Idea Generator Five: From challenge to opportunity
You face challenges every day. Most are minor, some are major challenges. If you've
ever faced a large challenge, or if you're facing one right now, then consider that the
things you learn could help other people. Whatever your challenge is, whether it’s
moving house or confronting a life-threatening illness, other people face the same
challenges, and in those challenges lie the seeds of books.
Make a list of 20 challenges you've faced in your life. Anything catastrophic
qualifies: losing your job, facing bankruptcy, the betrayal of a spouse. If you've had a
quiet life, then make a list of challenges that the people you know have faced.
Additional challenges you can consider include any habit you've broken, from
congenital lateness to overeating.
When you've finished brainstorming, you'll have dozens of book ideas. Winnow out
the non-starters. Don't delete them, move them to another computer file. Call it "odds
Checklist: Is this the right idea for you TODAY?
You've worked through the idea generators, and you have one or more ideas which
you feel would work as a book. The next step is to scrutinize your primary idea
carefully.
Consider your idea and look at this list of questions. See if you can answer
Am I enthusiastic enough about this subject and my ideas about it to
sell this proposal to an agent and an editor – and to readers?
Will I retain my enthusiasm through the months it will take me to
complete the book?
Is there a market for my book? (I've checked Amazon.com and
bookshops for competing titles. I'm convinced there is a market for my
