Before lockdown I was an avid pub quizzer. It’s the perfect hobby for a materials writer because we accumulate tons of useless facts when researching articles. Here’s a list of some random topics I’ve written texts on in the last, pfff, 18 months maybe? I’ve discussed this with Clare Maas before – I’d love to see your updated list of writes, Clare!
I guess there is a point to this list. If you are thinking of becoming a writer, then you’ve got to be willing to write 300-800 words or so on a lot of random stuff. Sometimes it’s more boring than you think, sometimes it’s harder than you think and takes a lot of research. Sometimes it’s like ‘wooooooah! WELL INTERESTING! I’m totally not going to shut up for days about that, and bore anyone I meet to death by reciting every last fact.’
Topics:
XPRIZE
Alligators in sewers
‘The Final Word’ style questions
The Lebombo/Ishango Bone
Improv
Slang
Morning routines
K-Pop
Communication with extra-terrestrials
Anti-trust laws and monopolies
Plastic pollution and the Pacific Garbage Patch
The art of joke telling
Jokes that make people laugh
Does power corrupt?
The importance of conflict in stories
Top 5 themes used in action movies
The secret to happiness
Viral challenges
Free-soloing
Eat, Pray, Love
Super-commuters
Fake news
Exercise
Dunbar’s Number
Superstitions
Star signs
The Disgrace of Gijon
Military medals
The Flint water crisis
Bee stings
Cultivation of quinoa
Household pests
Negotiations
Dress codes
Katherine Johnson
Robot teachers
Burning Man Festival
Bias in the news
Criminal background checks
Philosophy of education
Cathy Freeman
Sparrows
The Antwerp Diamond Heist
Audrey Mestre
Tagine
Netiquette
Artificial limbs
Bognor Birdman
The history of Bognor Regis
George V and Bognor Regis
Bognor Regis Town Football Club
Butlins, Bognor Regis
Flores, Indonesia (compared to Bognor… no I’m joking)
Lise Meitner (‘s visit to Bognor Regis in 1901… NOT TRUE)
Nautilus
Academic referencing
Martin Heidegger
Sachin Tendulkar
Masala Dosa
Shackleton (probably holidayed in Bognor Regis)
Feature image: croatiaweek.com
Categories: General, materials writing
ELT Planning 
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