Topics to Write About

Writers everywhere can rack their brains trying to come up with topics to write about, and their Google searches reflect that fact. But before we can discuss which topics to write about, we should define what a topic is.

What is a topic?

A topic is the subject of a discussion. In the case of a piece of writing, it’s the person, place, thing, or idea that the writer is writing about. Often called a subject, the topic is the focus of the piece. Some people prefer the word topic to subject.

Why?

Using subject might cause confusion because the subject of a sentence is the person, place, thing, or idea that comes at the beginning of a sentence. You could say the subject of a sentence is the topic of the sentence. And the subject of a piece of writing is the topic of the piece.

You can probably guess that I’m not one who has a problem with using the word subject in the context of a piece of writing. Sometimes, what we call things is important. Words do have meanings. Often, though, it doesn’t matter what you call something as long as you approach it with the right attitude and accomplish it well.

Topic ideas

Where can you get topic ideas? You really can get topic ideas anywhere and everywhere. Here are some sources where you can start looking for ideas on what to write about:

books
songs
conversations
sermons
television and movies
newspaper headlines
radio shows and podcasts

You will want to make sure that you’re writing about things that your chosen audience wants to read about. As mentioned in the post on your audience, you can change your mind and choose a different audience to serve, but you do need to start somewhere, and while you’re serving that particular audience, you need to write pieces that serve them.

Expert in a certain topic

If you are an expert in a certain topic, it makes sense for you to be writing about that topic. You’ll want to share your knowledge in an organized and helpful way. Ideally, you’ll have several topics that are closely related that you’re knowledgeable regarding and that you’re skilled in writing about. You can write a piece (or more) about each one. Then cluster those related pieces in a content web.

Topic examples

There are broad category topics, such as politics, religion, education, social issues, career, and hobbies. Because you know that it’s best to niche, however, you’ll be looking for narrower topics than these broad categories.

Rather than choosing “Agriculture” as your topic, you might write about the difference between A1 cows and A2 cows.

Instead of writing a piece on art in general, you could make that article to be more focused, such as acrylic paint pouring.

Entertainment could be narrowed down to specific dramatic techniques or films.

Cooking is a popular topic, but recipes for specific ingredients are more search-engine friendly.

How to pick a good topic

Think about what your audience wants and needs, first. If you serve people who have an entrepreneurial bent, do they need to learn the basics of how to start a business, or are they farther along than that? If you’re writing for an audience full of appliance salesmen and repairmen, perhaps they need to know about changes to legislation and regulations, technological innovations, and how to price repair jobs. Brainstorm everything you can think of that they might want or need to know.

Organize it into an appropriate structure. Perhaps the pieces should be written in a chronological structure, or steps of learning that need to take place in a certain sequence. Some things lend themselves to a simple-to-complex structure, and still others can be done in an associative fashion. Plan out your body of work in a way that makes sense to you. You are welcome to use my Content Clock format if you find it helpful.

Then, think about what you can deliver to the members of your audience. There’s a popular saying: “Write what you know.” Many people ascribe to that, and it can be a very effective and efficient approach.

Ken Kesey, author of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, disagreed with that saying. He said people should write about things that interest them, things that they don’t know about, and that they should go and learn about those things.

Either approach is feasible as long as it’s done well. Please don’t decide to write about something you don’t know about and publish a work that is incomplete—or worse, incorrect. There’s enough misinformation out there already. We don’t need to be adding to that, and I’m sure you’d agree.

So, you don’t have to limit what you write to what you know already, but be sure you do your research and find the answers so you can deliver quality content to your audience.

Practicing writing will help you to develop the ability to “turn on the faucet” whenever you need to. Your practice doesn’t have to be related to the piece you’re working on. So, with that in mind, here is a list of some writing prompts, which are often called “story starters.” It’s best to write daily to build a writing habit. On the days that you don’t have something prepared to write, or on the days that nothing is coming to you, pick a prompt and get going.

Writing prompts

The following writing prompts are a mixture, for both fiction and nonfiction. Use what works for you, and ignore the rest.

Sam finds an odd-looking egg in the forest. Sam takes it home but never could have predicted what was inside it.
Write about how one discovers what truly matters to them.
Tell your reader how to overcome a fear.
Your favorite fairy tale meets 2020.
You have to make it from Cairo to Alexandria. You have no money, and the only available mode of transportation is a temperamental camel.
Write about your journey to become healthy.
The once-peaceful water dwellers have suddenly declared war on a settlement that was its only true ally. Your character has no idea why and is thrust into the war against their will.
An addict and Jesus are on a train together. How does their conversation go?
Write about a time your values were challenged and you had to face it.
Write a short story in which the setting takes the role of the main character and/or narrator: the park, the house, or other location tells the story, for example.
What makes you believe in God?
A dark family secret has finally come to light.
What does God say to you?
What do you find to be most beautiful in the world?
What helps you still your mind?
Impart one piece of wisdom to the world.
Which religious figure would you like to have dinner with, and what would the two of you talk about?
Describe your idea of heaven (whether it fits with biblical descriptions or not).
If you had to move overseas tomorrow, what 10 items would you bring with you and why?
A 90-year-old decides to start training for a marathon.