Let’s face it - you LOVE writing. Putting pen to paper and writing words on the page brings you much satisfaction. But writer’s block is a real struggle for you. If you find yourself grasping at straws for a writing topic or feeling frustrated that you don’t know what you should be writing about or worried that what you're writing only interests you and not the general readership, we have four words for you: you are not alone! Nearly every writer searches for prime writing topics. If you find yourself searching for topics to write about, it may make sense for you to step back and remember why you are writing in the first place.
Your “Why” for Writing
Consider your reasons for writing. Are you writing to feed your creative soul? Select a topic that you’ve written about before and try writing about it in a different genre or style. Are you attempting to capture the beauty of the world surrounding you? Write poetry - a change of style can help you dig deep into your creative ideas. Are you using writing as a cathartic experience to come to terms with events of your past? Digging into your personal stories can help provide you with a number of topics to write about.
What Topics Are Important to You?
Think about what you’re passionate about and pick up your pen. Whether it’s nature, animals, movies, cultural experiences…the things you love are loved by others. And your writing doesn’t always need to result in publication. It also doesn’t need to contribute to a book project. Getting your creative juices flowing (even if you’re writing a journal entry) can help you stretch your writing muscles - and inspire new writing topics.
Read the News
The news and other media outlets are great areas that can aid your quest for writing topics. Read what is happening in current events to keep your personal writing relevant.
You might ask yourself a number of questions that can add to your writing topic:
What makes something controversial?
Why is a certain issue in the spotlight?
What can be said about the demographic lines of a specific topic and its comments?
Who is affected by certain events and how are they impacted?
How would you have handled the situation?
Are there relevant historical events that are contributing here?
Look at the World Around You
It’s easy to go on autopilot as you navigate your day to day life. When you go through your day completing your regular tasks, focus in and see if there’s a spark of writing inspiration from the seemingly mundane. Observe the world around you and let yourself fall down the writing rabbit holes. Do you see a young girl sitting by herself? Drum up a story about her. Is your grocery store out of a particular item? Draft a concept for why this is - and let a natural story unfold.
Ask Yourself “What Would Happen If…”
Sometimes the “what ifs” of life can be scary - but when it comes to writing, these are often exciting and creative items to unpack. You can find inspiration from asking, “What if…” Consider your own life and what would happen if certain changes were made. Think about someone else’s life and ponder on what would happen if you switched lives. There are endless possibilities of writing topics when you simply ask, “What if…?”.
Finding new writing topics can be as easy as paying attention to the lives around you and asking the right questions.
Have you written your story? Are you looking for a publisher? Canterbury House Publishing is always looking for writers of uplifting fiction, cozy mysteries, hopeful dystopian and more. If you would like to submit your manuscript for consideration, click here.
