Do you know someone who writes stories? Have you ever asked them, “what are you writing?” and been discouraged by a vague or awkward response?

The truth is, writers dread questions like, “what are you writing?” and “what is your book about?” We do love talking about our stories–it’s just hard to know where to start. You see, there’s a reason we write books. (If we could communicate what we wanted to say in two sentences, we would probably stick with two sentences.)

Books are long and intricate, so it’s easier if you narrow it down. So for those of you who want to hear about a friend’s writing but don’t know where to start, I came up with some specific questions I think are easier for writers to answer. (I’m focusing on story-writing for this post, but this idea applies to writing in general.)

• What genre do you write? (This could be something along the lines of historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, etc. If the answer is an oddly specific subgenre you’ve never heard of, ask them what it is!)
• Is there a certain project you’re working on right now?
• Was there something special (an event, person, place, movie scene, song, etc.) that inspired you to write this story?
• How long have you been working on writing this story?
• Can you tell me about your main character? Who or what inspired you to write this character?
• Which character is your personal favorite? Who or what inspired that character?
• What themes does your book explore?
• What does this story mean to you?

For most writers, writing is something very personal and close to their heart; your writer-friend will most likely appreciate the interest and support! Hopefully, these questions can help you understand what writing means to those you’re close to and can help you start conversations about that part of their lives.

Writers reading this, have you ever struggled to answer open-ended questions about your writing? What questions would you add to my list?