When it comes to pitching articles, I have a chicken-and-egg question. What comes first, an idea you love with a timely element, or something timely that you try to make unique? Whichever method works better, I wanted to know how writers can make their pitches as timely--and unique as possible. I posed the question on Ask Metafilter. Here's some of the input:

Constructing a new and pointed idea around things just unfolding isn't quite as simple as padding whatever you have lying around with x major headline. Padding previous works with little bits of news reeks of "creative packaging" and it's usually so obvious! Occasionally there are times when a news story pops up and you make a connection, it's another step removed in proving your thesis or whatever, and in that case a rewrite isn't so corny.

A quick-and-dirty hypothetical: Let's say you've been working on a piece on MP3 players for several months, doing lots of deep research, trying to get someone to pick it up. If you were pitching it last week, you might make the announcement of the Zune's sharing feature your primary focus. If you were pitching the story back in March, your primary focus might have been volume levels and the potential for hearing damage. Or something like that. In either case, you'll need to expand the article (with new interviews and facts) to include the timely element.

Predict the future. Then start working. By the time you're almost done, it'll be perfectly timely. I'm only being partially sarcastic. Being up on issues in a particular area *does* give you an idea of what's coming 'round the bend. Play into a bit of confirmation bias and voila!

Do you have tips and tricks for finding the most current angle--or even a future angle--on a story idea which would make it irresistable to an editor? Please share and email it to claire AT mediabistro.com