What book should I write? 12 questions to help you decide

Last updated: March 8, 2026

I’m writing this post on Sunday morning following the Thanksgiving holiday. My son, a football fan, has the TV on “The Red Zone” which is currently showing three different games at the same time. 

My son loves it because it removes any and all decision making. He can watch the best parts of all the games without constantly switching channels.

I find it super over-stimulating and distracting, though I do get the appeal. Why decide which game to watch when you can watch all of them? At the same time?

Wouldn’t it be great, if we, as writers could cozy up on the couch and write all the books, at the same time?

Yes. Yes it would. But we can’t.

We have to decide on one book to focus on.

Sometimes a client comes to me with crystal clear clarity on the book they want to write, their message, their reader, and their purpose, and we can dive into the structure more quickly.

Most often, they come with a plethora of ideas ranging from straight prescriptive nonfiction (how-to), self help, their own story (memoir), and funnily enough many often share that one children’s book idea they’ve got.

The challenge is when aspiring authors stay here, pinging from idea to idea.

Indecision can be a sneaky protective strategy. If you don’t decide, you don’t have to do the hard work of writing your proposal or manuscript and potentially failing to do your idea justice.

So, how do you get past indecision and finally decide on which book to write?

You take action.

If you’re thinking, “Great. I’d love to take action, but which idea should I ACT on?”

First, grab a notebook and a pen, and write down your answers and thoughts to the following questions. As my friend and story coach, April Bosshard, recently reminded me, our thinking is more focused and often deeper when we explore our thoughts on the page.

The Questions

With pen in hand, take time to write out thoughtful answers to the following questions. This is you taking action and getting out of that dang idea tornado. :)

• Purpose
  • Which idea fulfills my purpose for myself? My business? My life goals?
  • How will each idea fit into the eco-system of my business? Top-of funnel? Deep dive bottom of funnel?
  • Does relating my book to my business even matter to me with this project?
  • Which one feels like the right one to write first in terms of my business or career path? My personal life?
• Potential
  • Is this idea for a real reader who I can reach? 
  • Does it solve a problem or share a message that is aligned for them now? 
  • Does this idea take a unique approach to solving the problem through a framework or my own story?
• Passion
  • Which idea can I talk about for days without running out of steam? 
  • Which one won’t leave me alone? Even if it feels hard or like a random idea, which one keeps knocking?
  • Which one feels like it needs to come first? Perhaps you want to write a how-to book, but that damn memoir won’t leave you alone. Tackle the memoir.
• Play
  • Which idea feels fun and light?
• Shoulds 
  • Which ideas feel like ones I “should” write? Scratch those.

As you feel into and write your responses to these questions, remember that there is no right or wrong here. 

The goal is to find the right idea for you, at this moment in time.  Just by writing out your responses, you’re moving toward clarity on choosing your idea.

Still stuck? Schedule a discovery call for 1:1 Book Concept Coaching, and I’ll help you figure it out. Idea development is  one of my favorite parts of coaching! 

Let’s start 2026 with clarity on the right book to write!

In the comments, let me know which idea floated to the top of your list after answering these questions.