How To Decide What To Write About (5 Simple Ways To End Your Confusion)

A lack of focus will cripple your writing (here's how to fix it)

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I wrote aimlessly for 6 months.

But once I got clear on what to write about. My growth skyrocketed. Reader’s flocked to my writing when I found a focus. But many writers get stuck on this question. A lack of clarity will wreck your progress. And leave you:

• wasting energy wondering what to write

• feeling invisible and small

• paralysed by fear

Let me show you what worked for me.

These are the 5 insights that helped me the most.

1. Listen to the numbers

If you want influence, to make money, or to help people. You need people to read your stuff.

Parker Worth failed to connect with electricians. Partly because he wasn’t passionate about it. But also because he picked the wrong platform. He wrote on Twitter. Most electricians prefer videos.

You don’t decide your niche. You discover it. Experiment with content and see what sticks. You need the sweet spot. What you want to write and what people want to read.

The easiest way to do this is to pick 3 possibilities. Write about them for 4 months. See what gets traction. And go all in on what people want.

Write what people want.

2. Write about transformation (not a topic)

What topic should I write about is the wrong question.

Kieran Drew quit Dentistry in 2022 to write. Since then he’s made $750,000. His brilliant advice is to focus on transformation not topic.

Think of who your target audience is. Identify what change they need. Then write anything helpful. Regardless of topic.

Say you’re helping new parents transform into confident parents.

What would help them?

• how to get their baby to sleep

• nutrition for newborns

• dealing with illness

But if you think of transformation rather than topic. You could also cover:

• investing in your relationship

• how to look after yourself

• how to have a hobby when you have no time

Focus on the person more than the narrow topic. This keeps your reader interested. And gives your writing variety.

3. Follow your curiosity (not your knowledge)

Most writers write what they know.

But this is dangerous. Building an audience takes a long time. You need something you can write about every week for the next 3 years. Most writers give up within 3 months. So picking a theme that’ll retain your interest is crucial.

Older writers need to be careful. They have a wide knowledge base. And get tempted to repeat what they know. But this is a mistake.

I’ve had a career in leadership and public speaking. When I started to write in 2023. I gathered all my old notes. I had tons of content to share. But it felt stale. I was no longer exploring these topics. My knowledge was static.

It’s better to go with your curiosity. Write what you’re learning. This brings freshness to your words. And gives you a focus that will grow with you.

You don’t need to be an expert. Being a student works.

4. Listen to your heart

Parker Worth was fed up with his life. So he decided to build an online writing business.

He spent months writing about electricity (he was an electrician). But got no growth. He was bored doing it. So gave up. But he comes alive when he tells stories. (He has lived a crazy life!)

So Parker started sharing his stories. This energized him. And readers loved it. Parker is now a 6 figure creator. Doing what he loves. Teaching others how to write stories. When you hear Parker talk about storytelling. You can hear the passion in his voice.

It takes a long time to grow online. So pick something you love. Your passion will come through your writing. And enthuse your readers.

Write about what you love.

5. Start narrow (but don’t finish there)

To build an audience you need a focus.

Readers need to know what they’ll get from you. This creates loyal fans. Who’ll read all your stuff. But people worry about being stuck in a narrow rut.

Ali Abdaal shows you how to avoid this.

Ali has 5.4m YouTube subscribers. But started with a narrow niche. Ali was a medical student. And made videos about what he knew. Studying for medical exams. He grew because he was solving a specific problem for a specific group of people. He had credibility because it was a problem he had recently solved himself.

Being specific is powerful:

• what challenges have you overcome?

• what problems have you solved?

• what skills have you learned?

But Ali then widened his content. He started talking about productivity. This served his current audience. But widened his appeal.

He then broadened to anything that interests him. He talks about making money online. The equipment he uses. Books he likes. His life plan. He has become his niche.

Start with a narrow focus then widen as you grow.

Finding your focus is a journey. Use these 5 signposts to help you discover yours.

Derek
PS. When I need a writing ideas for Notes. I open up my viral templates for a quick spark. You can create your own. Or steal mine here.