Enterprise stories: Finding good story ideas

There's a saying I've heard a few times before. It goes something like this: There are reporters who write stories and reporters who have story ideas. 

I've written for a variety of different magazines, all with different styles. They all asked me, at one point in my time with them, if I had any new story ideas. Aside from the importance of finding new stories for your beat, journalists shouldn't get into the everyday routine of taking only assigned stories. Some of the best stories are those that you looked for and are most passionate about. In fact, all of the stories I came up with myself are some of my best and most in-depth pieces.

According to "Think Like An Editor" by Steve Davis and Emilie Davis, there are 10 steps to better enterprise stories. Here's what they recommend:

1. Make a list.
2. Think about change.
3. Think about the unusual.
4. Ask yourself what interests you.
5. Think about the next steps.
6. Think about people.
7. Apply the five W's
8. Ask how.
9. Ask others.
10. Read.

 In addition to the above suggestions from Strategy 3 in the book, I found a few other sites that might be useful in coming up with new story ideas:

The Student Newspaper Survival Guide:
This blog has tips for student journalists working at a college paper. One blog includes finding story ideas. Although the blog is geared for students, the suggestions and tips would be beneficial for any journalist.

Off The Wall: Bruce Byfield's Blog:
This blog post has great suggestions for practical ways to find story ideas. The blog offers very useful suggestions and answers a question writers often have, how do I come up with story ideas?

Hold The Front Page:
This page has useful tips that might spurn other ideas or might get writers thinking in different ways. The site offers a list of different questions or ideas, with links to more in-depth explanations.

All this said, I don't think any of the suggestions matter as much as listening, observing and thinking matter.  Granted, all of the above tips are methods to get people thinking, but even then I sometimes think it's too complicated. 

It's simple. Write what you think. Write what you feel. Write what you wonder. Write what you like. Write what you don't like. The list could go on and on, but essentially, everyone has a story. Everyone has something special to tell.  I think too often journalist (myself included) get too caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and we forget why we became journalists.

I don't mean to detract attention or importance from the above tips, however. When you're in a crunch, some of these tips can be great resources to get you thinking in ways you might not have previously. 

I looked at the tips. I read them. I read them because I always want more story ideas - that makes me a better journalist. I just don't think we should over analyze it.

Tip four from Think Like An Editor hit the nail on the head: Ask yourself what interests you.

So with all that in mind, I hope journalists can remember the basics.

Happy writing!