Ways to Use the Calendar to Create Article Ideas
June 13th, 2011 by Diane Conklin under Uncategorized. No Comments.
Create Multiple Articles With Research
Using the information you have found while researching a holiday to write various articles about different aspects of the holiday. Take some of the historical material and create a biographical profile of someone involved with the holiday. Dig up some unknown or little known facts about the person to include in your article.
For example doing a series of articles on Independence Day could lead down a variety of paths. Each different path could easily become its own article. 
Independence Day could lead to an article on the Declaration of Independence or one of the signers of the Declaration.
Making additional articles on aspects of the holiday would also be simple. An article about the chemistry of fireworks or firework safety could be written. Writing a piece about local events such as parades or festivals is also a possibility. A feature on freedom or the price of freedom also fits with the holiday. Even an article on agriculture would be possible with the phrase about corn crops: Knee high by the fourth of July. Why is this saying a part of American culture and what does it mean? There are so many possibilities if just take some time to track them down.
Use Other Events on the Same Date
There are a variety of events that have happened over time on the same date. Take a few minutes to track some down. If the piece is local find some local history to include. Various events have happened on the Fourth of July over the years. Both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on the 4th of July. The Battle of Gettysburg was fought over the fourth of July. Historical tidbits help make the article more interesting and more relevant to the readers.
Write about Little Know Celebrations of the Same Month
Including other celebrations is a good way to add some interest to the article. The added facts may also lead to an additional article that might be used later on.
With the right amount of preparation there are vast options and opportunities for writing just by looking through the calendar. Remember that many publishers want seasonal material at least six to twelve months ahead of schedule. Be sure to check before writing what the guidelines are and write specifically for those guidelines. There are abundant sources for writing year round with the right effort and the right information.
Face it holidays happen and not just near the end of the year. Every month there seems to some sort of celebration for some event or organization. There seems to be a growing collection of celebrations with each passing year. How does this help the freelance writer? Find various events and work them into a writing plan.
Newspapers and magazines are always looking for seasonal content to add to their articles. The key is finding the right information and supplying the article at the right time for publication. Finding a listing of events is simple. Any almanac will have a listing of various events for each month of the year. Another excellent resource is Chase’s Calendar of Events. Both are likely to be included in the reference section of your local library for easy access.
Writing about calendar events can be easy once you know what to look for. Make use of the web sites suggested by Chase’s. These sites often offer additional information that is highly valuable in created quality content.
Include a Brief History
Research the event or holiday and write a brief history that examines various facts about the celebration. Include facts about where the event or holiday was originally celebrated. Find out who was responsible for the first celebration. Was it the work of one person or a whole group of people?
Give the Article a Variety of Possibilities
Holidays can take a variety of different possibilities. For local newspaper write the article with local references. Determine the local interest in the event and how it will be celebrated in your area. Then do a little digging and get some information that would be of interest to local newspapers.
Take the same holiday and use a regional perspective to rewrite it. Placing a regional spin make take a little more work but could be easily done. Use some events from neighboring cities to give a different feel. The same thing can be done on both the state and national level for various publications. Take some time and create several articles out of one set of research because this will save you time and could help to increase your revenue.
