You may have lots of answers for each statement. That's great! Each answer is a possible article topic. Most of them won't be specific enough (or perhaps too specific) for an article, but they should give you lots of new starting points from which to brainstorm angles.

Think of freelance writing as your own opportunity to learn about all the things you ever wanted to know, and don't worry if you're not yet an "expert" in any of these areas! Among my favorite writing assignments have been topics in which I had no previous expertise:

• An article about a woman who started her own greeting card business for Woman's Own. Of course, I've never started my own greeting card business -- but the topic certainly interested me, and I wanted a good excuse to learn more about it.

• An article about how "media overload" affects children’s development for KidsGrowth.com. I'm not even a parent, let alone an expert in child psychology. But I've always wondered how increasing media immersion (TV, Internet, video games, radio, etc.) has affected people in MY generation.

• An article about book packagers for Writer's Digest. Okay, I had written for a book packager at that point -- but just one, and I was eager to learn more about the industry and its players. It gave me the perfect excuse to contact book packagers and learn more about the market. Many of them now have my resume on file for future assignments, too!

• Several articles about interesting inventions for Zooba.com. How much fun did I have learning about how Velcro, aspirin, and Post-It Notes were invented? This made for great dinner table conversation for weeks. My father always fancied himself a bit of a mad inventor, and I guess the gene spilled over to me. I devour these quirky stories of how the human mind approaches problem-solving creatively.

• Every disabilities-related article I've ever written. Was I an "expert" in this area when I began? No. I have a brother who has Down syndrome, so I had the benefit of some extra understanding, but I only became an "expert" by writing about this topic over and over. Each time, I learned something new that I really wanted to learn -- new legislation for people with disabilities, profiles of amazing people with disabilities, issues of discrimination, etc.

When working to broaden your writing horizons, be sure to think about two things: your passions, and your curiosities. You don't need to only write about topics that mean "everything" to you; you can -- and should -- also write about the little things that bounce around your brain. Have you always wondered how the custom of kissing under the mistletoe evolved? Or how Mexican jumping beans jump?

Have you wondered what it feels like to go back to school in your 40s or 50s? Have you wondered if there's a way to stop all that junk mail and those telemarketing calls from darkening your doorstep?

Do some preliminary research, formulate a query letter, and... ta da! You get paid to find answers to these pressing questions, or learn more about your hobbies and passions.

Consider it a challenge. Keep learning. Use your writing as a vehicle to answer every question you never had time to answer before. There are lots of people out there who have wondered about those very same things, and you can help them!

You don't need to be an expert. You need to be a great researcher, and you need to be willing to ask questions. Lots of questions, sometimes. But that’s one of the great things about writers -- we're such curious creatures.

Write what you want to know, and soon enough, it'll be what you DO know.