Now for a Limited Time: Ideas!

One of my favorite professors ever, Johanna Keller (who is my very own personal Dumbledore) says that ideas are like water in the well.

And when you run out, it's time to refill the well. If these past two weeks have been any indication to me, it's that the well is working overtime. Having pitched four ideas for a web journalism class and gotten rejected on all of them, and having a story that I'm writing for Back Stage implode forcing me to think up three more ideas, I've been on constant idea generating mode.

So that brought my idea generating status to a grand total of 8 ideas in two weeks. And not counting updating this blog and starting work on my new column for "TheCelebrityCafe.com" called "Culture Ninja" (hyah!!).

And I will like to share with you readers, my idiot-proof way to think up feature article ideas, honed from a grand 2.5 years of journalism.

Diep's Handy-Dandy, Idiot-Proof Way to Generate Ideas
1) Read, and if that doesn't work, read some more. Ideas will come if you read. And by reading, I don't mean dedicating a couple of minutes to peruse the headlines, I mean reading newspapers, magazines, blogs, Twitter feeds, anything that can allow you to see trending topics.

2) Go watch something. Watch movie, watch TV, because a happy brain is a brain that is watching something. And something you see may spark a question that will lead to that brilliant idea.

3) Rest. If you're racking your brains and getting frustrated. Chances are the idea will not come. So go rest, have some fun, have a cupcake, and don't even think about idea generating. Then when it comes, it'll come because you've given your brain a chance to process everything that you just read and saw.

What not to do:
Do not just sit there and try to think up an idea. Ideas do not come from sitting in a chair by the fireplace. It comes from reading things, watching things, doing general things of various sorts.

And always remember:
The best idea will probably usually come when you're not thinking about finding an idea. Example: I though up an idea while not paying attention in class, how's that for progress.

Yes it's a frustrating and not always exciting venture but rest assured, after you've been doing it for a while, your brain will be honed to thinking up ideas to write. But the best rule is: think of something you like, that you would have fun writing about. Because if it's a good idea but you don't like the subject, it's going to suck, not just for you but for the people reading too.

At this point, I would love it if someone will just assign me something good, poor brain needs a rest.