Ideas for Writing a Book: 17 Sources of Inspiration for Your Next Story
Finding the right book idea is not always easy. Your level of experience as a writer does not always guarantee that you’ll find the perfect topic immediately, especially for something as lengthy as a whole book.
To help you score that big idea, we’ve compiled a list of great ways to find inspiration for the next book you write.
Nonfiction Book Ideas From Personal Experiences
There’s no better person to tell your story than you! Use these prompts based on your personal experiences to inspire your writing.
1. Write about a memorable trip.
Travel writing is an increasingly popular field. If you have gone on a trip, especially to lesser-known places, your experiences may make for a fun read for other globetrotters or aspiring wanderers.
2. Write about a big risk or adventure you’ve taken—and how it turned out.
People love reading about adventures and risk-takers. For example, if you gave up all the comforts of your home for a gap year to serve in an orphanage in a third world country, your experiences may serve as inspiration for others who are curious about trying a similar act of service.
3. Write and compile stories of people you know under a common theme.
Do you belong to a mountaineering society or a book club? People with shared interests may seem so much alike, but beneath the surface, each one faces their own struggles and challenges. You might want to write a novel inspired by people you know in such a group.
For example, Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club follows the lives of four (fictional) aging women who meet regularly to play mahjong.
4. Write about a subject you’ve studied extensively.
Have you been a homeschooling mom for the last few years? Or perhaps you’ve picked up a hobby and become quite the expert. It could be a handicraft like knitting or crochet, or cooking or baking. Whatever it is, consider writing a book about it, whether it’s a guide, a cookbook, or a self-help book.
5. Write about things you’re grateful for everyday.
The book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp invites readers to appreciate the little things in life. You can practice being grateful for one thing everyday, and writing about it. Your book can either be an inspirational, self-help book, or even a workbook.
6. Write about your childhood.
As boring as that may sound, consider this: the world is changing at its fastest rate today. No matter how old you are now, when you were a child, most likely, technology wasn’t as fast-paced as it is today.
Did you still get to play outdoors most of the time? Today’s children don’t normally enjoy as much. Or, do you remember a time without cellphones?
The book series The Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder is considered one of the literary masterpieces that showcase what life was like in pioneer America, and she reportedly started writing the books when she was 60!
Nonfiction Book Ideas from Experiments
You don’t always have to write about something that’s in your past; you may also get ideas from something that you’re trying out now.
7. Challenge your exercise routine and document your progress.
Say you want to see just how daily pushups will change your physique. You can start documenting everything and by the time you reach your end-goal date, you will have a book ready!
8. Try out different online classes and write your reviews.
If you love trying out new classes online, why not try writing your reactions to them and compile them in a book? Of course, this will be more effective as a blog or at least an e-book, but if the classes you’re reviewing are mainstays, other people can benefit from your findings.
9. Write the book you wish you could find in the bookstore.
Is there a topic you’ve been looking to read up on, but couldn’t find a book anywhere? Try writing it yourself! Of course, it might mean conducting extensive research, but writing any nonfiction book does involve some research. Who knows, many other people may be searching for the topic too!
Nonfiction Book Ideas from Your Beliefs and Convictions
Another source of inspiration is the things that you strongly believe in.
10. Write about a social injustice you want to see made right.
Do you have a heart for human trafficking, or the orphan crisis, or animal rights, or world hunger? You can write to raise awareness for these issues. Just make sure you approach your book from a perspective of wanting to find a solution and not just to vent!
11. Write about your faith.
This may be controversial to some, but if you’re passionate about your faith, consider writing a book about it. Your target audience may be people of the same faith, or if you wish to explain what makes you believe as you do, your audience may be entirely different.
12. Write about your life principles.
Ray Dalio has a book entitled Principles, and in it he details the principles by which he lives his life. Although you may not be as well-known as Ray Dalio, writing down your life principles may be a good introspective process that can benefit you as well as possible future readers.
Fiction Book Ideas
In his Masterclass, David Baldacci challenges his students to see the world through the eyes of a writer. In other words, everything he encounters in daily life is fertile ground for story ideas.
13. Imagine a story around a friend’s life.
Put yourself in a friend’s shoes and write a first-person fictional story. Take inspiration from their existing personality, likes, and dislikes, but feel free to invent things as you go. Just be sure to fictionalize it as much as you can so you don’t accidentally get sued for libel!
14. Tell a story inspired by your family history.
L.M. Montgomery, bestselling author of the Anne of Green Gables series, wrote a novel called A Tangled Web, which chronicles the lives of one whole extended family. You may want to compile your family history into a memoir, or embellish it into a historical fiction novel.
15. Write a story about an ex.
The bestselling YA novel To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han has an interesting premise: a girl writes love letters to all her old crushes, and things really get rolling when her letters are accidentally sent to each boy!
Imagine different endings for past relationships, or imagine other what-if scenarios and build them into a fictional story.
16. Write a book inspired by characters you meet in other books.
Although you probably don’t want to be limited to fanfiction, you can still get inspiration from characters you find in books that you love. Did you enjoy Anne of Green Gables? Picture a modern day setting for a character like Anne. What would it be like? What kind of family would she have, and how would the days unfold?
17. Write a book about yourself–assuming you reached all your dreams.
L.M. Montgomery’s Emily of New Moon series seems to trace her own journey towards becoming a published writer. What’s your dream? Imagine life if you were able to reach all your dreams, and write a story about the journey or what it would look like to reach those aspirations.
18. Write a fantasy story or allegory on a theme that’s important to you.
Challenge yourself to put an important idea for you into story form. What kind of characters would best portray those concepts? What events need to happen to show the theme you want?
19. Write a story about someone overcoming a weakness.
One of the best parts about reading a book is following how someone changes–preferably for the better. Think about different weaknesses you observe in people, and think of ways that you believe they can overcome them. This will probably give you several topics from the get-go!
20. Write a story about someone spiraling down to failure.
Do you ever wonder what could cause someone to make wrong choices? Explore these speculations in a story of your own. Journey with your character into the depths, and then decide whether you want to bring them back up or end your story on a sad note.
Finding Inspiration for Your Book
When you’re stuck, you may find it difficult to find ideas for your first, or even next, book. Another idea is to go the more digital route and use keyword research to figure out what kind of content and information is in demand.
If you’re struggling with writer’s block, another great source of inspiration can be found in writing prompts. These may not turn into your next novel, but they can definitely get the ball rolling and your ideas flowing!
Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
- 40 Short Story Prompts You Can Write in a Day
- 72 Journal Prompts to Boost Your Creative Writing Skills
- 70 Creative Writing Prompts to Inspire You to Write
- Writing Prompts for Kids: Questions to Inspire Young Writers
The post Ideas for Writing a Book: 17 Sources of Inspiration for Your Next Story appeared first on TCK Publishing.
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