If you want to write a book, how do you know if your idea is worth pursuing?
Living a writing life is all about wearing two hats; the creative, and the businessperson. The process that Jeff outlines in this post can help authors to find focus for their writing ideas.
When I first started writing, I had no idea what I should be writing. I loved Stephen King and C.S. Lewis. At night I spent time reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer and John Grisham. I wanted to write, but I couldn’t decide which of my passions to pursue. When I took my conundrum to other writers they told me to, “Look at what's working in the market.”
“But which market,” I would say in agony.
To solve my struggle, I turned to a tool from my day job. Before I began writing seriously, I helped organizations develop strategic plans for growth. A tool I loved to use with struggling organizations was Jim Collins’ Hedgehog Concept.
Your hedgehog concept is found at the intersection of three circles.
1. In the first circle, we need to answer the question, “What are you passionate about?”
We can write anything for a month, but if we are going to sustain a career in this industry we need to be creating things we enjoy writing. When I enjoy what I’m writing, I’m more productive over longer periods of time. For me, I love telling stories that challenge how a reader sees the world. If I can tell a story that makes a reader stop and think, then I feel like I’ve won.
2. In the second circle, we should answer the question, “What fuels my economic engine?”
When I started writing, I had no idea what to put in the second circle. To figure it out, I published a collection of short stories. I included in the collection every type of short story I could figure out how to write. The collection included some memoir, some fantasy, some romance, some science fiction, some horror, even some poetry. In the back of the book, I put a link to a survey in which I asked my readers, “Which type of story would you like to for me to write more of?”
I was certain my readers were going to pick my nonfiction-memoir based short stories because that’s where my focus had been. I was surprised to learn that, while I love telling stories about my life because I find my experiences endlessly fascinating, no one else wanted to read them. My wife didn’t even vote for my memoir focused short stories. I was shocked to hear my readers say they wanted more horror and fantasy from me. So I wrote the words “horror” and “fantasy” in the second circle.
3. In the third circle, we should answer the question, “What can I be the best in the world at?”
This was a tough one for me because, like most writers I’m plagued by self-doubt. My natural response to this question is an Eeyore sounding, “I’m not good at anything.”
When I narrowed my focus I realized I had unique life experiences that could inform my writing in a way other writers couldn’t easily duplicate. Working for nonprofits in Baltimore for fifteen years gave me a deep understanding of Baltimore’s culture. Attending a public school in the inner city where I was a minority gave me a unique insight into social classes and how they interact. My work with the homeless and addicted populations of Baltimore provided me with authentic experiences that could inform my setting. Writing from this perspective is something I could potentially be the best in the world at, so I wrote that in my third circle.
When I start working on a story, I ask if it is going to fit in the intersection of my three circles. If it does, I know I'm writing a piece that my readers are going to enjoy and that I am going to be energized by. When I’m struggling to find an idea to write about, I just review my circles and let my brainstorming begin at the intersection.
In the end, there’s nothing magic about Collins' Hedgehog Concept. It’s simply a tool that increases self-understanding and confidence by helping us focus our creativity. If what you’ve been writing isn’t working, it might be that you aren’t hitting one of the three circles. I recommend you give the exercise a try.
Take some time and journal answers to the three questions. You might be surprised what you discover about your writing.
Have you tried this technique, or do you have any questions? Please leave a comment below and join the conversation.
How do you choose the ideas for your books? Have you ever used a process like the one Jeff outlines here? Please share your favorite strategies in the comments!
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View Comments (8)
This is a lot of helpful food for thought - especially for writers who just beginning to figure out what this journey might look like. Thanks again, Joanna. I deeply appreciate your work and leadership in the developing author-entrepreneur industry. Keep at it!
I've just had an aha moment. With one book published, two in their first draft and another partially drafted, I definitely see a theme in what components I include in my stories. I hadn't thought about it until reading this article. My stories always include a thread about family, friendships, being a man or woman of character and the protagonist's struggle to protect these as priorities. It must be something I'm good at since it always manages to work its way in there.
I'm excited you had that moment. When I pause to ask questions like these, I always learn things about myself, not just about my writing. Best of luck with those manuscripts!
Nicely done. You kept it simple and inspirational (even if it wasn't horror). ;)
Wow!! Thank you, Jeff. That third question sent chills up my spine. I don't find the question intimidating at all; I find it freeing. I have many passions and am good at many things, which makes decision making VERY difficult. But when I really look at what makes me unique, at what I could be the best in the world at, so many of my "choices" simply fall away, because although I'd have my unique take on things, I really wouldn't be all that different from everybody else. But there's one area... Unfortunately, I have no idea if it would fuel my economic engine, but it sure will be fun to find out--to play with discovering the right balance between these three. Thank you so much for sharing your journey and this powerful concept.
That's fantastic. I'm so glad you were able to use it to understand yourself a little better. I find myself often asking if "maybe with this one story I can let the economic engine slide just this once" - especially when I get an idea for a short story. Sometimes you just have to do it for the love of it.
Thank you, Joanna, for introducing us to Jeff. And thank you, Jeff, for this simple and powerful way of thinking.
Thirty-five years have passed since I was a passionate but terribly blocked writer-to-be. The first hurdle - that of writing steadily and daily - was one that I conquered with the help of Mavis Beacon, Dorothea Brande, and the patience of a kindly newsletter editor who trained me to write on a deadline. Over the years, writing Toastmasters speeches, Amazon reviews, Quora answers, and more than a few Disqus comments on the issues of the day have help understand where I've touched an audience.
But that last question - what can I be best in the world at - seems to be the lynch-pin to all that effort. When my daughter was a baby, I printed out one of Gary North's essays to a high-school audience, precisely on this topic. I figured it might be useful to her "someday". My daughter is now grown and has been on her own for some time. I realize that advice was meant for my future self, and that "someday" is now.
Again, thanks, from the bottom of my heart.
I'm so glad you found it useful, Shelley :)