Choose Your Topic Wisely

I set out to write this post about Tom Cruise, since my husband just took me to watch "War of the Worlds" and it was excellent by the way. But every time I start to write about anything I keep getting distracted. This is one clear indication that the topic really isn't what moves you. I mean, Tom Cruise is pretty to look at, but what else do I really have to say about him? As a writer, one of the hardest things to choose is what you want to write about. I stated on an earlier blog that a writer can write about anything. While this is true, we still must consider what it is that a Reader wants to READ about. How many websites can one visit to hear all about Tom's life and recent engagement if one wished to? Do any of my fans care to hear my opinion on such a topic? Probably not. Here are five things to consider whenever deciding on a topic to write about.

1. If the topic bores the hell out of you as the writer, can it really be interesting to your readers? Why spend precious hours exploring a subject that no one wants to read? This is a big one because it involves the great debate of writing to sell/writing for pleasure. Okay, selling books is a pleasure, but does it mean that you have to "sell out" in order to become successful? Hopefully not. I like to believe that if I write things that I'm interested in, I'll be able to reach like-minded readers. I would never write a novel about sports, for example. Not that I hate football or anything, I just don't really enjoy it. Why in the world then would I ever incorporate a football player as a major character in my novel? It's true that millions of people love football, but if I'm not one of them, how can I convey the same sense of excitement, achievement, or exhilaration from getting a touchdown or whatever that sports lovers have? I can try, but my readers would know I didn't really care.

2. You don't have to limit yourself to "writing only what you know"- This is fine for self-help books or newsjournals, but creative writing is about exploring. You only have to know enough of a subject to sound convincing, so put down that F.B.I. training manual and breath a sigh of relief, your readers will too. To take up my previous example, if I did want to write a book involving sports fanatics, I can certainly look up a few and ask them questions about how it feels, what the rules are, what the terms are, etc. I only need enough to understand the topic. I don't have to actually suit up and play the game myself. That's the beauty of being able to write effectively.

3. Play the "What If. . . game"- I've read a few books on writing and this advice has been the most helpful. Every situation can be manipulated by simply suggesting a few what ifs- What if aliens tried to take over the world? What if they had planned to do it for a really long time? What if they failed? What if they didn't fail? H.G. Wells surely pondered this subject at length. The what if game is fun once you get the hang of it. What if I actually wrote a novel instead of pages and pages of this blog?

4. Every person, animal, song, retail store, and strawberry on the planet has a story. Don't tell yourself there's nothing out there to write about. If you bog yourself down in that attitude you'll never get a word onto the page at all. Every day we are bombarded with potential story topics if we look at it like that. Try to make up a history or factoid about every person you see at Wal-Mart while you're grocery shopping. For example, that Lady wearing flip-flops is buying frozen corn, de-con mouse poison, and a pregnancy test---Is the pregnancy test for herself or her teenage daughter? Will the poison be used for a mouse, her cheating husband, or the teenage daughter's 23 year-old boyfriend? We can kind of figure out that the corn is for dinner.

5. Trust Yourself. Don't forget to write about things that interest you. The things that interest you are bound to interest somebody else. This is true even if stamp collecting is your big passion. While that won't necessarily attract millions of loyal fans, you can bet that someone else is "into it". Writers shouldn't blindly discard topics that interest us because we don't think anyone will read it. One my professors offered the advice to always avoid writing mundane things. She claimed no one wants to read about someone getting dressed, brushing their teeth, combing their hair, etc. I agree UNLESS there is something strange/disturbing/telling about the manner in which the character does such things.

I didn't set out to write a blog like this, but if these things help me then I have to trust that they will help others. Choosing a topic can be the most important first step for a writer, so be careful and choose wisely.