Self-publishing School Part 3: Generating Book Ideas

The ideas you generate for your books will vary according to several factors. What do you want to accomplish with your writing? Who do you want to reach? Why do you want to reach them? What do you want to say to them?

While some authors may perform market research and look for gaps in the marketplace that they can fill, every book idea comes to me in a different way.

Here are some techniques I use to generate ideas:

• Exercise. It gives you time to think and endorphins can elevate your mood, making you more creative.
• Silence. Turn off the car radio, go to lunch by yourself and spend time just thinking.
• Meditation. By actively focusing on your breath and observing your thoughts without judgment, you can put yourself in a mental state that is conducive to new ideas.
• Drawing. Or painting, sculpture, etc. Sometimes one art form can inspire another.
• Variety. Get out of your usual routine by eating at a restaurant you've never visited before, or going on vacation. Even taking a different route to work can stimulate new thinking patterns.
• Know Yourself. What is the best time of day for you to get ideas? Evenings, mornings? Afternoons? If you notice that your brain is particularly active during a specific part of the day, make an effort to free up your time for thinking and creating during that time period.
• Listening. Overhearing a partial conversation in a coffee shop may give you a great idea for your next book.
• Dreaming. Write down your dreams, even the crazy ones, and do it first thing in the morning before you forget them. You may find some amazing creative ideas buried in your subconscious mind.
• Shower. It's a good idea in general, AND you might get a great idea for a new book while bathing. I've been known to cut my showers short on several occasions because an idea occurred to me and I had to write it down right away.
• Get Curious. Ask yourself, "If I were to write a book, what would I write about?" Then get more specific: "If I were to write a book about robotic dogs from another planet taking over Earth, would I want it to be a stand alone volume or part of a series?"

Get in the habit of writing down ideas as soon as they come to you. They are slippery, and if you don't capture them the moment they arrive you could easily lose them. There are more ideas where that one came from, of course, but each of them deserves to be cherished. Except for the bad ones. It's okay to let those go.