by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

After my second book, I ran into several dead ends. I thought maybe God wanted me to write about the book of Nehemiah. I have learned so much from Nehemiah’s story, but no, I wasn’t supposed to write about that. Then the gospel of Mark—another book I love and hoped to write about. But I wasn’t feeling it. You know what I mean? I even thought about fiction. (I have a great idea for a YA series.) But it wasn’t the right timing.

If you have the ache to write but don’t know what to write about, don’t lose heart. Now is not the time to give up on the dream of writing, especially if you’ve tried to write about a topic and it didn’t work out. There’s a message waiting for you to tackle it.

If you’re having trouble picking a topic for a book or even a blog post, ask yourself these questions to identify what your next subject may be.

A Dozen Questions to Spur Your Next Topic

1. What spiritual topic acts as your homing beacon—you are drawn to it whenever you hear it preached on or mentioned in conversation?
2. What book of the Bible do you drift to the most, and what about that book inspires you?
3. Do your favorite Bible verses have a common theme?
4. If you could identify a major turning point in your life, what would it be? What prompted the change? How are you better off today? (That may be a story you can share with others.)
5. What lessons have you learned from mission trips? Parenting? College life?
6. Which stories on the news or social media capture your attention? What felt need do these stories address, or what problem do they solve?
7. What cause are you most passionate about, and how could your writing help to promote it?
8. What one thing would you want to tell someone about God?
9. How has Jesus rescued you when you couldn’t rescue yourself?
10. What place does faith in God have in everyday life?
11. Why is God’s Word a treasure?
12. Do you have a special slant through which you see life’s joys and trials, struggles and victories?

After months of praying and searching, I found my third book. I saw a theme from my first two books find its way to my blog—a theme of victory. My third book started as a blog series and turned into a compilation which includes nineteen other authors. The title—Breaking the Chains: Strategies for Overcoming Spiritual Bondage. The hook—how to break free from the chains of fear, worry, anger, loneliness, hopelessness, and twenty other forms of spiritual bondage. I didn’t know this would be the adventure that God had in store—to gather writers to tackle this topic—and our company, Lighthouse Bible Studies, has published three other compilations since then.  

You never know what God has in store for you until you seek Him and ask for His guidance. He knows exactly what message He wants to share through our words and our lives. My prayer is that you can identify for each of your projects what God wants you to write about and you enjoy the adventure with Him. 

Which of the questions above gives you an idea to write about? Tell us in the comments below, and keep seeking until you find God’s direction. He knows exactly what to write about at just the right time. 

Katy Kauffman is an award-winning author, an editor of Refresh Bible Study Magazine, and a co-founder of Lighthouse Bible Studies. She loves connecting with writers and working alongside them in compilations, such as Feed Your Soul with the Word of God, Collection 1 which is a 2020 Selah Awards finalist. She recently started The Lighthouse Connection, a monthly writers’ newsletter including writing tips, inspiration to write, and news of submission opportunities.

In addition to online magazines, Katy’s writing can be found at CBN.com, thoughts-about-God.com, and three blogs on writing. She loves to spend time with family and friends, take acrylic painting classes online, and do yard work in the morning sun. Connect with her at her blog, Winning the Victory, and on Facebook and Twitter.