Writer's block. Need I say more? All writers experienced writer's block at one time or another. For someone using the marketing with articles technique the block often starts with the inability to come up with an article idea. There are many creative ways to discover article ideas no matter what your topic and we'll cover several of them in this article.

Your first step in finding article ideas should be to create a "swipe file." The swipe file was initially used by copywriter's to collect examples of outstanding copywriting techniques. Swipe files might include clippings from magazines, direct mail pieces, copies of e-mail, web site copy, etc. For the marketing with article techniques our swipe file consists of a file in your favorite word processing program. In this swipe file you will collect article ideas for future articles. Begin by typing in any article ideas that you may already have. Then build the swipe file using the following suggestions:

Chat Rooms - Hang out in these online forums where you can chat with others by typing messages which are instantly displayed. Choose a chat room in your topic area that is frequented by your target audience and discover the hot topics everyone wants to talk about.

Forums/Message Boards - Users communicate to each other in these web based message centers by posting text messages that can be viewed using a web browser. Some forums and message boards allow you to follow a topic by asking for e-mail notification when a new posting is made.

Newsgroups/Discussion Lists - Classified by subject matter these communication driven groups are categorized by topic and can be read on-line or via an e-mail newsreader often included in your e-mail software.

Article Directories - Sites that archive article submissions via topic are gold mines of topic ideas for article writers. Read articles written for your target audience to obtain ideas but never plagiarize the actual articles. Ideas can be gleaned from the list of the most popular or newest articles (if offered).

Newspapers - You can obtain a wealth of article ideas by reading your daily newspaper. Keep a pad of paper with you while you read and write down topics that come to mind while you are reading.

Calendars - There are hundreds of holidays and special occasions every year. Using holidays tied into your niche will impress your readers and show that you are current and up-to-date with your article topics.

Surveys - Conduct surveys with your web site visitors or newsletter readers. Ask them what topics they would like you to cover and always have a field asking for questions. Surveys can provide you with a wealth of topics that are sure to please your audience.

Hoaxes - There are enough hoaxes and old wives tales in just about any topic that can give you plenty of article ideas. Explain or dispute the hoax or tale and relate the story to your topic area.

Conferences - Meeting planners are charged with the task of bringing in speakers and arranging round tables on the hottest topics for their target audience. You can take advantage of their hard work by checking out conferences in your field and making note of the workshop and keynote topics.

Get started today building your swipe file and add to it on a daily basis. This will help you be more organized and will ensure that you never run out of article ideas!

(c) 2009, Davis Virtual Assistance. Publication rights granted so long as article and byline are reprinted intact, with all links made live.

Bonnie Jo Davis is an article marketing expert and prolific writer who created Article Submission Sites to teach others how to profit from this internet marketing strategy. Visit http://www.articlesubmissionsites.com for a free copy of "Writing for Publicity" and her Article Submission Summary Sheet.