It may seem in poor taste to choose such a tragic situation, but I believe that if our hearts are in the right place, this can be a big help to folks, too. When we're confronted with tragic headlines, fear and hopelessness are common reactions.

If you can take a tragic headline, and bring some sensitivity and some inspiration to it, your articles can bring healing to people, and can also attract attention because they are linked to such a visible event.

It was amazing to hear about the 98-year-old woman who survived 30 hours in the rubble, and another woman, 20 years old, who was rescued more than 42 hours after the L'Aquila earthquake (see photos and stories here).

I thought about the victims, the survivors, the heroic rescuers, and the coaching messages that might be hidden in these stories. Here is what I came up with:

• Spiritual coaches: 10 ways to cultivate faith when all seems lost
• Family coaches: 10 tools for dealing with grief and loss

Writing prompt: Do these topics resonate with you or your audience? Can you think of any others? Please comment below and share your own topic ideas!

My parents got me into reading The Wellness Letter years ago, long before I became the Self-Care Coach.

From Wellness Letter online: "Rather than simply reporting quick health stories of the day, the WELLNESS LETTER puts the news in perspective and evaluates it. It constantly reviews the latest research to give you the edge in your quest to live the best life you can. In particular, it clarifies the often conflicting and superficial health information presented by the popular media."

In his editorial in the current issue, Dr. John Swartzberg referred to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, exploring "The Checklist Effect" (the same study was covered in Time Magazine back in January). He described how surgical teams manage their complex tasks by using a detailed, written "to do" list.  And those lists are improving patient care and savings lives.

Checklists and systems are certainly not new to coaches. We may not be saving lives, but we are certainly improving them! Which checklists would your clients find helpful?

• Life coaches: 10 steps to a more balanced life, every day
• Money coaches: 10-point checklist for your month-end money matters
• Writing coaches: 5-point readability checklist
• Parenting/family coaches: 5 things to check before your family leaves the house every morning
• Career coaches: 10 things that must appear in a winning resume
• Marketing coaches: 10 weekly marketing actions

Writing prompt: Use these suggestions to design your own checklist for your target market. Make sure to separate each point into its own item on your list. Ask yourself, could someone say "Yes, I did this!" next to every line?

This morning I heard Mike Eppel from 680 news discussing how those big home improvement stores are  falling out of favour and may have reached their saturation point. This Toronto Star article quotes Rona’s CFO, Claude Guévin, saying that “Young people … want to get in and out fast and they value good service.”

How might this news story springboard into a coaching article? Let’s see:

• Marketing coach: Top 10 ways to distinguish yourself as a coach in a saturated market
• Career coach: Top 10 customer service strategies that will keep them coming back
• Life coach: Batching – 10 Ways to save time by grouping your errands together
• Spirituality coach: Top 10 reasons that more is not necessarily better
• Money coach: Vote with your feet – Reward the businesses that are aligned with your values
• Executive coach: Top 10 ways to stay ahead of the trends in your industry

Writing Prompt: Review the news story and article titles and brainstorm any connections to your own readers, clients and prospective clients. I’d love hear what you were inspired to write – please comment below and let me know! Feel free to include a link to your article.

I would have loved to be in Ottawa yesterday to catch a glimpse of President Barack Obama, though I have to say I was much warmer and more comfortable watching it indoors on my TV.

Imagine strolling around the Byward Market, when all of a sudden the motorcade stops and there he is! (Read the story.)

Here are my suggestions for how you can use this story as a springboard for your own article or blog post, depending on what kind of coaching you do:

• Executive coach: Management by wandering around – Get out of the C-Suite and walk around the office once in awhile!
• Business coach: Everyone loves a surprise – 10 ways to delight your clients with extra value
• Family coach: Missing you – Make separation easier by bringing a piece of your trip home with you
• Life coach: Invite the unexpected – Top 10 reasons to look up from your to do list
• Career coach: Put your best work forward – How to stay front of mind for promotions and other special opportunties

Writing prompt: Use one of these suggestions, vary it for your own audience (please comment below with links – I'd love to see what you do), or check your local, national and international news for others stories that spark article or blog post ideas for you. 

Welcome to a new feature here at Idea Generator. If I see an interesting news story, I'll suggest article (or blog post) angles for different types of coaches. Please let me know what you think – was this helpful?

The news story I'm using today is one that came out on Monday, titled "Food costs vary widely across Canada, forcing some to forgo healthy choices." [Update December 18, 2012 – Link is no longer active.]

How can you use this news story as inspiration for an article or blog post? Here are some suggestions:

• Health coach: 10 reasons to invest in your health
• Family coach: 10 reasons to make time for dinner together
• Parenting coach: 10 ways to get your kids to eat healthier
• Money coach: 10 ways to find money for what's important
• Clutter coach: 10 ways to organize your pantry and make the most of what you've got
• Career coach: 10 ways to ask for a raise to meet your increasing costs of living

Quick Writing Prompt: Whether or not you actually link to the news story, use these potential topic ideas to brainstorm some of your own.