Lesson 8: Choose Your Book Idea

It’s time to identify what that book idea is ...

Let’s begin with a Book Year Clarity Meditation to help you open your mind. After you finish, jot down any images, words, or clarity that may have arisen.

Now it’s time to sit with the content you just absorbed and articulate what your book idea is. Take a look at your notes from the prompts and lessons. What are the common themes or story/s that are showing themselves?

Set a timer for 15 minutes and write on these questions to get clear: What themes, words, or stories showed up in your notes over this month? Write them down. Don’t worry if they repeat, if anything that is a sign that something is really shining through.

After you have finished writing the themes and stories. Now consider, what type of nonfiction book you would you like to write? Take a look at your bookshelf and consider your favorite authors and books that have informed you. Perhaps it’s a memoir, self-help, book of essays, etc. What kind of book would you be most excited to write? Take 10 minutes to reflect on this question.

Now, condense them all down to a single sentence. Most likely, they are all connected through a single thread.

For ex) Key words/stories might be: Healing, recovery, train trip, writing, etc. So in a single condensed sentence it might look like, “this book is about that time I took that train trip to begin my long journey of trauma recovery where I learned to write and uncover the power of my own voice.” See what I did there? I took out the key words, stories, and mashed them all together as a cohesive sentence.

Use this algorithm inspired by Marion Roach’s The Art of Memoir to write your book idea in a single sentence.

My book is about __________ as illustrated by __________ to be told in a ____________.

An example using this algorithm may look like this:

“My book is about learning to write and uncover my lost voice as illustrated by the time I took a train trip to deal with past trauma as told through a memoir.”

OR

“My book is about learning to love my body as illustrated by a 12 embodiment practices that engage the reader with prompts, tools, and research as told through a self-help workbook.”

Play with writing write your book idea in a single sentence or two until the sentence/ book idea feels the most complete and succinct.

Your Choose your book idea Checklist:

  1. Go back through your notes and identify the common themes and stories that repeat. What is the common thread? Set your timer to 15 minute to reflect on this.

  2. Consider what genre you’d most like to write? Take cues from your book shelf. Keeping those themes and stories in mind, what excites you? Write for 5-10 minutes on this question.

  3. Now practice writing this book idea out in a single sentence of two using the algorithm above inspired by Marion Roach.

  4. Write a few different versions and see which feels the most succinct and clear. Think, this book is taking the reader on our journey. How will your book idea show them the way?


    Yay! You did it. Now, it is time to consider your book structure so that your idea can take shape.