Dog Legs... It Tastes like Chicken

I'm a little jealous I didn't think of this before, but one of the girls in class (I think Ami?) came up with a super creative blog name - "Girl Bites Dog." It's based on the saying where it's not a story if a dog bites a man, as that happens all the time, but it's a story when the man bites a dog. Clever, right? That's the sort of title I was racking my brain for, but no cando this time.

But I don't Care!

Out of the 12 step process of good writing, the worst for me is step 11: Care. If I'm unable to attach myself to an assignment that intrigues me and end up with a sports piece, well, that's totally not my forte and not something I certainly care about. One way I can alter my thoughts on a piece I don't enjoy would be to realize there are stories that need to be told, and unless I don't get out there to capture quotes and facts, then no one will know. So better to sacrifice and learn and be open-minded than to just shrug and hope I don't have to go along with it.

As for something that's easy for me, that would be Step 2: Read. I do love reading, and I didn't realize that until I read a book in High School that wasn't for schoolwork. I try to take note of great writing, and I find that when an author adds his personality or humor, it adds color to it. I want to mimic that, because reading something dull makes me quit reading.

Perspectives

The other day in class, we had a quick assignment to formulate bubble outlines for brainstorming story ideas. There were only two subjects that 6 tables had to work on: Valentines Day and the Super Bowl. I thought it was interesting that each group had something different to say that was unique. For example, the Super Bowl had a category of Food, Travel, and American Culture. For Valentines, there was History, St. Valentine, and Misconceptions. I learned a lot from that one little exercise - so much creative angles can be found on even the smallest of subjects!

CH-CH-CH Chia!

I chose the "food" feature category because who doesn't like to eat? Last year's top choice health seed was flaxseed, and now it seems like it's being kicked aside to allow a new health seed in - chia. Yep, the same as those cheesy commercials ring in our heads Ch-CH-CH Chia! No one considered to eat them though - until now.

One story idea would be informing people how it tastes or what to do with this newfound good-for-you food and who benefits from it (everyone). This would either persuade readers to go pursue the seed themselves or just be informed about it when they see it in all those drinks - like Mama Chia or Synergy's Kombucha chia versions found at Whole Foods. The downside to that would be that the article might not interest some readers.

Another idea would be taking a personal story from someone in which it saved their life - either through weightloss or perhaps how it helped an entire nursing homes's dietary health for cheap (from its high-fiber content). It could either pose interesting to readers or one-sided, but overall, a personal story most people can empathize or relate to.