my articles helps lead more people to How to Give Vacations to Veterans …How to Help a Handicapped Pet …How to Grow Food for a Food Bank …How to Sign a Dog up for READing Paws …How to Help with the Backyard Bird Count

I’ve also written about some of my favorite websites.  These are all wonderful sites, so check them out:  How to Set Goals Using the 43 Things Website …How to Write Family Memories for Our Echo …How to Create Poetry Using Online Forms …How to Expand Your Vocabulary and Have Fun at the Same Time …How to Make Snow Flakes Online

I haven’t run out of topics yet and I write about ten to fifteen of these a week.

Christmas Winding Down… Shifting My Writing Gears

Most of the Christmas rush is over.  Gifts bought, wrapped, mailed, unwrapped, returned, etc.  Food bought, prepared and eaten.  Cards sent and received. 

I’m trying to get maximum enjoyment out of the Christmas trees and decorations before having to put them away.  Surely I can keep them up until January 1st at least.  Somehow the dread of boxing all the decorations hangs over my head at this time.  Putting them up was a lot more fun.

Of course, all those eHow articles I wrote about Christmas topics will languish for the next eleven months.  No one wants to know How to Decorate a Golf Cart for Christmas or How to Start a Holiday Ornament Tradition in April. 

So I’m on to other topics.  My current enthusiasm is writing up ideas for library book displays.  I covering it month-by-month, so there’s twelve articles to write for a start.  Maybe I should dredge through my old papers and find other library topics to write.  I doubt that there’s much of an audience for those, but might as well share my knowledge before it gets totally crowded out of my mind.    Here’s the first one: How to Make Library Book Displays for January.