One of the most important ways to be sure you always have more great ideas to write about than you’ll ever actually write is to have a simple way to capture the ideas when they cross your path. I’ve two favorite methods. I keep a small memo pad and pen with me at all times. As soon as I stumble upon something I can use for an article, I jot it down

At this point in the process, you need to begin looking from two different perspectives. The first perspective, already discussed, is what are you passionate about? That’s one side of the equation. On the other side is the question, “What kinds of article ideas are magazines interested in receiving?” Of course, the answer to that question depends o

As Lisa Collier Cool writes in her book How to Sell Every Magazine Article You Write, the slant or angle of an idea is “what makes a submission right for one magazine, wrong for another.” Having a well thought-out and defined slant will not only make your idea more appealing to the editor, it will also make the article easier to write.

ask, “If I could write for any magazines, which ones would they be?”

In this case, jot down the magazine’s name, address, phone number, the name of the editor, and the Web site or email address. Later you can send a letter or email to the magazine requesting a copy of their writers’ guidelines. Additionally, many magazines now carry their guidelines online at their Web sites, so you can find them there. While not al

Writing magazine articles about passion-filled topics is half the equation. The other half is finding markets with a deep hunger for what you’re offering.

It may be necessary to make some trips to the library and a large magazine newsstand for market research. That’s right, now that you’ve become a writer, an afternoon browsing through the magazine racks has suddenly been transformed into a business afternoon of market research. Nifty, huh?

I created Project Purpose: To write and publish articles about people and institutions whose lives and missions are dedicated to a bold and inspired purpose or vision.

3. Begin to notice which ideas really excite you. See if a pattern begins to emerge. It may suggest a specialty you would enjoy developing. 4. Once a week sit down with an empty pad of paper and write down as many ideas as possible that come to you in fifteen minutes.