What to Give a Sh*t About While Brainstorming Your Book
(A.K.A. Before You Even Touch That Shiny Blank Page)
ā³Ā What YouāreĀ ActuallyĀ Obsessed With
Stop trying to write whatās trendy. What doĀ youĀ spiral about at 2 a.m.? What ideas make you grin like a gremlin and mutter, āOhhh, thatās juicyā? Thatās your story. Chase that weird, niche, canāt-let-it-go stuff. Your obsession will be the fuel that drags you through chapter 27 when everything sucks and you kind of want to fake your own death.
ā³Ā Your Storyās āWhy the Hell Should Anyone Care?ā
Not in a mean way. But genuinelyāwhy should a stranger give up sleep to read this? What itch does it scratch? What feeling does it deliver? Figure that out early and let it guide you like a tiny emotional compass. If you canāt answer it yet, cool. But keep poking at it until you can.
ā³Ā A Character With Big, Messy Feelings
Donāt start with a plot. Start with aĀ person. A disaster with a wound and a want. Someone who wants something so badly it makes them do unwise things. Get to know them like a nosy therapist. Let them tell you what kind of story they want to be in.
ā³Ā Conflict That Isnāt Just Vibes
Mood boards are fun. But conflict is what makes a storyĀ move. Make sure youāve got some stakes, emotional, relational, existential, literal. If your idea doesnāt have anything to push against, itās not a story yet. Itās an inspiration board.
ā³Ā A Rough Emotional Shape
Not an outline. Not yet. Justā¦ the feeling. Where does it start (lonely)? Where does it go (rage)? Where does it end (hopeful)? Think of your book like a rollercoaster. You need the high points, low points, and those slow creaky climbs that make people scream. If itās all flat? Snoozefest.
ā³Ā The One Vibe You Want to Nail
Every great book has aĀ thing. An atmosphere. A flavor. Your job during brainstorming is to catch the scent of it. Is it spooky and tender? Funny and tragic? Cozy but secretly brutal? Whatever it is, write it down. Tattoo it on your brain. Let it infect every scene.
ā³Ā Something Youāre Scared to Write About
You donātĀ haveĀ to go here. But if something in your gut says, āOh god, I could never write aboutĀ thatāā¦ maybe poke it. Maybe thereās gold in there. Maybe the story wants to heal something. You donāt have to bleed for your artābut if it makes you uncomfortable in a thrilling way? Thatās your fire.
