- How to choose something to write about
- Things to write about from your own life
- Things to write about other people
- Things to write about the world around you
- Things to write about ideas and opinions
- Things to write about that don't exist yet
- How to get better writing from these ideas
- Turning an idea into a first sentence
- Building your own list of things to write about
- My advice for finding things to write about
- Frequently asked questions
Here are 25 things to write about when you're stuck, grouped into your own life, the people around you, the world outside, ideas and opinions, and pure invention. Each one is phrased as a ready-to-copy starting point. The trick is to pick something specific and write for a short, fixed time; well-known research on writing used sessions of just 15 minutes.
'I don't know what to write about' is the most common reason people stop writing, and it's almost never true. You know plenty; you just haven't picked a door in. The ideas below are doors. Some lead into your own memories, some into other people's lives, some into the news or your opinions, and some into worlds that don't exist. Choose whichever one makes you curious today. There's no wrong choice, and you can always come back for another one tomorrow; the list isn't going anywhere, and neither is the habit you're building by using it.
How to choose something to write about
| If you feel | Write about | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Tired or flat | Something from your own life | You already know the details |
| Restless | Something you've noticed in the world | It turns attention outward |
| Opinionated | An idea or argument | Strong feelings make strong writing |
| Playful | Something invented | No facts to get right |
Keep sessions short. Harvard Health describes Dr. James Pennebaker's studies, in which people wrote for 15 minutes on four consecutive days. Writing standards in schools say the same thing in a different way: people should write routinely, sometimes in a single sitting, sometimes over longer stretches. A small, regular habit beats waiting for the perfect topic.
Things to write about from your own life
Start with what you know best.
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The most useful thing you learned from a job you didn't enjoy.
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A place you visited once and still think about.
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The story behind an object on your desk or shelf.
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Something you used to be scared of and aren't any more.
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A day that changed the direction of your life, even slightly.
Things to write about other people
Write about someone you know, someone you've met once or someone you've only observed.
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A stranger you'll never forget, and the moment you met.
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The person who taught you to cook, drive, swim or read.
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Someone whose life is completely different from yours, and what you imagine their day is like.
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A friend you've lost touch with and what you'd say if you met again.
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The most patient person you know and how they do it.
Things to write about the world around you
Look outwards: your street, your town, the news.
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How your neighbourhood has changed since you moved in.
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A news story that's stayed with you, and why.
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The sounds of your home at different times of day.
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A local business you love and the people who run it.
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A small injustice you've noticed that nobody seems to talk about.
Things to write about ideas and opinions
Argue, question or explain. Be specific and give reasons.
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A popular piece of advice you think is wrong.
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Something everyone should try at least once.
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What you'd teach in schools if you could add one subject.
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The best and worst things about the way people use phones.
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A question you've never found a satisfying answer to.
Things to write about that don't exist yet
Invention, for when you want to escape. If it grows, a piece under 7,500 words counts as a short story by Hugo Awards definitions.
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A town where it's always the same day of the week.
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An invention that solves a tiny, annoying problem.
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A letter from a character living two hundred years from now.
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The diary of a house cat during a family holiday.
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A world where people can only say a hundred words a day.
How to get better writing from these ideas
- Make the idea smaller and sharper. 'My neighbourhood' becomes 'the corner shop at closing time'.
- Set a timer for fifteen minutes and don't stop to edit.
- Use names, places and details; they make writing feel true and specific.
- End with a sentence that says what the piece means to you.
- Keep a list of things you've written about so you can see your interests emerge over time.
If writing about the world gets you thinking about writing for a living, my guide to freelance writing opportunities is a good next read, and my story swipe file shows how to shape personal stories for an audience.
Turning an idea into a first sentence
Even with a topic, the first sentence can stall you. Three openings almost always work. Start with a detail: 'The corner shop smells of oranges and floor polish at closing time.' Start with a moment: 'The day I stopped being scared of dogs, it was raining.' Or start with a claim: 'Most career advice is written by people who've never been unemployed.' Pick whichever suits the idea, write that one sentence, and the second usually arrives on its own. If it doesn't, describe what's in front of you until it does; nobody has to read the warm-up.
Building your own list of things to write about
The best list is the one you build yourself. Keep a page at the back of your notebook or a note on your phone. Every time something catches your attention, an overheard line, an odd shop sign, a memory that pops up, add a few words. When you sit down to write and your mind goes blank, open the list. After a few months it'll be longer than this page, and every item will be something that already interests you.
My advice for finding things to write about
Stop waiting for a big topic. The best writing usually comes from small, specific things: one conversation, one object, one street at one time of day. Pick any item above, give it fifteen minutes, and see where it goes. You might surprise yourself.
Frequently asked questions
What should I write about when I'm stuck?
Something small and specific from your own life, a person you've noticed, a news story, an opinion you hold or an invented idea. A specific door in beats a broad topic.
How long should I write for?
Short sessions work well. Well-known writing research used 15 minutes on four consecutive days.
How do I find things to write about every day?
Keep a running list of things you notice, overhear or remember, and pick from it when you sit down.
Is it better to write about real life or fiction?
Both are useful. Real life builds detail and voice; fiction builds invention. Alternate between them.
What if my idea becomes a story?
Let it grow. By Hugo Awards definitions, anything under 7,500 words is a short story.
