Can a Venn Diagram Help You Find Your Niche?

Find your writing niche; narrow your focus. Sounds simple … till you try to do it. How, in the big wide world of words, do you find your unique place? 

It would be nice if God just dropped it in your lap. Instead, it usually takes time, thought, some trial and error, and lots of prayer. 

Somewhere back in school, you probably learned about Venn diagrams, those overlapping circles that defined common elements. That was math class, you say. What’s it got to do with writing? 

A Venn diagram helped me find my writing niche. Maybe it will do the same for you.

Work the problem. 

What do you want to write?

• Fiction or nonfiction.
• Genre: blog, devotional, memoir, novel, book, poetry.
• Style: whimsical, factual, humorous.

What topics are you passionate about?

What special skills, talents, or experience do you bring to the writing desk?

Picture each item as a circle — big or small as seems right to you. Mentally arrange those circles. Find where they overlap. 

My personal Venn diagram developed over time. I had no interest in writing fiction; thus, nonfiction was my first circle. I began with devotionals, a little circle floating in the bigger one. I started working on a book, another small circle. Then I began a blog. Three small circles, all within the nonfiction boundary.

By nature, I’m a storyteller. Most of my stories are true, so this midsize circle was contained in the nonfiction circle and included parts of the smaller circles.

I love helping others see what I see in Scripture. I began writing Bible studies, creating another midsize circle inside the nonfiction one. My book, blog, and devotional circles are Bible-based, so they hang mostly inside the Bible study bubble. 

The prayers I wrote in my personal journal began to wind their way into my other writing. The prayer circle looked a lot like my Bible study circle, mostly covering the same space. 

These circles, like bubbles, weren’t static. They moved, changed size, sometimes merged, and other times drifted apart. It all felt vague and disorganized. I thought there must be one more circle God wanted me to add — something that would center my diagram.

There’s a special place in my heart for folks who struggle to read. My son learned to read tactically, moving his finger over every letter of every new word on sandpaper flash cards. Working in health care, I encountered patients who were unable to read their discharge instructions. We had folks in our congregation who never opened a hymnbook or Bible. God nudged me to include these reluctant readers in my writing audience.

My easy-to-read bubble pulled the other circles in my diagram together. It defined my specific niche: nonfiction books, blog posts, and devotionals, wrapped in Scripture and prayer, telling God’s big, beautiful love story — in simple words and short sentences that invite struggling readers to join the conversation. 

In your imagination or on paper, try drawing your personal Venn diagram. Give yourself credit for what’s working. Ask God to reveal what’s missing. 

“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you” (James 1:5a, NLT).

With God’s guidance, you might just find your niche.

Bless your words and bless your calling!
Shirlee Abbott

Focus more on what you have than what you lack. Draw those circles with confidence. Notice where they overlap. Can you find your niche in the intersection? Share your insights in the comments.