Tip #22: Trust your gut.

Sometimes, there is no there there.

If you get a story assignment that seems off base, do a quick search, figure out an angle, then let your client know how you can make it work.

But don't hesitate to recommend killing the story instead. Better to have wasted a small amount of time on a dead story than a large amount of time on a lousy one.

Your client with thank you for the heads up, and you may just get an alternative assignment that is worlds better.