A Book or Not a Book

I came across this post at SheWrites.com. It's about how you know if your idea is a book - or instead, if it's an essay or a magazine article or a short story.

Do any of you struggle with this?

I have a lot of ideas. I mean, a LOT. And yet, I don't know if any of them can be flushed out enough to cover 200-300 pages. Or, whether they SHOULD be.

The post talks about the idea of a universal theme. Is it relatable? Is it larger than just one person's experience?

Because when you're writing a novel, a cigar can't just be a cigar. It also needs to contain the meaning of life.

Okay, not really, but you get my drift.

It's also crucial to have passion for your idea, and obviously for writing. Because you're going to be spending much of your day if not writing, then in thinking about writing. Not everyone can pop books faster than you can say "Stephanie Meyer." So to be in it for the long haul, make sure it's a labor of love.

And you must really, really have the need to tell this story - and not because you want to be, well, the next Stephanie Meyer when it comes to commercial success. How can you be authentic otherwise?

So I'm wondering what YOUR moment was, when you realized your idea was, in fact, right for a book.