TAP003, How To Choose The Right Book Idea

by Amelia Hay | The Authorpreneur Podcast - Writing and Self Publishing Advice

Hello, Writers!

 

Do you have million different story ideas and are struggling to choose the right book idea?

 

Or, Do you have a pile of manuscripts that you can’t seem to finish?

 

This indecisiveness is the writer equivalent of shiny object syndrome. This is where you jump from idea to idea, and you can’t seem to choose the right one. You’re essentially stuck in the wonderful land of indecision. I understand how this feels. As a writer, I too have suffered from shiny object syndrome, especially when choosing a story idea or abandoning a writing project to start a new one. Over the course of my writing journey, I’ve gone from shiny object syndrome to reaching a place where I’ve finished two manuscripts that I’m excited to publish in a genre, that I adore.

 

In this podcast episode, I share with you, my number one tip on how to choose the right book idea.

 

Tip #1: Choose the idea you can’t get out of your head

Choosing a story idea is the part of the writing process that many writers overthink. Many aspiring authors fall into the trap of picking the story they think they should write. While others, choose the story that family or friends like the most. Instead of selecting one of these two options, choose the idea you can’t stop get out of your head. It’s not enough for you to like a story idea you need to love it. It’s like falling in love. When you’re in love with someone, you can’t stop thinking about someone. And you find yourself steering everyday conversation so you can talk about your new love interest. Because you’re so passionate about them, you fail to notice your friends rolling their eyes and thinking, not again. That’s how you need to feel about your story idea.

 

Why?

Right now, you’re probably thinking why is it so important for me to love a story idea? The path to publishing your first book is long and difficult. It always takes longer than you imaged. Obstacles and distraction that you never anticipated pop up and derail your progress. This leads to a delay in the publication process.

In light of this, choose an idea that you will still want to pursue even in those difficult moments, especially when you feel like you’re the worst writer on earth. Trust me; those days will come. One minute you’ll be thinking your story is great and the next you’ll be crying about how terrible your prose sound, or about how your story is filled with plot holes. If you’re writing a story that you’re passionate, then this will make the publication process a little easier then if you’re purely writing to market.

 

On a side note, there is nothing wrong with writing to market but, if you’re writing to market then writing is simply a job. And, that’s not the author career I’m trying to create. It’s important to have an audience and to write within a genre that has a demand. But for me, it’s more important to love what I am writing. I quit my day to job to pursue something that I was passionate about, not to replace it with another job.

 

Choose the idea you can’t stop yourself from writing

So, choose the idea you can’t stop yourself from thinking about and writing. When I first started writing Immunity, I went from creating a short synopsis to writing character profiles which lead to a scene by scene outline. After all of this planning, I was so excited that I started to write the first 11,000 words within the span of a week. I couldn’t stop myself from writing. I’m not saying that it was all smooth sailing. Along the way, I did make some classic first-time mistakes. I wasn’t disciplined with my daily writing habit. And, I got distracted by research and trying to write a perfect first draft, but, I kept coming back to the story. I was so determined to finish it because the story had piqued my interest and I was passionate about the characters.

 

Concluding Thoughts

What actionable step you’re going to take this week to help you choose the right book idea for you? I want to hear from you. Let me know by commenting in the description box below.

 

Thank you for listening, reading, commenting and sharing with such enthusiasm.

 

Your coach,

 

Amelia xx

 

Amelia D. Hay

Written by Amelia D. Hay

I’m Amelia. When I’m not hosting the Authorpreneur Podcast™️ and the Book Nerd Podcasts, I write Mystery Novels under the pen name A. D. Hay. And, I’m the author of Suspicion, the Lawn, and the Candidate.

On this blog, I help new writers to finish their first draft, prepare their manuscripts for professional editing, and when they get stuck in the first draft phase or are confused about the revision process.

Right now, I’m editing and preparing my soon to be published mystery novels, Suspicion, Duplicity, 24 Hours, and Immunity for publication.

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