Get Book Ideas in 4 Easy Ways

Book Ideas: Listen Up

Believe it or not, one of the best ways to get ideas for a book is to spend time around people. Where individuals congregate, there is conversation, and everyone has a story to tell. Go to your local diner or coffee shop and listen to the conversations occurring around you. It may seem strange to listen to other people’s conversations. But look at it as research.

Of course, you don’t want to be obvious that you’re listening. Bring a computer to capture key ideas and colorful wording. Wear your earbuds if it helps you feel better. But don’t miss the opportunity to capture some good ideas. If you’re lucky, the people you’re listening to will be friendly and invite you into their conversation with a smile or greeting. Don’t miss the chance to find out more about them and get a good book idea or two. I can’t tell you how many marvellous stories I’ve heard waiting in line at the grocery store!

Book Ideas: Reading and Watching Movies

Have you ever been reading a book or watching a movie, and something piques your interest? Maybe you were reading about Greek gods and goddesses and got the idea to write a series about how they discovered and dealt with their powers as teenagers. Reading books and watching movies and documentaries provide a large body of information. You can take an idea that is mentioned or under-explored and develop it into a book. That’s not plagiarism.

Inspiring another writer is the goal of most authors. Most books delve into a particular aspect of a topic because the book would be burdensome if it covered everything about the subject. Who would want to read that? It would take forever and be overwhelming for the reader. But just like in research writing, authors provide a roadmap to additional areas of research needed to further explore the topic. So the next time you’re reading a book or watching a movie, keep track of the ideas that jump out at you in your writing journal.

Book Ideas: Historical Events

If you’re short on ideas, look back at historical events, documents, or books. There is so much to explore in history and plenty of resources to make your work easier. Many websites, museums, libraries, and documents can be explored to find good book ideas. There are ideas in exhibits and artifacts. Get to know the staff in historical societies and libraries because they may give you some leads on interesting historical figures.

You may not want to write strictly about a historical event. Perhaps the event will inspire you to develop a character and all the information you gather will help you create an accurate picture of the times and events of the setting. There are so many directions your research can take. It depends on the outcome you expect. However you recreate it, you will find plenty of book ideas using events from history.

Book Ideas: News

Watching the news is an easy way to generate book ideas. Whether you watch the news or read it, you can always find stories that would make interesting books. It’s a good idea to read several national and international newspapers throughout the week. Keep track of articles that capture your attention, and jot down notes in your journal. Similarly, watching your local and national news will prick your imagination. If you make this a regular practice, you will compile so many leads that you can never write them all.

One of the good things about gathering book ideas from news stories is that you may get contacts to interview for more details and information. If you can follow-up with these leads, you will provide your readers with a richer story that is based on true events. Create a folder where you can put newspaper clippings and printouts for future use.

Book ideas are all around you. Use some of these tips to help you come up with your next brilliant novel or nonfiction book. If you come down with a case of writer’s block, try one or more of these strategies as a quick remedy. If you want to bounce your book idea by us or need someone to read and evaluate your manuscript, reach out to our staff. We’ll be happy to help.