16 Questions + 8 Action Items to Choose Your Next Writing Project

I don’t know about you, but I have all kinds of stories in my head that I want to write, to the point that I feel sad when I realize that it’s physically impossible to write them all. This why it’s a BIG decision for me to choose the next one to focus on. Every choice I make to write something is also a choice not to write something else. Making these decisions is part of the writing process as much as anything else is, and it’s a place where some people get stuck.

In the past, I’ve followed a shiny new idea without stopping to evaluate it. If I spend too much time chasing it too soon, I might feel discouraged and frustrated when I finally realize that for one reason or another, the idea is not going to pan out. No writing is wasted, and I know those experiences have taught me important lessons. However, I’d just as soon make the best choice about which projects to work on BEFORE I spend a lot of time on it.

Sometimes evaluating a story’s potential requires getting into the story a little bit. I might have to take it for a test ride. Spend some time with it. Play around with voice, character, and setting. Try some discovery writing, or even a full-fledged scene. That’s fine. The idea is that before investing HUGE amounts of time on a project,I try to discover whether that the story can give back what I need from it. To make a good choice, I have to ask myself some tough questions and really think it through. The questions and exercises below have become my standard operating procedure, and hopefully they will help guide you in the right (or should I say “write”) direction.

Questions to evaluate the story’s dramatic potential:

Does it have a great premise?Is there a place for a strong protagonist?Is there a bigger story under the surface?Does it need to be combined with something else?Where will the story’s energy come from?Can I envision a compelling climax of some sort (even if I don’t know exactly what it will be)?

Action Item: Watch blockbuster movies and work backward to determine where the story potential comes from. What is the premise and why is it so appealing? Who likes these kinds of movies and why? This is good practice for evaluating dramatic potential.

Action Item: Envision yourself pitching the published book to an agent, an editor, or even a reader. How will you make the story sound compelling? What will convince them to read it? What makes you so excited to share it with them?

Questions to envision what kind of story it will be:

7. What part of the bookstore would it be located?

8. Is there a seasonal aspect to the story?

9. Who is the audience for the story?

Ward Tefft is the owner of Chop Suey Books in Richmond, Virginia.

Action Item: Spend time in bookstores. Notice what kinds of books are out there, where they are placed, and how they’re promoted. Read book jackets. Look at best-sellers lists. These are online of course, but you can usually find them at bookstores too. Chat with the people who work at the bookstore. Ask them questions about frequently requested books. Go often and make friends with them. (This works better in independent bookstores.)

Action Item: Read! And read a lot. Read what’s getting published now, especially in the genres you’re interested in. Pay attention to which books are getting the most buzz and seek out at least some that are in your genre. Read with a writer’s eye. What makes that story work? Or not work?

Questions to determine how marketable the story will be:

10. Will it speak to the sensitivities and interests of my audience?

11. Is it unique enough to distinguish itself from other books?

12. Does it fall into a broad marketable category? Or is it a “niche” book?

Action Item: Get feedback on story potential and marketability from trusted writer-friends. Sometimes it’s hard to look at your own ideas objectively.

Action Item: Go to writers’ conferences and events and ask questions. If you can talk to a published author, ask them about their latest book and why they chose that idea to write about over all the other ideas flying around in their head. How do they make those decisions? If you have a chance to talk to an editor or agent, give them an idea you’re thinking about and ask them how marketable it strikes them. (This only works if you can ask this question in about 30 seconds or less. Don’t drone on about an idea or you’ll lose them.) If you’re not ready to talk about your own work, ask an agent or editor about one of their upcoming releases. What made them want to read that book? What about that book do they think will draw readers in?

A word of caution: Take care not to put too much stock in marketing trends when evaluating an idea. Trends change too quickly for that. Marketability is certainly one of the considerations, but it doesn’t trump everything else. It does, however, make sense to determine which story ideas have the most marketing potential when you have more than one that you feel passionate enough to write.

Questions to discover how much you love the story:

13. Do I love it enough to spend every day with it for many months to come?

14. Is this a book that I would want to read?

15. Do I feel drawn this story? Why am I the person to write it?

16. Can I write this story with joy?  You might substitute another word for joy, depending on where your motivation for writing comes from. Maybe the right question is, Can I write this story with truth? Or, can I write this story with authenticity?

Action Item: Cast your mind into the future and imagine yourself three months from now as you sit down to write. You’re in the middle of writing this book. Are you still enthusiastic? Are you into it more than ever? Or has it become drudgery? Any regrets about choosing this story idea?

Action Item: Pick your top three ideas for books (or stories, or whatever) and write them on index cards. Take the first one and think about how you feel about writing that book. Using post-it notes, write down the emotions and attach them to the index card. Do the same for the other two. Look at the emotions associated with each book and compare them. Where are the strongest emotions? Which emotions do you think will render the best writing? Fear is not a bad thing when it comes to writing. Some of the best writing comes from fear. It all depends on if you’re prepared to go on that journey.

Choosing the next project to work on is always an act of faith. There’s no telling what the future holds. The most important thing is to keep writing, keep producing new material, and do your very best to finish at least some of them.

Good writing wishes to all and many happy returns!