Where does your inspiration for pitch ideas come from?

by Leo Wiles
04 April 2014

No matter how much you love your day job, there can be times when the well of inspiration dries up. You might be bored with the perennial stories your current clients want – or looking to dazzle a new editor. How do you fire up the light bulb and find stories you can be passionate about?

Here are my top idea generators.

Eavesdrop.

Listen to what’s going on around you. Okay, so working from home means you won’t necessarily be bouncing ideas off your colleagues all the time, but at the local café, last Sunday’s family get-together or that party you went to last week – what were people talking about? Aside from the mundane, the chit chat probably veered into aspects of people’s lives that they’re passionate about – such as a new holiday destination, parenting, mortgages, changes in government policy. If it affects them, chances are readers will want to know more too.

Dine at the media buffet. 

Instead of treating the Sunday papers as a great way to unwind, put on your deerstalker and dust off your monocle to look for clues, pen in hand. If an interesting fact sticks in your mind, jot it down and start thinking of ways to turn it into a story.

Keep your eyes open. 

Witnessing suited and booted office girls wearing sneakers and carrying their heels was the only motivation a fellow writer needed to spark a flurry of interest with health and fashion editors.

Light-bulb leads. 

Stop ditching media releases and view them for interview opportunities. The professional bodies and associations are constantly releasing new health, wealth and lifestyle data and research, so tune in.

Transform the dullard. 

My personal belief is that EVERYONE has a story to tell and it’s your job as a writer and or journo to find it. So be present and look for an angle, a line or lead that encapsulates the texture of our times and then match up the story with an outlet you know would be keen.

Stalk your newsagent.

Back in the pre-internet days when my aim was to land two new clients a month, I’d scour the shelves to find publications that I could be passionate about. And the newsagent still inspires me today, especially if I’m feeling stale.

Locate the pulse.

Are you receiving the latest ABS releases, watching the news, keeping an eye on publications in your area of interest? Doing so will inform you about current trends and gaps that you could potentially fill with the untold stories.

Listers: how do you get inspired?

Photo by Riccardo Annandale on Unsplash

2 responses on "Where does your inspiration for pitch ideas come from?"

  1. Noelene Proud says:

    Great idea about ABS stats, thanks. I will sign up for releases in my area of interest today.
    In addition to hanging out at the newsagency, I also buy some US/international mags in my area of interest when Zinio have an ‘80% of everything sale’; inexpensive, good source of ideas and helps me identify trends that may also be relevant to Australia.

    1. Leo Wiles says:

      Great tips Noelene – I forgot to mention in the blog that it’s also worth being a card carrying member of your local and state library. Especially now that they often offer e-services delivered straight to your desktop.

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