You know that feeling when you’re staring at a blank page? Your fingers hover over the keyboard, but nothing comes. The cursor blinks at you like it’s waiting for something magical to happen. Every writer faces this moment. That spark of wanting to write a book burns inside you, but the big question looms: what should you write about?
Here’s what I’ve learned after years of helping people find their stories. The best books come from places you already know well. They spring from your experiences, your curiosities, and yes, even your struggles. You don’t need to climb Mount Everest or solve world hunger to have something worth sharing. Sometimes the most powerful stories hide in the most ordinary places.
The truth is, you have more book ideas inside you than you think. You just need to know where to look.
Things to Write a Book About
The key to finding your perfect book topic lies in understanding what moves you most deeply. These ideas will help you discover the stories that are uniquely yours to tell.
1. Your Biggest Life Lesson
Think about the hardest thing you’ve ever been through. Maybe it was losing someone you loved. Perhaps it was starting over after everything fell apart. Or it could be something that seemed small to others but changed everything for you.
That experience taught you something nobody else could teach. You learned how to survive, how to adapt, or how to find hope when everything looked dark. Other people are going through the same thing right now. They need to hear your story.
Your book doesn’t have to be a memoir. You could write it as a self-help guide, sharing the steps that helped you heal. You might create a fictional story where your main character faces similar challenges. The format matters less than the heart of what you learned.
2. A Skill You’ve Mastered
You’re good at something. Maybe you’ve spent years perfecting your grandmother’s recipes. Perhaps you can fix anything that breaks around the house. You might have a green thumb that turns every plant into a thriving garden.
People want to learn what you know. They’ll pay for books that teach them how to do what you do naturally. The best part? You don’t need to be the world’s top expert. You just need to know more than your readers.
Write about the mistakes you made while learning. Share the shortcuts you discovered. Tell them about the tools that made everything easier. Your real-world experience beats academic theory every time.
3. Your Family’s History
Every family has stories that deserve to be saved. Your great-grandmother who started a business when women weren’t supposed to work. The uncle who served in a war nobody talks about anymore. The cousin who moved across the country with nothing but hope and a suitcase.
These stories connect us to something bigger than ourselves. They show us where we came from and how we got here. More than that, they reveal patterns of strength, courage, and love that run through generations.
Start by interviewing the oldest family members you can find. Ask them about their parents and grandparents. Record their voices if they’ll let you. Write down the details they remember about everyday life back then. You’re not just writing a book. You’re preserving history.
4. A Problem You’ve Solved
You’ve figured out something that stumps other people. Maybe you found a way to get your baby to sleep through the night. Perhaps you discovered how to grow vegetables in a tiny apartment. You might have created a system for staying organized that actually works.
People struggle with these same problems every day. They’re searching for solutions, buying products that don’t work, and feeling frustrated. Your book could be the answer they’ve been looking for.
Don’t worry if your solution seems simple. Simple often works better than complicated. Share exactly what you did, step by step. Include the mistakes you made along the way. Be honest about what worked and what didn’t.
5. A Place That Changed You
There’s a place that left its mark on your soul. Maybe it’s the small town where you grew up. Perhaps it’s a city you lived in for just one summer. It could be a hiking trail you discovered, a coffee shop where you wrote your first poem, or even a hospital room where you learned what really matters.
Places have power. They shape us, teach us, and sometimes heal us. Your book could take readers there through your eyes. Show them what you saw, felt, and learned.
This works for travel memoirs, but it’s bigger than that. You could write about how your hometown influenced your values. You might explore how moving to a new place changed your perspective. The place becomes a character in your story.
6. Your Passion Project
You have something you care about more than most people understand. Maybe you’re obsessed with saving old buildings. Perhaps you spend every weekend rescuing animals. You might volunteer at the local food bank because hunger breaks your heart.
Your passion connects you to a community of people who share your values. They want to read about what you do and why it matters. Your book could inspire others to join your cause or start their own.
Write about why this issue grabbed your heart. Share stories of the people or animals you’ve helped. Explain what readers can do to make a difference. Your enthusiasm will be contagious.
7. A Relationship That Shaped You
Someone in your life changed everything. Maybe it was a teacher who believed in you when nobody else did. Perhaps it was a friend who stuck by you through your darkest days. It could be a mentor who showed you what was possible.
Relationships make us who we are. They teach us about love, loyalty, forgiveness, and growth. Your book could explore how one important relationship influenced your life.
This doesn’t have to be all sunshine and roses. Sometimes the most important relationships are the difficult ones. The parent who pushed you too hard. The friend who betrayed you. The partner who left. These experiences teach us just as much about ourselves.
8. Your Industry’s Inside Story
You work in a field that fascinates people from the outside. Maybe you’re a nurse who’s seen how hospitals really work. Perhaps you’re a teacher who knows what goes on behind classroom doors. You might be a small business owner who understands what it takes to survive.
People are curious about your world. They want to know what you know. Your book could pull back the curtain and show them the truth about your industry.
Share the stories that stick with you. Talk about the challenges nobody sees. Explain why you love what you do despite the difficulties. Give readers a real look at your professional life.
9. A Historical Event That Fascinates You
There’s a moment in history that captures your imagination. Maybe it’s a famous battle, a scientific discovery, or a social movement. You’ve read everything you can find about it. You think about it often.
Your fascination could become a book that brings this event to life for other readers. You don’t need a history degree to write historical nonfiction. You just need curiosity and a willingness to research.
Focus on the human stories within the larger event. Who were the people involved? What did they think and feel? How did this moment change their lives? Make history personal and readers will connect with it.
10. Your Creative Process
You make things. Maybe you paint, write songs, or build furniture. Perhaps you design websites, create recipes, or grow gardens. Whatever you create, your process is unique to you.
Other creative people want to understand how you work. They’re curious about your techniques, your inspiration, and your struggles. Your book could guide them through your creative journey.
Don’t just explain what you do. Share why you do it. Talk about the failures that taught you the most. Describe how creativity fits into your daily life. Help readers find their own creative path.
11. A Challenge You’re Currently Facing
Right now, you’re working through something difficult. Maybe you’re caring for an aging parent. Perhaps you’re starting a new career at forty. You might be learning to live with a chronic illness.
Writing about challenges while you’re still in them brings a raw honesty to your work. Readers connect with vulnerability. They want to know they’re not alone in their struggles.
Your book doesn’t need to have all the answers. It can be about the questions you’re asking and the steps you’re taking. Share what you’re learning along the way. Let readers walk this path with you.
12. Your Childhood Memories
Your childhood holds stories that only you can tell. The games you played, the fears you had, the dreams that seemed so real. These memories shape who you became.
Childhood stories work for many different types of books. You could write a memoir about growing up in your particular time and place. You might create a children’s book based on your experiences. You could even write fiction that draws from your childhood emotions.
Don’t worry if your childhood wasn’t dramatic. Sometimes the quiet moments make the best stories. The summer you spent reading under your favorite tree. The way your mother’s kitchen smelled on Sunday mornings. The friend who moved away and broke your heart.
13. Your Biggest Fear and How You Face It
Everyone has something they’re afraid of. Maybe you’re terrified of public speaking but you do it anyway. Perhaps heights make you dizzy but you still climb mountains. You might fear failure but you keep trying new things.
Your relationship with fear could inspire others who share your struggles. Show them how you cope, what you’ve learned, and why you keep going despite being scared.
This works especially well if your fear connects to something important in your life. The afraid-of-heights person who became a pilot. The shy person who became a teacher. The socially anxious person who started a business.
14. A Hobby That Became an Obsession
You started doing something for fun, and now it takes over your weekends. Maybe you began collecting vintage postcards and now you know their entire history. Perhaps you tried knitting and now you design your own patterns. You might have started a small garden and now you grow enough vegetables to feed the neighborhood.
Hobbies that become passions make great book topics because they show transformation. You can take readers on the same journey you took. Start where you started and show them each step of your learning process.
Share the community you found through your hobby. Talk about the people you met and the friendships you formed. Explain how this interest changed your life in ways you never expected.
15. Your Unconventional Life Choice
You made a decision that surprised people. Maybe you left a high-paying job to become a teacher. Perhaps you chose not to have children when everyone expected you to. You might have moved to a tiny house or decided to travel full-time.
These choices often come with judgment from others and doubt from yourself. Your book could explore why you made this decision and how it’s working out. Help readers think about their own unconventional desires.
Be honest about both the benefits and the challenges. Show the freedom you gained and the security you gave up. Let readers see the real cost and the real rewards of living differently.
16. Your Recovery Story
You’ve overcome something that nearly defeated you. Maybe it was addiction, depression, or an eating disorder. Perhaps it was grief, trauma, or a toxic relationship. You found your way back to health and happiness.
Recovery stories offer hope to people who feel trapped. They show that change is possible and healing can happen. Your book could be the light someone needs to see their way forward.
Focus on the turning points in your recovery. What made you realize you needed help? What gave you the strength to change? Which people, books, or experiences helped you heal? Share the practical steps that worked for you.
17. Your Side Business Success
You started something small and it grew beyond what you imagined. Maybe you began selling crafts online and now it’s your full-time income. Perhaps you started tutoring neighborhood kids and now you run a learning center. You might have begun freelancing and now you have more work than you can handle.
Small business stories inspire people who dream of working for themselves. They want to know how you got started, what mistakes you made, and how you grew your business.
Include the unglamorous parts of your story. The late nights, the financial stress, the times you wanted to quit. Show readers what building a business really looks like, not just the success story.
18. Your Parenting Philosophy
You have strong opinions about raising children. Maybe you believe in gentle parenting when everyone around you uses time-outs. Perhaps you homeschool in a community that values traditional education. You might have adopted older children or chosen to be a single parent.
Parenting books that share real experiences resonate with other parents. They don’t want perfect advice from experts. They want honest stories from people in the trenches.
Share what you’ve tried and what you’ve learned. Talk about the moments you got it right and the times you got it wrong. Show how your approach evolved as your children grew.
19. Your Spiritual Journey
Your relationship with faith, spirituality, or meaning has been complicated. Maybe you left the religion you grew up with and found something new. Perhaps you discovered faith later in life. You might have wrestled with doubt and come out stronger.
Spiritual journeys make compelling books because they touch the deepest parts of human experience. Readers connect with questions about purpose, meaning, and connection.
Don’t preach or try to convert anyone. Simply share your honest search for truth and meaning. Talk about the questions that drove you and the answers you found along the way.
20. Your Vision for the Future
You have ideas about how things could be better. Maybe you envision changes in education, healthcare, or local government. Perhaps you dream of new ways to solve old problems. You might have a plan for making your community stronger.
Books about positive change inspire people to get involved. They show readers that individuals can make a difference. Your vision could spark movement and create real change.
Include practical steps readers can take. Don’t just describe the problem and the ideal solution. Give people specific actions they can take today to move things in the right direction.
Wrapping Up
The perfect book topic for you already exists in your life experience. It’s hiding in your struggles, your successes, your passions, and your everyday moments. You don’t need to invent something completely new. You just need to recognize the stories that are uniquely yours to tell.
Start with what moves you most. Pick the idea that makes your heart beat faster when you think about sharing it. That excitement will carry you through the long process of writing a book. Your passion will show up on every page, and readers will feel it.
Your story matters more than you know. Someone out there needs to read exactly what you have to write. They’re waiting for your perspective, your experience, your voice. The only way they’ll find it is if you’re brave enough to put it down on paper.