Finding inspiration from news

If you're looking for inspiration for a story or article, newspapers and journals are another great source of ideas. 

This is one you can do from your computer if you wish, and simply search online for the latest news articles (from a range of papers) and look at what is featured in current journals. Or take a stroll to your local newsagent, or look at the news headlines online, and journals on display. 

• Browse through the options on display, and make a note of any headlines / stories that pique your interest.
• Look at the slant or angle taken by the publications (is the language sensationalistic or balanced? Are they sympathetic or critical? What kind of stance have they taken on the issues?
• One very useful idea to keep in mind is whether any of the publications are possible targets for future articles - check whether they take unsolicited writing, and their process for submissions. If you do plan on submitting something to the magazine, then it's worth buying a copy so you can study the style of writing and demographic of the readers. 
• Now start thinking of the story you could write with the titles that caught your attention, and see if you can write a story about it. The trick is not simply to write the story implied by the headlines, but rather something inspired by it - a different perspective, or type of story. If you're writing fiction, you have license to change any details you want.
• Of course, the whole area of fake news, freedom of the press, and who controls the information we see provide a wealth of different types of stories. What happens when those who control the news have an agenda that involves hiding the truth? 
• Bear in mind though that interest in certain topics does wane, and many journals are actively spurning Covid inspired stories - so write something that no only you can.  

Some examples: 

Neighbour stabbed father-of-three 27 times to death after a long-running parking dispute the day after warning police 'I will murder him', court hears

There are a lot of possiblilities here 

• a comic story of neighbours squabbling over parking, and doing various things to ensure their spot is available. 
• How the family reacts to their father being stabbed - a family drama and tragedy. 
• The wrong man is on trial - words spoken in anger, but the murder was someone else's work. 
• A more sensationalist idea ' how I survived a knife attack'
• Write the neighbours story - why did he get so angry? What led him to attack? Was he provoked?
• And of course, you could write a feature article on knife crime or  parking disputes or road rage.

Met office redefines heatwaves for parts for England as climate changes

• 28C is not a heat wave in Africa, so how do different countries respond to heat. Do Brits think 28C is a heatwave when they're on holiday? 
• Here you have the option of going apocalyptic, with stories about climate change, rising temperatures and various forms of dystopia - all of which is perhaps a bit overdone. 
• Instead, you could write about a very hot summer, and how people keep cool, possibly even an article on dealing with high tempartures. 
• Research suggests that rising temperatures can cause an increase in violent crime. What happens in your story's heatwave?
• Perhaps your story is set in another world, where they welcome increasing temperatures, as it means that more solar energy is generated, or that they are moving out of an ice age.

Often the most interesting ideas will come from stories that appear further into the paper: 

Tattoos That Help You Know What Not to Get for Your Next Ink

• Stories about getting drunk and having a tattoo are common enough to be cliche, but this article has an array of tattoos that do make you wonder what inspired them. Write a story about a really odd tattoo, and why someone chose to have it done. 
• Tattoos, body art and personal expression are great areas to reasearch and write articles about. 
• Write about the tattoo artist - why they do what they do, and the skills involved. I watched something recently where the serial killer was a tattoo artist. 
• Write a story about someone's first tattoo, or why they decide to have one removed. 
• Tattoos can be tribal or cultural symbols (Read more here) Create your own culture where tattoos have  specific significance. One of my works-in-progress involves tattoos that hide a secret that will help save that world. 

There is such a wealth of inspiration in magazines and newspapers. I hope this blog helps you get started on your next story.