Save Time: Get 5 Simple Writing Tips
you can put to use in 10 minutes
How To Choose a Story Angle: Use These 3 Simple Steps
Updated 8.4.26
“Your content is too general. Choose a story angle and be more specific.”
That editor’s rejection letter hurt. Worse, I didn’t know how to begin drilling down my story to specifics.
Today I am grateful to that editor for taking the time to scribble that tip – “choose an angle” – in the margin of my article. He helped me understand the need to narrow a story idea to one that’s saleable and engaging for readers.
If you’re a freelancer or a content marketer -- or if you own a business and are building your online presence – well, like me, you want your content to reach more readers.
Too broad ... and it can't.
Every article needs one clear angle
In my original article, I took the example of a leader from history and attempted to write a treatise on good leadership.
Ambitious, yes. Rambling, general, broad, unfocused, lame? Yep, that too.
A good article gives readers exactly what they came for: the answer to one question. The inspiration for one next step. A solution for one problem.
How I found a story angle – by mistake
But back then, I didn’t know what to do to niche down an idea. Instead, I tried to process my confusion with doodling. I flipped over the rejected manuscript and started scribbling.
First, I wrote down what I thought was the theme of the story: leadership.
Then I listed, “good leaders,” “weak leaders,” “leaders today,” “leadership principles,” and “young leaders.” Under each of those topics, I jotted down ideas that came to mind.
When I came to “young leaders,” I had an insight. My child’s strong will could be an avenue to develop leadership skills. I had a parenting angle for my story. And I had inadvertently come up with a simple way to find an angle for a story.
Your story, article, or blog post is engaging or memorable when it takes a unique slant on a bigger topic. Finding a fresh story angle can take a bit of detective work, but the 1-2-3 process is simple. It starts by (1) choosing a topic, then (2) moving to a sub-topic, and (3) finally, niching down to a specific angle.
The difference between a story topic and a story angle
A quick study of diamonds can help you to understand the big-picture difference between a story topic and a story angle. Rough diamonds don’t come out of the ground sparkling. Instead, they resemble large lumps or blocks of pale colored glass.
A gem cutter studies the raw stone to see ways he can maximize the number of usable diamonds that can be carved from the original. Then, one by one, he makes cuts so he has smaller pieces. Then, he works on each usable stone, shaping and polishing its “faces” – facets. A diamond’s facets bounce light throughout the stone to create unique flashes and sparkles.
Your story topic is like a rough diamond. It’s got precious nuggets embedded within. Your job is to assess the topic and pull out separate sub-topics. From those sub-topics, you zero in on just one angle – one facet – to write your story.
That means your story angle is just one slant on a much larger topic – your rough diamond. You can uncover an endless number of story angles by looking at a topic in dozens of different ways and from different points of view. Like the facet of a diamond, your story angle brings out unique flashes of insight into the topic.
Choose a story angle in 3 simple steps
1. Identify the big-picture topic
Start by looking at the big picture.
Maybe you already have what you think is a story idea. But don’t start there. Instead, start by identifying the topic. Think big and broad.
It’s too big to cover in just one blog post, a single article, or even in a book. For nonprofit writers, a topic can be a far-reaching concept like teen drug use or clean water. Remember my rejection letter?
If you have a story idea, ask yourself this question: What’s the overarching topic?
2. Brainstorm usable sub-topics
You’ve got a topic. Now consider its different components. If your topic is gardening, then its sub-topics might be vegetable gardening, flower gardening, commercial gardening, home gardening, gardening with kids, gardening tools, gardening methods…
Let’s work through an example. You’re drawn to the topic of home organization. Your books are neatly arranged on your bookshelf. Your wall calendar is synced with your phone and your spouse’s mobile device. You even alphabetize your spices in your kitchen’s spice drawer. In fact, you operate a home organization start-up and you want to write content that will help your readers and potentially drive traffic to your website.
Home organization is a broad, popular subject. So you brainstorm and make a list of sub-topics or create a mind map (a diagram that links your ideas as you think of them) so that you can write content that’s relevant to potential clients. Each of those ideas is a sub-topic of your main subject.
- Organizing drawers.
- Organizing closets.
- Organizing chores.
- Organizing the garage.
- Organizing the grocery list.
- Organizing the family schedule.
- Organizing family electronics.
- Organizing family meals.
You get the idea, right?
3. Choose and polish one facet
From your point of view, most people should intuitively put their dresses on hangers, fold their sweaters neatly, and get rid of extra T-shirts that clutter their shelves. But they don’t.
As you look at your home organization subtopics, you decide that you’d like to dig more deeply into organizing closets. Readers need this information. Plus, once they see that you provide great tips, they will want to buy your closet organizing products.
For your piece of content to be saleable or appeal to readers, you need to drill down to one facet of organizing closets. In order to choose a story angle, you need to get out of your own shoes and into the sandals (or sneakers or work boots or heels) of another.
Look at your sub-topic of organizing closets from points of view other than your own.
How do different people process this subject? Maybe they’re overwhelmed … complacent … pressed for time … or have never seen the need to organize their closets. Think of all the different ways you can approach the topic. Write down your ideas and then identify the audience for each one.
Do that ... and you’ll have plenty of angles. Here’s a quick list of ten ideas, each one with a different angle.
- Should you organize your closet by color or by season?
Angle: women - How to teach your seven-year-old to organize their closet
Angle: practical parenting - How to organize a baby’s closet on a budget
Angle: new parents, living on a shoestring - Organizing one closet for two
Angle: couples, roommates, newlyweds - Organizing a winter closet (or spring, summer, fall)
Angle: transitions - Why you should eliminate half the shoes in your closet
Angle: minimalism - Organize your closet in less than an hour
Angle: time management - Best times of the year to organize your closet
Angle: seasonal - How to make money from your cluttered closet
Angle: saving money - What I learned from my friend’s empty closet
Angle: loss, inspiration, personal experience
ID your article's target reader with this helpful worksheet.
Do you struggle to find different story angles? Try these
ideas to get started
Remember – your story angle is just one facet of the topic. It’s the lens you use to look at the subject matter. The same topic can support dozens of different angles—you just need to choose a story angle that best serves your reader.
But maybe it’s hard for you to find all those different facets.
Tip: Uncover what your readers need most. What is your reader struggling with? What problems does he need solved or what answers does he need?
For example, if you're writing for complete beginners, a Beginner's Guide is often the best story angle choice because it builds confidence and explains the basics from the ground up. But if your audience already has some experience and keeps running into the same problems, a Mistakes to Avoid article may be far more helpful because it addresses the pitfalls holding them back.
Create a profile for the ideal reader for your piece, if you’ve not done so already. Then use this list of story angles to get started choosing a good approach for that target.
Back to our closet organizing example so you can see what I mean.
- Problem/Solution: Identifies a common closet organization problem and offers practical solutions readers can implement.
Example: Why Your Closet Never Stays Organized (and How to Fix It for Good). - Beginner’s Guide: Introduces the basics of organizing a closet for readers who are just getting started.
Example: A Beginner’s Guide to Organizing Your Closets Without Feeling Overwhelmed. - Step-by-Step How-To: Walks readers through the exact process of organizing a closet from start to finish.
Example: How to Organize a Hall Closet in 10 Easy Steps. - Myth Busting: Challenges common misconceptions about closet organization and replaces them with practical advice.
Example: 7 Closet Organization Myths That Are Making Your Home More Cluttered. - Comparison: Compares different organizing methods, products, or strategies to help readers choose what works best.
Example: Bins vs. Baskets vs. Shelves: Which Closet Storage Solution Is Right for You? - Trends: Explores the latest ideas, products, or styles in closet organization.
Example: The Hottest Closet Organization Trends Homeowners Are Trying This Year. - Personal Experience: Shares a firsthand story about organizing a closet, including lessons learned and results achieved.
Example: How Organizing My Bedroom Closet Saved Me 20 Minutes Every Morning. - Case Study: Demonstrates how a real person or family transformed a cluttered closet using a specific system or strategy.
Example: How One Family Doubled Their Storage Space Without Adding New Closets. - Behind the Scenes: Gives readers an inside look at how an organizing project or professional organizer works.
Example: Behind the Scenes: How a Professional Organizer Tackles a Packed Linen Closet. - List of Tips: Provides a collection of quick, practical ideas readers can use immediately.
Example: 21 Clever Closet Organization Tips You’ll Wish You Knew Sooner. - Frequently Asked Questions: Answers the most common questions people have about organizing and maintaining their closets.
Example: Closet Organization FAQ: Everything You Need to Know Before You Start. - Mistakes to Avoid: Highlights common organizing mistakes and explains how to avoid them.
Example: 10 Closet Organization Mistakes That Make Clutter Come Back. - Before and After: Shows the transformation of a closet before and after it was organized, explaining what changed and why it worked.
Example: Before and After: How a Tiny Coat Closet Became a Functional Storage Space. - Data- or Research-Driven: Uses research, surveys, or statistics to support recommendations for organizing and decluttering.
Example: What Research Says About Decluttering and Why Organized Closets Reduce Daily Stress. - Expert Interview: Features advice and insights from a professional organizer or home organization expert.
Example: A Professional Organizer Shares Her Best Secrets for Keeping Closets Clutter-Free.
In each instance, you can see how the approach helps the reader solve a problem.
So you can even use a shortcut to drill down your slant. Try this template:
“This article will help (reader) accomplish (goal) by explaining (specific approach).”
Yet one more way to choose a story angle (or two or three
or ten)
SEO can inspire story angles for you to explore. Keyword tools often reveal exactly what readers want.
Go back and imagine once more that you’re the blogger who runs a home organizing business. You do a bit of keyword research around your topic and come up with a list of keywords that look like this – and can become angles for an entire story series:
- Closet organization checklist
- Closet organization mistakes to avoid
- Closet organization ideas for small spaces
- Closet organization tips for beginners
- Closet organization on a budget
- Closet organization before and after
- DIY closet organization projects
- Closet organization hacks that actually work
- Closet organization for busy families
- Closet organization products worth buying
- Seasonal closet organization guide
- Closet organization using the KonMari method
How to choose a story angle: It’s really as simple as
1-2-3
I use my simple 1-2-3 approach with every piece of content I write. These days, it’s become intuitive, thanks to that editor who scrawled in the margin of my submission so many years ago. In fact, finding a fresh angle for a story has become fun.
And in the process, I add all kinds of ideas to my growing “articles to write” list.
Try it. Start with a big-picture topic – your rough diamond and its subtopics – and then from there, dig further to find as many angles as you can. You’ll discover plenty of saleable, interesting content ideas. And you’ll be ready to polish each angle with fresh, sparkling insight.
More Article Writing Tips
How to Write An Article: Get Started With These 12 Steps ...
How to Narrow Your Article Main Idea ...
How to Develop a Story Idea ,,,
Learn To Write Content When You Learn To Write an Article ...
How to Write an Article Introduction Faster ...
What Is a Feature Article? Think News Story on Steroids ...
12 Tips for Successful Interviewing ...
How to Choose an Article Topic...
The 2 Best Ways to Narrow Your Topic for an Article...
6 Types of Articles New Freelancers Can Get Paid to Write ...
Top Article Writing Tip: the One-Point Rule ...
How to find the main idea of your article before you write ...
Tips for Writing a Hook for Your Article ...
How to Write an Outline for your Article ...
29 Kinds of Articles You Can Write ...
Writing Articles Tips on our Pinterest board ...
Return from Choose a Story Angle to Nonprofit Copywriter home
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Share This Page
Named to 2022 Writer's Digest list
BEST GENRE/NICHE WRITING WEBSITE
Stop Wasting Time!
Grab your exclusive FREE guide, "5 Simple Writing Tips You Can Put to Use in 10 Minutes or Less"
Subscribe To This Site
