Introduction
I have seen a surge of new/future writers posting their article topics as well as questions. Although the questions asking about their article’s whereabouts in the editing process were answered that writers have time to write due to staying home during the pandemic, I have a feeling that the backlog was also caused by my doing of throwing a bunch of article ideas to write in the series. So, sorry to every writer and editor for the inconvenience caused! On the positive side, I am glad this series has motivated new writers to step out to write, as well as ‘the writer sunbaes’ who stopped writing have started again!
Articles Featured
In this part, I compiled unique articles that are either reflective, informative, or entertaining from JustJackieB, amrita828, DreamingKoreanBallad, heart-ereki, Abzzski, Nymphadora, Greenlemon, Nana87, Ankita, and salimasakura_rri.
A Stalker’s Guide to Crown Prince Sado
"This article lists my actors who played the Crown Prince".
A Stalker Guide article, now called an Ultra Fan Guide, is a type of article about the life and career of a writer’s favorite actor/actress. However, in this article, the writer wrote about a drama character that is a Korean historical figure. She also wrote a similar article with a different character: A “Stalker’s Guide” to King In Jo.
The writer is a true fan of both characters, as she watched every drama/movie depicting the characters and could compare the acting skills of the actors who played those characters.
Article Ideas
Articles written on historical figures or fictional characters in MDL are rare. Fans of certain historical figures, like the writer, or fictional characters may be able to write about their favorite one(s) that have been depicted in many remakes from different countries or chronological remakes of a certain country.
On a side note, there are still many actors/actresses whom we haven’t had any fan guide article written about them. If you’re a fan, why not write about them? You can tell if there was already an appreciation article about them by checking their profile page, and below their works, there may or may not be articles mentioning their names.
Test: What Drama Are You?
"Amrita828's drama test - You know you're curious about which drama you really are. "
So I took the test. Actually, it was pretty hard as the options in each question were incomparable, so we could not choose the best answer like taking a school test. After tallying, I found out that the 2 options have the same highest numbers. To my surprise: both options represent my preferences in watching a drama! How true! Now I’m suspicious that the writer is either a fortune teller (shown in the cover image) or a psychiatrist (like Lucy)…
Who said we could not write a fun article, whose purpose would be none other than just to purely amuse the readers? So far, there are only three quiz articles in 10 years of MDL. Being this article is the first, the others are:
Article Ideas
It was fun taking those quizzes (I did all three), but I bet it was more fun creating/ writing the quizzes and reading all the answers from amazed readers. I’m quite sure you don’t need to be a psychologist to be able to create quizzes like the above, though a broad collection of dramas watched is a must-knowledge to connect the quiz with certain dramas/characters. If you want to make a quiz article like the above, I advise you to contact the writers for some suggestions.
The Korean War: Background, Films, Dramas & Documentaries
"Many have either never heard of or simply have forgotten about this great war. And yet, this is a war that should never be forgotten."
Other articles on wars in Korea by the same writer:
It seems the writer is the only one who has written MDL articles on dramas/movies on the Korean War above, along with an article on Japanese War Human Lives Shaped By War.
Article Ideas
Although we may not like it, however reading articles on war or watching dramas/movies on war makes us appreciate how precious life is and the people whom we know, since we see the best and worst in humans. I thoroughly enjoyed the history lessons in those articles above.
J-Drama National Tour – Part 1
"Hanna takes you on a trip through all 47 prefectures of Japan, showcasing unique movies and dramas along the way."
The sequels of the series: J-Drama National Tour – Part 2 and Part 3
I love reading this series, as I love traveling. However, these days with the COVID-19 pandemic going on, traveling anywhere either domestically or abroad is discouraged, as many tourist places are closed or restricted. Therefore, a virtual tour is desirable, including ‘traveling’ around Japan by reading these articles. I even picked up several movies/dramas recommended in these articles that have beautiful scenery.
Article Ideas
Besides Japan, I think writers can also write about dramas that show natural beauty.
Talents Under Jaywalk Studio
"Everything you need to know about Jaywalk Studio."
The writer wrote two articles, this one, and Talents Under Huanyu Film, on two Chinese talent agencies that represent many popular actors and actresses we often see in dramas and movies.
Article Ideas
It will be interesting to read about actors and actresses from different countries if their talent agencies are also production companies, or if they are under contract from certain TV channels.
Guaranteed Tips For Coming Out of A Drama Slump
"We have all been there, the dreaded slump. Here are some tips for when nothing catches your attention, or you cannot concentrate on a story for more than five seconds."
First of all, I can vouch that the writer’s claim in her article is ‘guaranteed’. When I started my journey with MDL in dramaland in the middle of 2019, I read this article. Though as a newbie who at first I ooh-and-aah-ed K-dramas and followed some actor/actress’s work, I follow the writer’s prescribed tips #1 and #2 (if you want to know what they are, just read the article), and after 300+ dramas later I haven’t fallen into drama slump yet. So I can say it’s a prevention regimen.
Article Ideas
It’s always great to read from fellow MDLers sharing their journeys in dramaland and this site in the form of articles. For example: how to pick or drop dramas, how to get your family and friends to watch dramas, and how to rate or review in MDL, are just a few ideas that have been written now and then. But still, many ideas are waiting for you to share with us. Understandably, you may think that your journey is personal and nobody else experiences the same thing as you did. But hey, as the writer stated at the beginning of her article: “if they help at least one drama-sis (or bro) out there, it will be worth it.”
Khun Mae Suam Roy: A Cluedo Murder Mystery
"A look at recently aired Thai drama Khun Mae Suam Roy!"
For this section, I won’t talk about the specific drama/article per se, but about two unique features I found after reading this and her other articles:
First: Catchy titles
This article title and others the writer wrote have titles tending to attract the reader’s interest. Catchy titles, along with attractive cover images, are two important front features to get readers to click into your article, even when initially they are not interested in the topic, drama, genre, or country of the article. Like the window display of a fashion store, a large crowd in front of a restaurant, or the curbside appeal of a house.
Second: Unique presentations
Per my observation, most articles written in MDL recommend readers watch certain dramas/movies. Most writers (preview, Currently Watching, review/recap, or compilation article types) follow the basic format: introduction, story, cast/character, OST, and conclusion. Only a few writers tweak the normality by presenting their recommendation articles differently. In this article, the writer only summarized the drama and explained the characters. She connected the story to the Cluedo board game to attract the readers to the murder mystery plot and eventually recommend them to watch to find the answer to the whodunit question.
Filming of Heirs at Huntington Beach, California
"Nana87 brings you the filming of Heirs in Huntington Beach, California."
This is a one-of-a-kind article I found among thousands, thanks to the fact the writer is a true K-drama fan and she faked sick to get off work early to watch the filming, LOL. And another fact Huntington Beach is a public place. Funded by taxpayers’ money, therefore there is no way the drama production company was allowed to rent the beach strip where the filming location was. Unlike other private places where the filming team can rent the place, and it’s completely closed for the public to take a peek. breakthrough.
Article Ideas
Alright, so we may not ever be as lucky as the writer to attend a drama/movie filming event like this. However, we can still visit filming locations, and with the help of some fan sites that inform you of real filming locations of certain dramas/movies (not studio settings), you will be able to visit a place with the reminiscence of certain drama/movie, and later write an article about your visit. For example, in the article ❤ Bpoop Phaeh Saniwaat: Love Destiny ❤ A retrospective, the writer had a chance to visit Thailand and the ruins where a kingdom portrayed in the drama was once.
[MDL Exclusive] Interview with Playlist Global – A Korean Web Drama Company
"Playlist Global is a mobile drama company that has been growing rapidly in Korea. Read this exclusive interview with its CEO, Park Tae Won."
Among thousands of MDL articles, I found only five interviews with outside entities, and only one interviewed a company. If anyone doesn’t know what Playlist Global is, you better read the article. Although I tend not to watch school/college dramas anymore, I watched their 2020 releases Pop Out Boy! and Ending Again for their interesting synopsis, and I liked them. Especially for their short-duration episodes, which do not only attract their target market (young adults in their 20s) but also someone with a short attention span and impatience like me.
Article Ideas
Now back to article ideas, as I stated above, interview-type articles are rare. Why not interview a company or someone whose line of work has something to do with drama/movie productions? There are more web-drama/web-movie production companies out there. A writer can also interview a web novel or webtoon writers, novel authors, manga/comic creators whose works have been adapted to dramas; Youtubers, bloggers on Asian dramas (article examples 1, 2, and 3), and fansubbers (article example). With a good list of interview questions and patience to reach the subject interviewed, a writer can create an informative interview-type article.
Kick-Ass Fighting in Dramaland
"Writer Otakusk reveals the secrets to the most epic drama heroes in battle... "
The last article discussed in Part 5 is a writer’s first article that I thought was unique as it was not thought to be. At an initial glance at the cover image as well as reading the title and the summary, we may think that this article analyzes the fighting scenes from dramas watched. Wrong. Indeed the writer explained the fighting scenes of each drama, the hero(ine) with their weapons and skills (and I did not know before that swearing, lying, musical talent, and bad boy fighting are considered fighting skills, lol). We are also entertained by seeing a bunch of action-packed gif animations on fighting scenes. But the most interesting part is toward the end of the article… voting time! What??? Who will win? Just read the article to find out, especially the comments ;D.
Article Ideas
Anyways, this is an entertaining article type that a first-time writer can come up with. Just think outside-the-box, of course, after reading the writing guidelines you know that the topic is approvable, and you can materialize your idea into a fun article. This idea and many more ideas I already discussed in the other parts of this series, as well as other past articles you can find by flipping through the vast collection of this site, are worthy of being refreshed.
Related Articles
Credits: I do not own any of the images used. Credits go to the respective owners. The cover image is an official film still of Chicago Typewriter.
The original article was published on March 24, 2021. Link HERE.
