Like a lot of writers, I like to keep a list of ideas that I think would make a good premise for a book at the moment. Whether those ideas are good enough later to actually make them into something? Who knows, haha.

So you have the list of ideas and you need to choose one for your next story, but how do you decide which one to actually write about? Well, of course you can’t choose something that doesn’t spark joy and inspiration. You’ll never get through it! And even if you do, would it really be any good if you’re just going through the motions and not actually connecting to the story you’re writing?

Sparking Joy

Your next story should “spark joy.” And by that, I mean that you should be excited about the idea and really have a positive feeling when you read the idea/premise. This may be different for everyone, but the idea needs to get your creative juices flowing.

Really, it’s ideal that you don’t choose a topic based off what’s trending or what’s popular. It’s always ideal for an author/writer to love their topic and be passionate about their story.

Even if your topic is a bit niche, but you’re excited about writing it, don’t worry! There’s something for everyone, and your story may be just what someone it looking for. And you might get a new fan out of it!

Well, How Do I Do It?

The process is different for everyone, but I’ll let you in on my process. ♡

I keep a running list on Google Sheets and add every idea that I have. Whether it’s good or not! If it’s not good, just don’t use it! And your opinion may change, so don’t delete ideas that aren’t very good, move them to a different sheet and keep them, they may prove useful some other time.

I take my time when I’m reading over the ideas. If I like something, I highlight it and move on. Don’t stop at the first one you think is good, keep going, there might be something better!

Once I have all of my ideas highlighted, I like to read and then re-read them. I want to find the perfect idea. Something that gets me so excited, I’m eager to start my planning. (You can find how I plan my characters here, and my settings here.)

Then the planning. Planning is always a great way to decide if this is really the story that you want to go with or if you need to do something difference. Creativity for an idea shouldn’t be forced. The ideas should flow freely. Don’t feel like once you’ve chosen idea, that you have to stick to it.

Don’t Be Afraid To Start Over

It’s okay if you choose a topic and lose steam. It happens to the best of us. If you start to lose steam on a project, it’s okay to choose a different one and start from square one. But don’t scrap the other one! Keep it! You might go back and rework it and you might not! Even if you feel like your idea isn’t enough, it can always be reworked and reimagined. Just give it time.

In the end, everyone chooses their ideas and plans differently. Don’t feel like this is a guide that must be followed. I’m just here to share my experiences with fellow writers and authors. 🙂