Don’t know what to write about?
When people find out I am a writer, and particularly when they find out I write novels, they often ask “How do you come up with your ideas?” Well, ideas aren’t usually my problem—focusing on ONE idea proves to be a challenge for me, but everyone is different. Some writers struggle to come up with ideas. Other people want to write, but don’t because they don’t feel they have any ideas or that their ideas aren’t good enough or worthy to write about. I say, NOT SO.
You have certain abilities, gifts, knowledge, and talents that make you unique. Everyone does. Even if we share those certain gifts, knowledge, and talents with others, we have our own take on them.
Here are a few tips and tricks to get your ideas flowing.
- Sit down for 10 minutes and a) write a list of your talents b) write down any kind of special knowledge you have. Are you a medical professional? Are you president of the PTA? Have you come up with a wicked fettuccini alfredo recipe?
- Write down your talents. Are you a good dancer? Are you good at fixing all things mechanical? Are you a whiz with numbers? Think about what you can do that others struggle with.
- What about your experiences? Did you have a difficult home life when you were growing up? Did you live in an exotic place? Was it for a long period of time or a short period of time? Do you volunteer your time anywhere or for anyone? Did you have a life-changing experience? What is your profession? What kind of training have you had?
If you have trouble coming up with anything in these areas, particularly in the abilities, knowledge or talent areas, ask a few friends or family members what they think you are good at. You might be surprised by their answers. Sometimes people see things in us we aren’t able to see ourselves until it is pointed out to us.
You can use the abilities and tools you already have as inspiration for writing—fiction or non-fiction. For instance, if you are a good dancer, you could write a romance, a thriller, or a mystery with a dancer as your protagonist or amateur sleuth. You could make the main setting a dancing studio, or you could take your protagonist on dancing tours with her dance company or troupe. For non-fiction, you could take a few of your favorite dance genres and talk about the history of them or pick a famous dancer who specialized in that genre and write a piece about them. You could write a “how to” book on your favorite dance number or dance moves.
Do you see where I am going here? Even if you have a mere INTEREST in something, you can research it and give your take on that topic, that person, that area—whatever it is.
You probably have a lot more ideas than you think. And if you think your ideas aren’t interesting, go to the internet and research the idea. See how much you find about it. Look on social media for groups on the subject. It is amazing what interests people and turns people on. You aren’t alone in your fascination with ladybugs or spark plugs! Writing about your interests, whether fiction or non-fiction connects you to the people who like the same things you do. There is always an audience—some big, or some small, but you can touch people with your words and ideas. You just need to find them, and they are right there inside of you!