I’ve always been jealous of creative types who wake up with a complete song, poem, or plot in their heads. For most mere mortals, the creative process is much less linear. Creative works often emerge slowly, from a swirling mass of ideas, dreams, and possibilities—like one of those “star nursery” nebulas the Hubble Space Telescope has shown us.
This uncertain state can feel uncomfortable, especially for those eager to forge ahead. If you’re in the nebulous beginning phase of a writing project, don’t despair or give up. Make the most of it.
Perched at the point of possibility
In its nascent state, the glimmerings of a writing project contain a multitude of potential paths. This swirling uncertainty is part of the writing process, and our decisions here have lasting effects.
- If we rush to start writing, we may miss other paths that would have been more fun or rewarding to write.
- If the decision feels too heavy, we might decide to adopt someone else’s formula. We end up writing something that feels formulaic rather than reflecting our deeper thoughts.
What if we embrace and explore the uncertainty instead?
As an author, I’ve experienced those ambiguous beginnings myself. As a nonfiction book coach, I’ve accompanied other authors as they found their own, unique ways out of the book nebula. Sometimes people show up to do a specific project, only to discover an unexpected, fruitful path. The books that result from this work always feel original and authentic to the author.
Taking the time to explore makes all the difference. And the first step is opening your perspective to embrace possibilities.
How to navigate the nebula
If we accept the fact that there’s no single right way to write about our topic, what next? How do we find clarity and write?
First, give yourself time. Feed your idea nebula through reading, freewriting, conversations. See what feels interesting and fun. Acknowledge that you have many possible paths in front of you, and peer down a few of them.
Use these foundational servant authorship questions to guide your exploration.
- Who do you serve with your writing? And how does it serve them?
- How does your writing serve you? (This question often leads to deep thoughts about meaning and purpose.) What lights you up?
Give yourself permission to explore. Brainstorm genres, formats, and approaches beyond the obvious ones.
Questions to ask yourself
If you’re writing a book, should it be long and comprehensive, or short enough to read on an airplane flight? Will people read it all at once, or return to it as a reference? Perhaps you’ll release it as an audiobook only, or as an interactive workbook. Maybe you’ll create a blog series, a podcast series, or a video script.
Consider the voice you’d like to inhabit.
- If you write nonfiction, will your voice be academic, professional, journalistic, informal?
- If you write fiction, will it have a literary bent, or will it fit within specific genre expectations?
- Will the piece speak to a broad audience or a narrow one?
If you’re stuck on any of these questions, browse a bookstore. Talk to people about what they read and listen to. Ask AI to offer a broad survey of options and see if any resonate.
Then, return to those servant authorship questions and see where you want to spend your precious writing time and attention.
Resist writing merely because you feel you “should”—make sure you are eager to share its ideas or serve your readers. Pay attention to what calls to you and sounds fun.
Everything you write deserves to feel the imprint of your attention and affection.
Eventually, an idea will come into shape, and you’ll be ready to work on it. Yes, it’s sad to leave behind the other ideas, but your time and attention has limits, so at some point, you’ve got to pick a course.
You can always return to the nebula for a possibility left behind—but of course writing changes and expands your perspective. You may very well find a new set of ideas swirling up for the next project. Have fun.
Related reading
Learn more about servant authorship.
Looking for more creative ideas? Read Searching for creative inspiration (with a whale watching metaphor)
