How You Can Find New Topics for Hubs

“How do you get ideas or find topics?

How do you think of new subjects to write about in Hubpages?”

That was the question I was asked which is not as simple as it seems. Here is my answer which is slightly more complicated. I have discovered by reading many, many Hubs that Hubbers appear to fall into two categories: those who write authoritatively from experience and/or background about topics they are either familiar with, or are interested in and have researched to some or great extent. And those who write authoritatively about topics they are not very familiar with and couldn’t care less about substantiation of facts.

So you can see that the process for finding new topics and subjects is wide open. Just about anything goes. Wait a minute. There is also a third category. Some hubbers enjoy writing reviews about products, movies, books, whatever. and these hubs may be the easiest to monetize with Adsense and eBay. (Aha! There’s the subject for a new hub)!

Okay. Back to the subject of ideas for new topics. There are three methods I use. First method - I try to write about subjects I have some familiarity with like personality preferences, job search interviewing, dealing with difficult people, public speaking, managing anger; increasing traffic to hubs, etc.

Second method - I also write about subjects that intrigue me that I am not as familiar with but after sometimes exhaustive research, feel comfortable writing about - like weird animals, dumb, crazy laws; doughnuts (familiarity by ingestion prior to research); worldwide obesity; famous quotations, and tributes to well-known humorists.

Third method - this is the most circuitous of all since it involves reading or hearing something which triggers an idea for a hub which triggers research, which triggers another idea, which often leads to that “aha!” moment where you say to yourself: "This is the subject I will write about." The easiest way to illustrate this third and often most interesting method for the writer is to explain exactly how I came to create THIS hub.

You read the title, “How to Find New Topics for Hubs.” But that is not the first idea I had as a subject to write about. Here is how it all began. This morning I received an email in my personal account from an acquaintance and I will quote it here verbatim so you can follow my trend of thought – which is often baffling even to me.

“To commemorate her 70^th birthday, actress Julie Andrews recently made a special appearance at Manhattan’s Radio City Music Hall for the benefit of AARP (American Association of Retired Persons). One of the musical numbers she performed was “My Favorite Things'” from the legendary movie, “The Sound Of Music,” Here are the special lyrics she used:
‘Botox and nose drops and needles for knitting,
Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,
Bundles of magazines tied up in string,
These are a few of my favorite things.

Cadillacs and cataracts, hearing aids and glasses,
Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses,
Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings,
These are a few of my favorite things.

When the pipes leak, When the bones creak,
When the knees go bad,
I simply remember my favorite things,
And then I don't feel so bad.

Hot tea and crumpets and corn pads for bunions,
No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions,
Bathrobes and heating pads and hot meals they bring,
These are a few of my favorite things..

Back pain, confused brains and no need for sinnin',
Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinnin',
And we won't mention our short shrunken frames,
When we remember our favorite things.

When the joints ache, When the hips break,
When the eyes grow dim,
Then I remember the great life I've had,
And then I don't feel so bad.’
Ms. Andrews received a standing ovation from the crowd that lasted over four minutes.”

Wow! What a clever parody. Think I’ll try to write a hub around it. But wait. The facts are wrong. #1 – I ”googled” Julie Andrews and learned she was born October 1, 1935 which would make her 75 on her birthday later this year, not 70 as the email proclaims.

#2 – I know that Julie Andrews lost her ability to sing after a botched surgery to remove a growth on her vocal cords. (In 2000, she subsequently sued the hospital and the two doctors involved and won her case and a settlement). She did a bit of “speaking-singing” in the 2004 film, “The Royal Engagement,” but admits in an interview that “ … the song was pitched very low for me; I wish I could call it singing. I don’t want to mislead anyone.”

So I did some more research and learned that this email with its song parody is considered an urban legend that has been around since April of 2001, and for nine years now Ms. Andrews vehemently denies ever singing it.

If I'm not going to write a hub on the parody, I thought, "Why not do a hub on Julie Andrews?" So I conducted even more research on Julie and learned that back in the 1970s, she was a guest star on The Muppet Show. Why not include the video of her performance in my incipient "All About Andrews" hub? Take a look for yourself.

Julie Andrews guest stars on The Muppet Show singing “The Lonely Goatherd” during Season Two (1977-1978).

It was so much fun to watch that video, I got carried away and thought why not create an entire hub featuring Muppets with Celebrities? Enjoy!

Diana Ross guest stars on The Muppet Show singing “Reach Out and Touch Someone” during Season 4 (1979-1980).

Norah Jones guest stars on Sesame Street singing "Don’t Know Why ‘Y' Didn’t Come" during Season 35.

Patti LaBelle guest stars on The Muppet Show singing ”The Alphabet Song,” in rousing gospel style. 

Tony Bennett guest stars on The Muppet Show singing “I Believe in Little Things.”  

Andrea Bocelli guest stars on The Muppet Show and sings Elmo to sleep during Season 36. Elmo is almost as big a star as Andrea.

Instead of a hub about celebrities with Muppets, I had this brilliant flash of inspiration. Why not create a hub that features celebrities who look like Muppets? Here is one funny comparison of a celebrity and her respective Muppet look-alike that I found.

The Muppets are so fascinating, why don't I write a hub about Jim Henson, creator of these long-lived puppets? For example, I could start the hub with:

Jim Henson created the show, “Sam and Friends,” in 1955 for a local Washington, D.C. television station. His energetic Muppets soon became a popular fixture, and began to appear on national TV variety shows.

In 1969, Henson participated in a ground-breaking educational show for television, “Sesame Street.” The popularity of Big Bird, the Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, Ernie and Bert soon made the Muppets the stars of the show. Over the years, the Muppet cast has grown to include many new puppets including Count von Count, Mr. Snuffleupagus, the Swedish Chef, and Elmo who stars in his own segment, “Elmo’s World.”

In 1976, Henson created his signature project – “The Muppet Show," a weekly prime-time variety show filled with songs, skits and talented celebrity guest stars. The host is charming Kermit the Frog who presides over a motley crew of performers, including the diva, Miss Piggy; hopeful comic, Fozzie Bear; daredevil Gonzo; and the two old cranky guys in the balcony, Statler and Waldorf. Remind you of familiar hotels?

The Muppet Show cast has appeared in a number of movies, including "The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, The Muppet Christmas Carol'" and "The Muppets Take Manhattan."

In the 1980s, Henson created new worlds -- the magical underground civilization of "Fraggle Rock," the imagination-filled nursery of "Muppet Babies," and the fantasy worlds of "The Dark Crystal" and "Labyrinth." Henson's creations live on beyond his death in 1990, and new offerings featuring his Muppets are continually being produced by the company he founded.

You guessed it. This is where my diverse and sometimes hard-to-fathom ideas and brilliant (?) thoughts led me. Let me summarize for you: 1) I could write a hub about the funny but faux parody. 2) Or a hub about Julie Andrews and her Muppets gig. 3) Or a hub about celebrities singing in videos with various and sundry Muppets. 4) Or a hub about celebrities looking like Muppets. 5) Or a hub about Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets.  6) Or my sixth idea - create this hub describing in detail all the six actual, assorted ideas for different hubs that provided the inspiration and material for the creation of “How to Find New Topics for Hubs.”  Now it's up to you. Go forth and procreate. Oops! I mean, create!

Caution: Be aware that following the path I have described for the synthesis of creative composition may lead to complete and utter destruction of your mental health.

© Copyright BJ Rakow 2010. All rights reserved. . Author, "Much of What You Know about Job Search Just Ain't So."