Look around you at the people you know. Each and every one of them has a life and every life is full of experiences, some of which could be worth writing about.

Find yourself a notepad and keep it especially for your "People Collection." In the notepad write the names of everybody you know and anything you can think of that makes that person stand out.

To give you an idea, here are ten things I can come up with "off the cuff" about my friends.

* Sailed across the Atlantic with no previous experience
* Ran for local government
* Is an author
* Runs a wedding planning business
* Is a mobile hairdresser
* Was raped
* Lived in another country as an illegal immigrant for many years
* Is a midwife
* Has had twins
* Cleared 1.80 in high jump

As you'll notice, they're a very mixed group with some of the points being more unusual than others. After all, it's easier to find a midwife than to find somebody who sailed the Atlantic but they could both be useful to you as a writer.

When you've exhausted your friends and close acquaintances, start looking at neighbours, your children's friend's parents, your children's school teachers - in fact, think of absolutely everybody you know anything about. It could be something as simple as remembering that the lady at the checkout in your local shop has a finger missing. Who knows when you might want to write an article on people who have lost digits and how they've coped.

The more entries you have in your book, the easier it will be to find new, interesting article ideas with a ready-made interviewee.

And don't forget, you don't need to stick with just one point per person. Some people have led very interesting lives.

Sharon Jacobsen is a professional freelance writer living in South Cheshire, England with her partner, a dog, and however many of her three children happen to be living at home at any given time.

For a competitive fee, Sharon will happily write well-researched, compelling articles for your website, ezine, newsletter or print media.

To contact Sharon, please visit http://www.sharon-jacobsen.co.uk