So you're feeling the effects of a slow economy and you need to write more articles. What topic is more pertinent than the slowing economy? We've had some great submissions about how to cut back spending in general, but here are some more subjects to consider writing about:

• Reasons for global economy slowdown
• Reasons for US recession
• Effects of rising prices world wide
• How is the economy's pace affecting the wealthy?
• How does it affect healthcare?
• Is "going green" compatible with living more economically?
• How are retailers dealing with slowing sales?
• How are the poor affected?
• What about third-world countries?
• What can someone do in the case of a food shortage?
• How should a person invest during a recession?

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

If you're having a block this weekend, or none of the request appeal to you, consider writing about medical advances in technology, drugs, or procedures. Cancer treatments, discoveries in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, or MS research, or new information for diabetes sufferers or the obese are all fair game.

After you've identified your topic and scientific studies that explain these medical advances, use search engines to try and find the original studies - or, in the very least, copies of their abstracts. This will guarantee that the information you have is correct and lend your article more authority. Don't forget to reference your sources at the end of the piece.

Basic starting points for further investigation include BBC's health section or Slate's Human Nature column.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

As the word "recession" reverberates in echo across various media outlets, "green" living becomes ever more econonomical, trendy, and a way for practitioners to show others they are environmentally conscious, and the political sphere spins closer to election day in the US, we've seen a great many submissions that capitalize on buzzwords, explore hot topics, and look towards future changes in our lifestyles and our world.

This weekend's writing idea steps away from content that focuses on timely subjects and into one that is timeless - the realm of the paranormal, unexplained, or mysterious.

Whether you're a believer in UFOs, Bigfoot, ghosts, or mysterious happenings, or you're a die-hard skeptic, you can get in on the fun.  Provide evidence or examples of paranormal phenomenon or debunk them.  One caveat - as always, avoid first-person narratives. Some ideas for articles include:

• Bigfoot sightings, Bigfoot around the world, Bigfoot in myth and legend
• UFO unsolved mysteries, common witness errors
• Ghosts, hauntings, theories behind ghostly activity, ghost hunter tips
• Lake monsters or sea monsters
• Mass hallucinations
• Curses on objects or families
• Superstitions around the world

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Food is an all-around fun topic. It's fun to write about and fun to research. So this weekend, if you need something to write about, write about food. Bypass your desire to capitalize from your grandmother's three-layer, upside-down, German chocolate angel cake recipe, and instead focus on world cuisines. Here are some topics to think about:

• Traditional cuisines vs. modern cuisines
• Tex-Mex and pizza parlor vs. Mexican and Italian
• Ways to bring authentic cuisine into the kitchen
• Exotic cuisines/Unknown cuisines
• Korean side dishes (or other unusual snack foods) for your cocktail party
• Dessert meets bacon (a trend that I hope will go the way of 1950s Jell-o salads)
• Haute cuisine chocolates
• Vegetarian/Vegan takes on favorite recipes
• Molecular gastronomy - what it is/how it works
• Ways to make breakfast exciting
• Unusual or surprising picnic food choices

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Forbes.com featured some of the world's most expensive desserts in a slideshow in honor of Valentine's Day. Most expensive, least expensive, or other surprising qualities at either end of the spectrum make for great articles. Some other suggestions include:

• Most expensive coffee makers
• Least expensive cars
• Smallest dogs
• Largest houses
• Longest films
• Oldest man-made structures
• Most expensive art sales

Bookmark It

Hide Sites