As websites such as Helium demonstrate, the range of online articles that people are interested in reading is almost unlimited. As a writer, however, how can we come up with ideas for new articles that publishers will be willing to pay for, or that websites will be happy to publish?
Write about topics that you are an expert on
We all have skills and expertise that others could benefit from, and these abilities don't have to be limited to your professional life. The fact that you spend all your spare time hillwalking, knitting or writing poems may provide every bit as much ammunition for online articles as the fact that you are a financial adviser or mechanic in your day job.
When considering how to leverage your skills and expertise, think about what aspects you would have found useful to know about when you were just starting out. There may already be lots of articles on your chosen pasttime. but the chances are that there will still be plenty of scope for additional articles, and you may be able to mine a rich seam around the fringes of your area of expertise.
See what articles and issues are being discussed
If you're stuck for inspiration, then it can be useful to browse article topics that have been posted on websites such as Helium. Our brains often make connections between words and topics, so seeing an article on one thing may suddenly give you an idea for a new article. Checking out existing articles can also help you to identify what the current hot topics are, so that you can close in on article ideas that may be best placed to earn you money.
Read newspapers and magazines
Again, check what issues are currently in vogue. The letters pages may also prove useful - sometimes publications even pose questions that readers have submitted and which they are looking for answers to. If there are websites that cover your area of expertise, then speaking with people in chat forums can also be a way of identifying topics that people would like help with.
For example, if you are into fishing, you might find a website where people are discussing what the best fishing marks and techniques are, and you might be able to create online articles to answer those queries. I've also seen people using the social networking website Linkedin to ask people for ideas for blog articles.
Brainstorm ideas with friends/relatives/other writers
There are plenty of techniques that can be used to generate ideas, and this extends to creating ideas for online articles too. Get a few people together and start bouncing ideas off each other. The chances are that you will end up generating far more ideas than if you had just sat down by yourself.
Don't be afraid that an idea might be too silly, as the purpose of this is just to get as many ideas down as possible to begin with. Then you can consider which offer the best potential.
Use mind maps to come up with interesting angles on topics
Another technique you can use is a thing called mind maps. Let's say you've decided that you want to write about global warming, and your challenge is to come up with something that adds to the plethora of existing articles on the subject. You start with 'Global warming' circled in the centre of the page, and then try to come up with other words that you associate with that central theme. The idea is that as you work your way out from the centre, you may come up with an idea that wouldn't have been immediately apparent.
Summary
Creating new online articles can be very rewarding, and it doesn't need to be that difficult to keep coming up with new article ideas. It's usually best to start with topics that you are passionate about, and have expertise in. Check out websites, newspapers and magazines for ideas, and always bear in mind that techniques such as brainstorming or mind maps can help you to maximise the number of fresh ideas that you generate.