Write the Book Your Soul Wants To Write: 11 Important Questions To Ask Yourself

"I have so many book ideas, I don't know which one to write."

👆 I hear this a lot from aspiring authors. First-time authors aren’t the only ones with this perceived block. I also hear similar sentiments from second- and third-time authors.

Next, I ask them to tell me about their book ideas. And not for the reasons they think.

Writers usually share three and sometimes four or more book ideas with me. The book ideas look like something like this: 

1. I have an online course, and I could easily turn it into a business book. It would be the "smart" thing to do.

2. I've started writing about my personal experiences with [topic].

3. There's this idea for fiction I want to write about that feels really exciting.

4. I'm almost done with the draft of my book about [topic], so I could finish it and get it out there the fastest. 

While these potential authors think that I'm asking about their ideas so that I'll give them my expert opinion, what I'm really doing is feeling their energy around each topic. I won’t tell anyone what book they should write because their soul already knows.

I can immediately tell which book the writer should pick.

And it's not the book …

• They describe with half a dozen "shoulds"

• They think it's the "smart" choice 

• They want to write to fuel their business growth

But the book they should pick is the one …

• That when they talk about it, their voice is a little shaky with enthusiasm 

• They keep circling back to yet won't focus on it

• That lights them up when they mention it

The book the writer should write is the one their soul wants to write. 

Sure, you could side with your brain on this choice and finish the almost-finished book — but are you excited about it?

You could focus on the book that will grow your business, but how much will your business actually grow when your heart is focused somewhere else and you’re forcing yourself to make it happen?

You could write the book that feels like the easy win, cross "write book" off your to-do list to be able to go on to write the next book — but how does that feel?

💡 Write the book that your soul wants to write. 💡

I can practically hear your question… "But how do I know which book my soul wants to write?"

You need to first listen to your body to know what that book is. Have you paused to listen? Or have you been making pros and cons lists in your notebook to figure it out?

Intuitive Writing Tip: "Figuring out which book you should write" isn't what your soul does — that's the brain territory. Your heart know which book to write.

Have you been talking about all the books you want to write to willing and well-intentioned listeners and the responses you get lining up with what they want to read about? They mean well, but they might not be considering your energy first. 

Only then will you know what book to write. 

Here's what I suggest writers do to choose the book to focus on:

1. Ask God to show you.

2. Write your list of book ideas. Notice if the one you really want to write jumps out at you.

3. Get quiet, close your browser tabs and your eyes, feel your feet on the floor and maybe the sun on your face, and take a few deep breaths. Breathe in the knowing that you can trust yourself and trust God. Exhale (maybe forcefully) all the chatter, others' opinions, and any limiting beliefs you have about any of the books.

4. Spend a few minutes really feeling your energy. See yourself writing your book, feeling completely in flow and totally free. Imagine holding your book out in front of you, sharing it with readers who have been waiting for you to write this book. How does it feel? Where are you? What do you notice? What are you wearing? What do you hear, smell, taste?

5. The book that wants to be written might have shown itself to you by now. When you see the book, you know for sure.

6. Open your eyes and look at your list of books. Does one jump out at you? If it does, notice how your body is responding. Does it feel excited and maybe a little nervous? Where do you feel it?

7. You can also go down your list of book ideas one by one and ask your body to tell you yes or no. Your body only answers in yes and no responses. Anything more than this is your brain chiming in. We're asking your body because your body is directly connected to God and can't lie. More good news. Read the list one by one and notice a yes or no.
   
   You might feel it in your gut or solar plexus area or your heart. Simply pay attention. A yes might feel like a pull forward and up — expansion. No might feel like a drag down or back — contraction.

8. Whatever your answer, trust it. Teaching your body that you trust it is important.

9. Take action with your answer as quickly as possible. Even if the only action you have time for in the moment is writing it on a sticky note and fleshing out some ideas with your choice.

10. Trust that your other book ideas are there for you when and if you're ready to revisit them. Keep them in a notebook or folder on your computer, knowing that when you're finished with your current project, you can come back to it.

11. Give your book project your main focus. You might have a full-time job or a full roster of clients. You can write your book no matter how busy you think you are. I've written books while working full time for someone else and as a copywriter. You might write for the first thirty minutes of each day or spend a couple of hours with your book on weekend mornings. 

However you choose to flow with the writing — BE the person with a published book. It's done, finished; your book is out in the world, changing lives. It even changed yours while writing it.

Read more articles about intuitive book writing:

• Behind the Scenes: How My Self-Development Book Turned Into Memoir

• Keep Going on Your Big Project

• Thinking About Writing a Book This Year? 6 Questions You Might Have