Some people just cannot come up with ideas for articles no matter how hard they try. Well, if you’re one of those folks, this article writing tactic is so simple that I don’t know why other people don’t use it. I call it “reporting the news.” If you wonder what I’m talking about, keep reading. You’ll get it.

Okay, so you want to write an article about car alarms. You know nothing about them. But here is what you DO know. Tons of people have written articles about car alarms. Now, I’m not saying you read their articles and steal their work. No, not at all. However, is so and so has written some great stuff on car alarms, why not let the rest of the world know about it?

Doing this is simple and legal as long as you cite references and give credit to the actual authors. In essence, what you’re doing is reporting the news. For example, let’s say John Doe wrote an article on car alarms that appeared in the January issue of Car and Driver or whatever magazine it was in. You might want to write something like this.

“In the January issue of Car and Driver, John Doe mentions that car alarms are…” and then go on to tell people what John Doe said in the article. You’re simply reporting the facts that other people have shared with the rest of the world. Compile enough of these facts from various authors and you have more than enough info for an entire article.

Think about it. When you open up a newspaper and read a news story, isn’t that what these reporters are doing? They’re taking an event and telling people what happened at the event. You’re simply reporting what other people have reported and citing your source. As long as you use citations and give credit, you’re fine. The problems arise when you DON’T cite where you got your sources from and make people think that you came up with this research all on your own.

Yeah, it’s a lazy way to write an article and should only be used when you’re absolutely stuck for ideas, but it is a valid technique and perfectly legal as long as everybody knows where you got your information from. In fact, by mentioning these people and their sources, you’re giving them exposure as well. I’ve written a few articles in my day citing sources that ended up bringing these people lots of traffic to their sites…traffic that they ultimately thanked me for.

So it’s a win-win for both parties. Just make sure you include ALL references.

Next time you’re stuck for ideas, give the “reporting” method a shot.

The person at the receiving end just might thank you for the extra readership.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim

Want to write articles that get people’s attention and can earn you up to $200 per article written? Then check out my Complete Article Writing And Marketing Guide that you can find at http://www.honestincomeprogram.com/tcawamg.html – This is my own book that I wrote from over 30 years of writing experience.