Decision making

how to decide what to write

Staring at the blinking cursor again? “How to decide what to write” is the silent scream of every blogger, student, marketer and novelist. Good news: the same trick that helps you pick a laptop or a holiday—yes, a decision matrix—can also pick your next topic for you. Below I’ll show you how to turn the classic Pugh matrix into a creative compass so you never waste another hour wondering what to put on the page.

Why “how to decide what to write” feels impossible

Your brain is juggling audience, deadline, trend, passion, money and a dozen other voices. When everything feels important, nothing feels clear. That’s exactly why a priority matrix works: it forces you to separate the loud ideas from the good ones.

Grab a free decision matrix and let it do the heavy lifting

StaMatrix lets you build a table in two clicks. Instead of comparing cars or cameras, you’ll list every story angle you’re considering. Then you add the stuff that matters to you—maybe “SEO traffic potential,” “personal excitement,” “time to finish,” “client will pay,” whatever. Give each factor a quick 1-5 importance score, rate each idea, and boom: the math tells you how to decide what to write today.

Step 1: Dump every writing idea into the option column

Don’t edit yourself. “Epic guide to sourdough,” “rant about AI art,” “case-study for SaaS client,” “childhood memory about my dog”—type them all. The matrix loves quantity first.

Step 2: Pick the parameters that kill writer’s block

Typical creatives use:

  • Traffic upside (SEO or viral chance)
  • Personal itch (how much you NEED to write it)
  • Deadline proximity
  • Revenue or portfolio value
  • Research time required

Adjust the sliders until they match your reality. Zero math skills needed.

Step 3: Score quickly and watch the winner emerge

Give each idea 1-5 under every parameter. The StaMatrix calculator multiplies automatically, sorts the list, and suddenly you’ll see one topic sitting on top with a fat green bar. That’s your next piece. No more spiral of “how to decide what to write.”

Real life example: picking a blog post in 4 minutes

Last Tuesday I had four possible articles:

  1. “TikTok vs YouTube for indie authors”
  2. “How I outline with index cards”
  3. “Email marketing for poets”
  4. “Scrivener hidden features”

I slapped them into the matrix, weighted “SEO traffic” and “personal excitement” highest, and “Scrivener hidden features” won by a mile. Article drafted the same afternoon, ranked on Google by Friday. Coincidence? Nope—just a priority matrix doing its thing.

But what if inspiration strikes later?

Easy. Re-open the table, add the shiny new idea, re-score, and check if it dethrones the reigning champ. The matrix keeps your writing pipeline agile without endless sticky notes.

Extra tricks to squeeze more out of the tool

  • Color-code: green = go, yellow = maybe, red = kill. Visual snap decision.
  • Collaborate: send the share link to your editor or client so they can adjust weights—no more “I thought you wanted X” emails.
  • Time-stamp: duplicate the table each month and track how your preferences evolve.

Stop treating topic choice like a mystical ritual

Writer’s block is mostly decision fatigue. When you externalize the juggling act into a simple decision matrix, you free up mental RAM for actual words. Next time you google “how to decide what to write,” skip the ten-listicle rabbit hole. Build a StaMatrix, score your ideas in five minutes, and let the math hand you the perfect prompt. Your cursor will thank you.

Ready? Create your writing priority matrix now and turn blank-page panic into publish-button victory.