Whether you’re a freelancer trying to brainstorm that next pitch or an editor trying to fill a hole in your production calendar, it can be hard to find a new angle or story day in and day out, week after week.

You can’t always be creative, witty and hard-hitting. Sometimes you need an extra nudge, a little push in the direction of something beyond your old standbys.

So, we turned to some experts, writers, reporters and editors, who also have the challenge of finding interesting and compelling stories every day, for some advice about where they turn when their list of potential leads is looking thin.

Read on and you just might find some inspiration for your next byline.

1. People

Not the magazine, we’re talking about actual flesh and blood humans. Writing and reporting can be a lonely profession, but actual socializing can do more than just give your brain a break from deadline pressure.

“If I want a piece that has the possibility to do well, it needs to be more grounded in real life. So, it helps to remove myself from the Internet for a bit and have a conversation with someone face-to-face,” said freelance writer Lindsay Cross, who blogs daily for sites like TheGloss and Mommyish.

Cross turns to friends and family who don’t work in the world of digital journalism, like a former boss and her dad, for real inspiration.

“Both of them remind me that even though writing feels like a creative process and really closely linked to my emotions, it’s a job and a business. Sometimes it helps to remember that,” she added.

When someone asks what you do for a living, tell them what you’re working on or what you typically write about and let the ideas flow from those conversations. If you don’t want to prowl bars looking for strangers to ply for ideas, look for networking and industry events to meet new people.

Keep a notebook with you to jot down notes and ideas after you leave parties, or store notes on your phone, so you don’t forget before you wake up the next day.

2. The Competition

“Looking at the competition can help spark ideas that could fill gaps or news they’re not covering,” said Nick Barber, a tech reporter for IDG.

If you read a piece another outlet wrote about a subject, ask yourself what’s missing or try to look at the piece from the opposite point of view. “Sometimes a fresh perspective can help generate something new,” Barber added.

Pressed for time? Set up Google Alerts for any topics you’re interested in and watch the ideas flow into your inbox. And the competition doesn’t always have to be in your exact field.

If you’re a food writer, a quick check of Wired.com might unearth a profile of someone whose innovative freezing technology could be weaved into that piece on homemade ice cream you’ve been brainstorming.

Or, maybe it’s a blurb on The Wrap about Lindsay Lohan’s latest #fail that is the catalyst for your next parenting piece on teen discipline.

The idea is to keep your eyes peeled and your reporter’s cap on at all times.

3. Your Portfolio

When the story-well runs dry, looking through things you’ve written in the past may help conjure up new angles and ideas. Think about how you can approach an old story in a new way or new people you can talk to and interview.

Consider things that you wanted to cover that you didn’t have time for, or questions you were asked after the story was published that you can go back and answer.

What’s more, revisiting successful stories in new and different ways can capitalize on pieces that are already familiar with your audience and can likely lead to high traffic or interest from readers.

4. Comment Boards and Forums

“We always reach out to commenters,” said Meghan Keane, editorial director for women’s sites, including Crushable and Blisstree.

Keane’s writers and editors often ask commenters to tell stories in their own unique and personal way, either by writing it themselves or telling it to a staff writer.

“We want to reach out to people who will make stories interesting,” she added. Asking a reader to tell a story that you have previously reported about in their own words could reignite a topic that already struck a chord with your audience.

Again, scope out the boards for sites you don’t write for. Often, the readers themselves will reveal the hidden angle from an article, what a sports reporter should really have asked an athlete, or the biggest WTF moment of the latest season of True Blood.

Question forums like Quora and LinkedIn Groups can also shed insight into what’s on everyone’s minds. Keep digging and digging until you find a subject so deliciously niche that your editor just can’t say no.

5. The Calendar

Seasonal angles on stories are a no-brainer, but it’s funny how often we forget that. For example, a women’s publication can run countless versions of “The Best [XYZ] for Summer” without ever seeming repetitive.

There are also endless stories to be had around holidays, from the big ones like Christmas or Thanksgiving to smaller celebrations like National Ice Cream Day.

Just about every day of the year has been declared a “day” of some sort, so start there for quirky, fun pieces. Looking ahead to events can also help you pitch an outlandish piece to editors.

“If you want to jump out of a plane with Emma Stone while you talk to her about Spider-Man, and the movie is coming out in six months, then you might have a shot to make that happen,” Keane explained. “But if Spider-Man is coming out in two weeks, it’s probably not going to happen.”

6. Silence

Ever heard someone say they get their best ideas in the shower or while driving? This tip may seem obvious, but there have been several studies that prove that quieting the brain can do wonders for sparking creativity.

And you don’t have to be Deepak Chopra or a yogi to make it work. Start simple: Take a half-day for no reason other than to get away from your laptop. Go see a silly movie, treat yourself to lunch at new restaurant, or take a walk through the park.

In the need-it-yesterday environment of the media world, it’s easy to think that every day should be spent working toward some goal. But in fact, it could be the days where you’re lazing around doing absolutely nothing that you produce your best work.

7. Search Statistics

An online trend tracker can do a lot of the heavy lifting for you. Got an idea for a slideshow retrospective and need to know what America was buzzing about in 2004? Google Insights for Search will tell you.

Yahoo Buzz Index allows you to filter hot topics by category, AOL Search Trends breaks down queries by the hour and day, and even Twitter’s trending topics can shed some light.

Rather than trying to convince your editor that the artist you love is the next big thing, go online and find the numbers that prove it.

8. Threes

As the old saying goes, it isn’t a trend until it happens three times. So, if you really want to keep the assignments rolling in, it’s you, the reporter, who has to tell the world what’s hot.

If you’re a beauty writer who notices that both Katy Perry and Rihanna are rocking red bobs or a tech blogger who realizes that a few noteworthy startups have launched in Boston, start pitching—fast.

You just might be onto a juicy story that will bring in beaucoup page views and maybe even a little notoriety.

Looking for even more freelance writing guidance? Don’t stop here. Check out this article: “Generate Story Ideas Like an Improv Comedian.”

The post 8 Places to Find Your Next Story appeared first on Mediabistro.

We’ve all had this problem: Sometimes you want to electrocute a lot of people all at once, and a single taser gun won’t cut it. So you think, “Wouldn’t it be great if I could hose all of these bastards down, like with a fire hose? Well, water conducts electricity, so what if I could hose them down and electrocute them at the same time?”

The Tactical Systems department at Mega Engineering Vehicles, a producer of specialty military and police vehicles, might have the solution. First off, Mega produces the friendly-looking riot control vehicles you see here. This first one looks like a school bus full of whoop-ass:

These ports on the side can be opened to allow officers to fire outside of the vehicle. Technically I suppose they could also be used to dispense lollipops in times of peace.

Then there’s this beast, which would have no problem getting out of the driveway after a snowstorm:

That fun-looking red thing up top is a hose. It’s also equipped with cameras, powerful lights and loudspeakers. (Every protestor’s wish: “Say it, don’t spray it.”)

Even more fun is that a “Foam Pro” console inside lets the operator dial in the foam and water levels. I’m guessing you can start with a gentle pulsating massage, then ratchet things up as needed.

Now, the problem with electrocuting people via hose is that water tends to break up into a spray, dispersing the electricity. With that in mind, “Tactical Systems was experimenting with additives (salt and additives to reduce the breakup of the stream into droplets) that would allow electricity to be conducted through water,” the company writes. “They have demonstrated delivery from a distance of up to twenty feet (6 m), but have not yet tested the device on people.”

I looked for the sign-up sheet to volunteer for the testing, but couldn’t find it on their website.

Let’s be honest. We miss the Electrolux Design Labs competition! It was the perfect platform for exploring uncharted technological territories and marrying that with a keen design sense. The Electrolux Evno is a conceptual wall mounted tankless water filter that brings a clean design to a product meant to clean our water. Aside from its pure aesthetic, it explores a new user experience, by bringing rotating faucet-style dispenser mechanisms to the product. While most water purifiers have push-button dispensers, or lever style dispensers, the Evno brings the universally relatable turn-on turn-off style dispenser to the appliance.

The wall-mounted design even comes with a retractable tray, so that even though it may be mounted higher up so that bottles fit under the dispenser, the tray can hold smaller vessels like glasses or tumblers closer to the dispenser nozzle, preventing water from splashing out and getting wasted.

Designer: Harsh Thacker & Kristin Francis

With all proceeds going to the ACLU, Run for Something, Sierra Club, and Campaign Legal Center, Sight Unseen’s Design for Progress auction is online now. Furniture, decor items, jewelry, and artworks by the likes of Jonathan Zawada, Katie Stout and……

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Jumpstart your week with our insider’s guide to events in the design world. From must-see exhibitions to insightful lectures and the competitions you need to know about—here’s the best of what’s going on, right now.

Monday

The ‘ABC’ Party of Autonomous Vehicle Competitions: Driverless Future Challenge

This unique challenge seeks proposals that actively shape the city’s response to driverless cars. It’s not about the cars themselves, but everything else: from parking solutions, to new uses of roadways, intersections, and sidewalks. Participants in the challenge will pitch concrete solutions, and Blank Space will help the winning entries turn their proposals into real companies and products. 

Online competition open through April 6, 2017.

Tuesday

Residential Forum: Designing the Glass Ceiling

Explore some of the issues faced by designers of color and cultural diversity at a time when inclusion leads the conversation in the design community. The women that make up the panel for Designing the Glass Ceiling: Shattering the Status Quo are at the top of their game, and their journeys have shaped still-evolving careers.

New York, NY. March 28, 2017 at 6:00 PM.

Wednesday

Call for Entries: TechINK Award

Industrial Design is the combination of technological knowledge and artistic creativity. The TechINK Industrial Design Student Competition is in line with the end goal of Industrial Design, which is to create products that are functionally useful and aesthetically pleasing. This year, TechINK Award calls for outstanding ideas that will refresh our definition of “smart home.” Good luck, students!

Online competition open through April 7, 2017.

Thursday

Basically Design Summer Camp: Hello Wood

Hello Wood is a combination of several traditional events. There are the typical elements of architecture camps, art workshops, conferences and professional symposia, and then there are also organized events like concerts, lectures, and performances. Through the balancing of these two event styles, Hello Wood offers an opportunity for professional development and networking at the same time.

Budapest, Hungary. Applications open now. Actual event is July 1-9, 2017.

Friday

Bring the Kids but Go for Yourself: AETech: Adventures in Art + Technology

ARTech is a two-month long pop-up activity center comprised of STEAM-based experiential workshops, installations, and interactive moments for school age children and their accompanying adults. Bonus: it’s free and open to the public, just make sure you RSVP first.

New York, NY. On view through April 29, 2017.

Saturday/Sunday

Makers Unite: Maker Faire UK

Maker Faire UK is a two-day family-friendly festival of invention and creativity. It brings together over 300 hackers, crafters, coders, DIYers and garden shed inventors from across the globe—people who love to make stuff and who want to share their passion with the public.

Bristol, UK. April 1-2, 2017. 

Check out the Core77 Calendar for more design world events, competitions and exhibitions, or submit your own to be considered for our next Week in Design.