Is this a story? How to evaluate your ideas before you pitch
"When a journalist is on the prowl for a new story, every yarn spun by a friend, every press release, every vacation adventure, and every quirky local news item can seem like the beginning of a great story idea. But most glimmers of inspiration turn out to be just that—transient inklings. Only a few will be real gems. The most successful freelancers can quickly sift through their ideas and see whether an idea deserves to exist as a story, and what kind of story to pitch. This evaluation is usually an intuitive process, honed over years of practice. But learning the right questions to ask about your ideas can help accelerate the learning curve."