Generate Story Ideas Wherever You Go!

It’s simply a matter of training your brain to spot them.

Dear Writers,

Thank you for signing up for Writing with Hart: News and Opportunities for Writers. I’m so glad you’re here!

In mid-July, I emailed a bit of bonus content about how I challenge myself to come up with a story idea wherever I go in the world. And then I gave examples of five story ideas I came across while spending a week in Rochester, New York.

“How the hell do you come up with so many ideas?” someone asked me later that week. “My brain doesn’t work that way.”

“But,” I said, “it could!”

The ability to spot a good story comes from being aware of what’s getting published, and what editors are looking for. I spend 15-20 minutes a day studying calls for submissions, writers’ guidelines, new magazines, new columns in newspapers, and I read what’s getting published in my particular fields of interest.

The first thing I do when I get to a new place is grab the local independent newspaper and look in the calendar section for unusual events to attend. And then I walk the streets, looking at signs and examining flyers on bulletin boards. I talk with people. I search for what’s new, relevant, and surprising wherever I go. And I think:

·        How can I spin this idea for a travel magazine?

·        How about a nature/environmental publication?

·        How can I angle this idea for a woman’s magazine, a kids’ magazine, or a general interest magazine?

·        Can I spin this idea for a pet magazine? A history magazine? An LGBTQIA+ publication?

·        How can I turn this idea into social commentary and/or a personal essay?

I think most of us are able to train our brain, over time, to come up with story ideas in this manner. I’d be curious to know if any of you have a different method of coming up with stories while you’re on vacation!

Aside from getting to tell great stories for publication and a paycheck, I find another advantage to training my brain in this way: after interviewing people in my vacation city and delving into the person or event or place or idea on which I’m reporting, I find myself more deeply connected to my location and its residents. I aspire to be the sort of person who has beloved contacts everywhere—a true citizen of the world.

What I’m Publishing

For Byrdie, I wrote this profile of Down syndrome advocate Abigail Adams, who recently launched her own makeup and clothing line.

For The Writer Magazine, I profiled the literary Instagram journal, The Keepthings, as well as the National Association of Memoir Writers.

I’m working on a ridiculous number of pieces on deadline this month, including a profile of this pay-it-forward café in Rochester, New York for Next City and an article on how to create and preserve memories of vacations for VIA Magazine.

A Few Cool Writing Resources

·         Brooke Warner of She Writes wrote this smart article about how to build your author platform. She was my editor at Seal Press long ago; I loved getting a peek at how she acquired manuscripts, including my memoir Gringa: A Contradictory Girlhood.

·        I appreciated the insights in this article, “How Author Photographs Help Your Book’s Success (+ 7 Top Mistakes to Avoid).”

·        Did you catch this conversation between journalist Ezra Klein and novelist Ruth Ozeki? From the interview, “Gosh, there’s so many ways that meditation supports writing. One thing, certainly, is that, as we know, meditation improves concentration. And that’s something that is a challenge for all of us these days, whether we’re trying to write or not. There’s just so many distractions, and the mind is very distractible.”

·        Okay, maybe not writing related, but I’m reading and re-reading this short article, “Text Your Friends. It Matters More than You Think.” Myself, I love a quick check-in text from friends and family, preferably with a witty cat-themed GIF. (My husband excels at these.)

Conferences, Workshops, and Calls for Submissions

·        My online asynchronous 8-week class, “How to Write & Publish Short Personal Essays for Magazines & Newspapers” started last week, and the writers in it are amazing. I have an open spot if you’re interested; I can catch you up on what you missed, and you can start today! (Want a sneak-peek at the content? Here’s my free one-hour webinar on the subject.)

·        The Willamette Writers Conference is happening in August, virtually and in person in Portland, Oregon. I’m so excited to attend Emily Grosvenor’s workshop “Feng Shui for Writers: Adjust Your Space for Deeper Work” and YA author Mark Oshiro’s keynote. Myself, I’m teaching a master class, titled “Turn Your Passion into Paychecks: Write Feature Articles for Magazines and Newspapers.” I’d love to see you there!

·        The OutWrite Literary Festival happens virtually August 5-7. It’s Washington, D.C.’s free annual LGBTQIA+ literary festival.

·        The Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop takes place October 20-22. Dubbed “the Woodstock of Humor,” it takes place both online and in person this year.

·        SelfPubCon, the Self-Publishing Advice Conference, takes place October 29th and 30th. Speakers offering insight on everything from how to work with Ingram Spark to how to start and maintain an author YouTube channel, and it’s free!

That’s all for now! Feel free to share this newsletter these opportunities with everyone you know! And email me if something wonderful comes across your inbox. I’ll share it in the September newsletter.

Much gratitude,

Melissa

P.S. Here I am during a Pride-themed tour of the Memorial Art Gallery in Rochester, New York, while asked by the tour guide to imitate a Degas.