The following is from Nina Amir’s Blog, Write Nonfiction Now. Nina posts writing prompts on Fridays.  I really enjoyed Nina’s Prompt #10 and thought you might like it, too.  These ideas can also work for fiction writing.

Create Book Ideas to Support Your Goals: Nonfiction Writing Prompt #10 by Nina Amir.

Nina writes:

If you want to write and publish books, the first step involves developing ideas. You may be a nonfiction writer with just one book idea or with many. However, if you have nonfiction writing goals, your book ideas should support your goals.

I have many book ideas. Despite the fact that some of them really excite me, I have put quite a few on hold. I have them queued up in a logical order, one following the other so they help move me toward my goals.

Sometimes those goals could be simple, such as get a traditional publishing deal. That may not sound “simple,” but, for example, I put aside some projects of mine that were outside my area of expertise to pursue that goal. I used my expertise to accomplish it. With traditionally published books under my belt that have performed well—a track record—I can move into other categories more easily, should I want to pursue traditional publishing for my other ideas. I can also pursue self-publishing now more successfully.

Your goals could be to:

• Attract more clients
• Make more money
• Develop authority
• Tell my story
• Serve others
• Teach
• Build a business around a book
• Get more freelance assignments
• Become a professional speaker

Whatever your goals, it’s time to develop book ideas that support them.

Write down your top two or three nonfiction writing goals. For each goal, also write down one or two reasons why you want to achieve that goal. Here’s an example of what that might look like:

Next, brainstorm tentative titles or subjects for books that would support those goals. Come up with at least one, preferably two for each goal. Prioritize them based on which will help you achieve your goal fastest. Here’s an example (without actual titles or subjects):If you come up with other nonfiction book ideas you’d like to write during this process, write them down as well, but put them away for later. That’s what the “Other Books” category is for.  

Nina’s newest book, The Author Training Manual is now available.  Be one of the first to own a copy of The Author Training Manual : Develop Marketable Ideas, Craft Books That Sell, Become the Author Publishers Want, and Self-Publish Effectively.

 Nina Amir, author of How to Blog a Book and The Author Training Manual, transforms writers into inspired, successful authors, authorpreneurs and blogpreneurs. Known as the Inspiration to Creation Coach, she moves her clients from ideas to finished books as well as to careers as authors by helping them combine their passion and purpose so they create products that positively and meaningfully impact the world. A sought-after author, book, blog-to-book, and results coach, some of Nina’s clients have sold 300,000+ copies of their books, landed deals with major publishing houses and created thriving businesses around their books. She writes four blogs, self-published 12 books and founded National Nonfiction Writing Month, aka the Write Nonfiction in November Challenge.