Go right to the source
I was talking to a friend who is a wonderful writer. The subject of my next book for writers came up. She wanted to know what I was planning, and I answered her question with a question: What kind of book would you most want to read? This may seem like a casual enough question, were it not for the fact that this very friend represented the target audience for my two, previous books. And, I expected the same would be true for whatever came next.
She described what she saw as a universal struggle in her writing group. Then we talked about the type of guidance that could be most useful to address these concerns. In ten minutes, I had a clear picture of not just a resonant and timely topic, but the flow of how I might take writers through the evolution process of this particular dimension of their writing lives. In short, I had a mental snapshot of exactly how I might be of service to my literary community next.
I am not proposing that you should expect to come up with a book idea in ten minutes. But I do believe that you can powerfully advance a writing project that is in the percolation / dream / conceptual / early draft stage by identifying your target audience (If you don't know, make your best guess) and then finding someone to talk to who represents that group.
Chances are good that you already have a foothold in this community and could pick up the phone right this minute to ask someone you know what they need and how you might help. If you're not already established in this realm, now would be a great time to start as your writing project sets sail. Even if you're writing poetry or fiction (genres that are not necessarily limited to a particular topic or theme), having a specific person in mind as your desired reader can significantly streamline your process. Because, simply, it helps to imagine that you're writing to someone who wants to receive your writing.
Whatever you're working on right now, or getting ready to work on, I invite you to take a step back and ask yourself:
Who do I know who would be interested in reading something like this?
What do I want to understand about his or her needs, preferences, goals or aesthetics?
What are three questions I can ask this person that will help me clarify what he or she is seeking?
How can I engage this person in a quick brainstorm about ways to meet their needs in writing?
Think of this as a focus group for your writing life. Talk to as many people as makes sense. If you're writing a book designed to help families cope with Alzheimer's disease, for example, you may want to talk to a medical expert, people who have faced this challenge in their own families, experienced hospice teams, and/or association leaders and activists. After talking to my friend about her need for writing support, I could talk to the published poets and authors I know about what they wished they'd known or attempted early in their writing careers. I could talk to agents and publishers about how they'd like their writing partners primed for success. I could test out my idea with writers of every genre. And so on.
We all know about the extraordinary alchemy that is possible when pen hits paper. We may be less practiced in bringing other people into our process as brief and honored guests. When you take an interest in the people you know, this can literally clarify your own reflection. You may be surprised to find how much they reveal about the direction you've already chosen–and how their feedback can accelerate your journey.
