The supermarket
Instead of looking at your need for sustenance as yet another drain on your time, keep your eyes open. One day, as I was prodding produce, I picked up a plump red tomato and noticed a sticker on the shiny skin that read: "American Hydroponic." I tracked down the supplier and learned about hydroponic gardening, or growing plants in water without soil. During the interview, I nabbed a private tour and science lesson. The story wound up as the centerpiece in The Boston Globe West.

On the street
A few months ago, before the freeze set into Boston, I did my 30-minute run and noticed a photocopied sign on a street lamp that said "Find treasure www.pgdive.com." My guess is that advertisement wouldn't warrant the typical passerby to whip out a pen, copy down the site, and log on. But I did. As I clicked onto the various windows, I saw people ice diving. Wearing complete scuba gear, they cut through the ice with a chainsaw and jumped in. That landed me a story in the Living/Arts section of The Boston Globe.

Press releases
After you've gotten a few bylines and established yourself as a target for press releases, read them all. I saw that comedian Paula Poundstone was coming to a small venue in Natick Massachusetts for a benefit concert. I tracked down her agent, and two days later was interviewing Paula on her cell.

Go the extra 300 miles
A few years ago, I was determined to write for Self magazine. I sent a pitch to the fitness editor there about an Israeli form of combat called Krav Maga. The editor wrote back saying she loved the pitch, but didn't want the story and said I should try again. I gave myself 24 hours to come up with something before she forgot my name.

It was during the time that Billy Joel and Twyla Tharp's Broadway show "Movin' Out" had just opened, and I thought it would be fun to get a dancer's fitness routine. I contacted the show publicist to ask if I got an assignment, would I be granted access, and she said yes. After I knew I could deliver the story, I sent the new-and-improved pitch to Self. The editor was pretty much sold, but wanted to see the exercises they did. Two days later, I left Boston for New York, took digital pics, printed them at Walgreens, and sent the editor a binder detailing the exercises and which body parts they worked. The story ran as Self's June "Body Bonus," and paid for the train, hotel and left me with an extra $1,000. Had I not put together the notebook, I don't know if the story would have flown.

Parties
This is where you have to be careful. Never jeopardize a friendship for a story, or people will soon run when you enter a room in fear you'll want to write about their latest antidepressant, unwanted pregnancy, or tanking business venture. But, if you happen to meet someone new who has an unusual job, it's perfectly acceptable to exchange business cards and send them an email at a later date -- which is what happened when I met an alluring married mother of two who is a funeral director. That story landed me a main story in The Boston Globe Living/Arts section.

Search engines
Pick a topic and see what's been done on it. If you find a lot, chances are no one will want to revisit it -- unless there's been some kind of new development or change. You can also Google your hometown + inventors; + new chefs; + poets or anything you're looking for, and try Craigslist, etc.

You can also create Google alerts, which are great for local stories. Plug in the name of the town you cover, and news will be sent to your inbox. That's how one of my editors at The Boston Globe first learned that a contestant on this season's Apprentice grew up in our area. I did a story on him, despite the fact we were unable to speak due to media restrictions.

Local newspapers
Don't turn away from the smallest of newsletters or local papers. That's how I found a story I did on two brothers who converted their cars to run off vegetable oil. I saw the request they posted looking for used fryer oil, which I found intriguing, and pursued it to get a story.

The library
Who looks at the hundreds of papers cluttering the public boards in the library? You should.

Recently, before a meeting, I saw an advertisement looking for people to read to children of prison inmates. I didn't have time to look into it, so if anyone is interested, it's all yours. If the story doesn't sound interesting on the surface, change the angle -- see if you can interview an inmate to learn why they're in jail, who cares for their child, and what are the strengths and weaknesses in the relationship. Bring in psychologists, teachers, speak to now adult children of parents who did time.

On second thought, maybe I'll keep that story.

Susan Chaityn Lebovits is a Boston-based writer. Her work has appeared in a number of national magazines including Shape, Self, and Reader's Digest. She currently writes a weekly column in the Boston Globe West and is a correspondent for the Boston Globe Living/Arts section. She can be reached at Lebovits AT globe DOT com