by Joshua Pantalleresco

Created on: March 03, 2009

I almost want to say that this essay is really about "Where do you get your ideas?" Writers hate answering that question, not because there usually isn't a chain of thought that leads to the idea, but rather that this pool of knowledge is available to everyone. The real secret is learning how to tap into it. Good subjects for novels is almost like saying good ideas for great novels.

Truth is, there are a variety of publishers out there that publish pretty much any topic under the sun. Failing that, the option to publish your own work is in a variety of print on demand houses that are available for the right price. In my view though there is no one good subject for a novel. There is always demand for content in every aspect of fiction. Simply look on helium sometime and you will find hundreds of different topics. You'll find almost as many publishers for each of the topics listed here. Personally, I think the word "good" here is relative. The real secret is finding something you are passionate about and writing it down.

Maybe you aren't the kind of writer that writes young adult. That's fine. Write horror. Maybe romance just doesn't give you any sort of tingle. Write western literature if that's what floats your boat. There is no one formula for success. The real secret is finding out what you want to say.

Look at your own life experiences. Each of us has a unique perspective that cannot be duplicated. Look at some of your experiences, and write about them. Wil Wheaton does this all the time on his blog, and it has led him down a very successful writing career. Mick Foley wrote his life story and became a number one New York Time bestseller. Everyone has had an interesting life. In any case, most writers are writing about something inside they seek answers for or about the trials and tribulations in their own lives, no matter how fantastic the concept is. The human struggle is expressed in a myriad of ways and our experiences are the maps of which we use to connect ourselves to other people. Ultimately, writing is a form of reaching out and connecting. Writers who do this well tend to craft a very good novel.

The other thing writers must do is read. Read. Read. Want to write that Lord of the Rings style trilogy? It would probably be a good idea to read Lord of the Rings. Want to create that towering graphic novel epic in the style of Watchmen? I'd recommend buying yourself a copy of Watchmen and reading. It's never wrong to read about the things you want to write.

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