Stories begin with an idea.
Where ideas come from.

They can come from someone else, but writers who develop their own ideas, or collaboration with others.

Two minds are better than one.

You arrive at a good idea by answering the following questions:

What interests you? What creates emotion: makes you mad; makes you happy/sad; makes you inquisitive??

Who interests you?

What do you want to look into more or learn about?

How good is the idea: Will it contain information? Will the information be significant enough to be of interest to others?

If you sit down and try to answer questions like the above, you probably will come up with some possibilities for stories to write. But generally ideas are generated more spontaneously. A brainstorm. You see, hear or read something that triggers another idea. A conversation gives you an idea.

Ideas, for many of us, are like jokes: We tend to forget them.

Most writers carry a little notebook or keep a journal. It is a way of capturing the germ of an idea that can be built on.

Here's another little exercise that might be worth trying: Write down three ideas you think may be interesting for your publication...for your eyes only.

Take your best idea. Write an answer in a word or two or three to the basic questions each story should contain, if there is an answer: Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How?

Talk over the idea with someone else before you start working on it.

What are the criteria for a newsy idea?

1. Does it have timeliness?

2. Is it of importance (affects many)?

3. Will it be of general interest to the reader?

4. Is it relevant?

5. Does it involve the public's right to know?

6. Does involve the public's need to know?

7. Will it inform/educate/guide/entertain readers?