When I say “Unknown Article,” I mean you think you need to
write an article but you are clueless as to what it should be about.
This means that no burning cause is there for you to expose. You didn’t
learn to make waffles for the first time yesterday and you want to tell
everybody about it. You are not mad at Dick Cheney or the President.
You have no great religious axe to grind. In fact, you are as I said,
“clueless” as to what to write. Here are some ways to find the idea
that will get you going on that “Unknown Article:”Go to your
word processor and write in html italics “b” and “/b.” Between them
write “Unknown Article.” When you get your article idea, replace the
title. Now leave your computer and read the morning newspaper. In
the first section of the newspaper, look for the hottest controversies,
most exciting news stories, and that stinging editorial against cloning
or gang rape. Go to your computer, bring up Notepad and
jot down the few ideas you found even though you have no plans to
develop any of them in the present article. A bad idea for an article
today will become a good idea when you are really hurting for article
ideas. Take my word for it. Now you are going to need some help
here. Here are some stories in our daily rag this morning followed by a
possible article idea or two: Committee OKs raises for some state
workers: State of Idaho Unfair to Most State Workers, Idaho Favors Some
State Workers over Others, State Thinks Prison Guards More Important
than School Teachers. Guards foil terrorist strike at the heart
of the Saudi oil industry: Gunfight at the Ol’ Saudi Corral, Saudi’s
Fake Attack to Raise Oil Price, Phony Oil Price Raise, Saudi Refinery
Guards Outshoot Terrorist Suicide Bombers. Wild in the Classroom:
Teacher Threatens Students with Dangerous Reptiles, Idaho Snakes Don’t
Kill, PTA in Uproar about Snakes, Serpents Invade Classrooms Worldwide. Castleford
arsenic plan too expensive, state agency says: State Says, “Let them
Die,” $500,000 Grant Declined to Castleford, State Abandons Castleford,
State Says to Drink Arsenic laden water is Okay if you Live in
Castleford. South Dakota Legislature passes abortion ban to
challenge Roe v. Wade: Rape Pregnancy Okay in South Dakota, South
Dakota Says the Bodies of Women are not Temples of God that Sometimes
Need Purifying, State of South Dakota hates women and Okays incest,
Planned Parenthood Fights South Dakota Governor. Our local rag is rich in article ideas today. Here are some other article ideas generated from Section A: Child
Turns into Old Lady and Dies (from obits), Paratroopers Discharged for
Bad Jump (from sex scandal), U.S. Against Civil War They Caused (Iraq
article), Great Statesman Says Gays Bring Diversity, Utah Cans
Polygamist Judge, BSU Wants More Blacks, Smoke Money Chokes
Legislature, Idaho Legislature Favors Candy Machines in Schools, McCall
“Fines” State, Cameras in Grade School will Thwart Gangs, Attorney Gets
Caught in Internet Trap, Water Beds Good for Dairy Cows (I’m not
kidding), Mouse Virus Causes Prostate Cancer, Bush Administration
Drifts Back toward Port Deal, Gulf not Ready for New Katrina, Judge
Backs Libby. Hey! Where did you go! We’ve got three more sections to cover. There’s more to this article than just the newspapers. There are other ways to generate article ideas. Oh, well. The End
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