Family

Read 2 Chronicles 10-12

2 Chronicles 11:4 "Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren: return every man to his house: for this thing is done of me. And they obeyed the words of the Lord, and returned from going against Jeroboam."

Our characters will have backstory and part of the backstory will be their families. The story might even include some of those family members.

Family can be used for conflict or support for the protagonist. The story might even be about the family itself, possibly following generations of a family.

We could write our own family history or be hired to write another family’s history. Who we are, who our family members were, and all the things that happened to us might even be interesting to others outside of our family.

Redemption

Read 2 Chronicles 7-9

2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

Our protagonists are faced with a story problem that should be resolved by the end of the story. But what if the hero is the one who sets things in motion?

He could be someone who feels guilty for something he has done and the story begins when he tries to put things right. It could be a story of redemption for the protagonist.

It could also be a motive for a real person we do an article about. Someone who started a movement or a charity to make up for something in their past would be worth digging up.

Ceremony

Read 2 Chronicles 4-6

2 Chronicles 5:13 "It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord;"

If we can get ahead of an upcoming ceremony, we have a built-in market. Pieces on weddings, graduations, funerals, and bar mitzvahs may find a home in local newspapers.

Articles on dedications, anniversaries, and historical events might be pitched to regional magazines. They might even be pitched to commercial magazines if the ceremonies are important enough.

For our fiction, a story’s plot could include a family or community getting ready for a big ceremony. The ceremony could even be the reason for the plot, complete with a ticking clock as the characters scramble to get everything ready on time and deal with disasters that might keep the ceremony from taking place at all.

Crafters

Read 2 Chronicles 1-3

2 Chronicles 2:7 "Send me now therefore a man cunning to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that can skill to grave with the cunning men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide."

Crafters are often grouped together with hobbyists. However, there are lots of magazines dedicated to a particular craft from crochet to needlework to miniatures.

There are also general interest magazines that are looking for a quick and easy craft for their readers to do. Holidays are a particularly good time to market a craft article.

On the fiction front, there are several lines, especially in mysteries, where a protagonist is known for a particular craft she loves. In historical fiction, community characters often gathered for a particular craft, like a quilting circle or knitting socks during a war.

Wine and Fine Dining

Read 1 Chronicles 26-29

1 Chronicles 27:27 "And over the vineyards was Shimei the Ramathite: over the increase of the vineyards for the wine cellars was Zabdi the Shiphmite:"

There are a few markets dedicated solely to drinks and gourmet cooking. But most of our writing about fine wines and food will be as a supplement to some of the other markets.

Women's magazines might be open to a round-up article about which beverages to serve with which dishes. Or we might write about a normally complicated fancy dish made more easily.

Our fictional characters might need to know about wines and fine dining. We could use that knowledge to plant a clue leading the character to success.

Cooking Markets

Read 1 Chronicles 22-25

1 Chronicles 23:29 "Both for the shewbread, and for the fine flour for meat offering, and for the unleavened cakes, and for that which is baked in the pan, and for that which is fried, and for all manner of measure and size;"

Everybody should have some cooking knowledge. It's a basic survival skill, even if it's just using a can opener and a microwave.

Cooking markets are usually geared for great cooks who want to learn more. When we pitch an idea to those markets, we will want to be sure the idea matches the needs of the readers and the magazine.

But there are other cooking magazines and markets that are not beyond the average or beginner cook. If we get familiar with what is out there, we will be able to come up with sellable ideas for everything from beginner to gourmet cooks.

Hero's Weakness

Read 1 Chronicles 19-21

1 Chronicles 21:30 "But David could not go before it to enquire of God: for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the Lord."

Our heroes have to be strong. We throw so many things at them for the sake of story, they need to be nearly super-human.

But even super-heroes have a weakness. A weakness will make our protagonists more vulnerable and believable.

If we’re writing an article about a highly esteemed person, we will want to approach weaknesses carefully, because no one wants to be that exposed. To play it safe, we might write an essay about one of our own weaknesses.

Reprints

Read 1 Chronicles 16-18

1 Chronicles 16:7 "Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank the Lord into the hand of Asaph and his brethren."

In addition to accumulating publishing clips to send with queries, we may want to keep the possibility of reprints in mind. Some markets will reprint an article we already published elsewhere, as long as we didn't sell all rights.

That's two or more paychecks for the same work. How many other occupations offer that kind of bonus?

So when querying our ideas around, we might want to look ahead. We will want to market our original work carefully so our reprint fees will be worthwhile because some reprint markets pay a portion of the original fee and one-half of 3 copies of a publication is not going to help us make a living.

Teaching

Read 1 Chronicles 13-15

 

1 Chronicles 15:22 "And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was for song: he instructed about the song, because he was skilful."

 

We can write about characters who are teachers. They might be professional teachers or more informal, like parents who teach their children.

 

We can write articles about teachers who have made an impact on their students. Maybe we’ll write about them winning an award or at their retirement.

 

We could also write for teachers. We could write magazine articles for teaching magazines, textbooks, or syllabus material for professional teachers.

Honoring Sacrifice

Read 1 Chronicles 10-12

1 Chronicles 11:19 "And said, My God forbid it me, that I should do this thing: shall I drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy? for with the jeopardy of their lives they brought it. Therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mightiest."

When someone sacrifices for us, there doesn’t seem to be a good enough way to honor them. Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Memorial Day, and other holidays are a way to try.

When we’re writing fiction, we might show how a family or community celebrates sacrifice. Or we might show a grateful character whose life is changed by someone’s sacrifice for them.

We might write an article about someone who’s sacrifice has gone unnoticed. Or we could write an essay about what someone’s sacrifice did for us. We could even write greeting cards for those holidays or thank you cards for heroes who don’t have a holiday.

Writing Jobs

Read 1 Chronicles 7-9

1 Chronicles 9:29 "Some of them also were appointed to oversee the vessels, and all the instruments of the sanctuary, and the fine flour, and the wine, and the oil, and the frankincense, and the spices."

When we think of writing jobs, we usually think of novel writers, magazine writers, and freelance business writers. But there are other writing jobs out there.

Many corporations use writers—to write training manuals, brochures, and newsletters. Anything a freelance writer might offer, in-house writers can do.

Most jobs involve writing, even if writing is not part of the title. And employees are expected to know grammar and good writing techniques as well as any professional writer.

Charmed Life

Read 1 Chronicles 4-6

1 Chronicles 4:10 "And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested."

A protagonist who lives a charmed will be annoying and boring to read about. A charmed life is a great life for living, but not very engaging as a story.

We could write comedy, but the hero would have to face a funny disaster in the end, if not sooner. It would be better to start the story as a tale about someone who used to live a charmed life, until the story started.

Articles about overnight sensation successes rarely deal with someone who has lived a charmed life. It is most often about how many years of hard work and adversity it took to become the so-called instant success.

Infamous

Read 1 Chronicles 1-3

1 Chronicles 2:7 "And the sons of Carmi; Achar, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the thing accursed."

Villains are infamous--famous for being evil. Who doesn't think of Darth Vader every time they hear heavy mechanical breathing?

We could write about a character who moved where he was a stranger, trying to get away from his infamy and afraid his secret will come out. We could also write about a character who stays, but tries to live her infamy down by the good she does.

We could write an article about someone who has been disgraced, but has made up for what he has done, someone either past or present. Or we could write an essay if we are the ones trying to make amends for what we have done in the past.

One of a Kind

Read 2 Kings 22-25

2 Kings 23:25 "And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him."

Our characters need to be unique in order to be memorable. Stereotypes simply will not do.

In fiction, our characters may be ordinary, but we must give them something that makes them stand out. The reader will wonder why she is bothering to read about someone if they are boring or pointless.

Even more important will be the people we choose when we are writing nonfiction articles. They need to be one of a kind characters, too.

Presenting the Problem

Read 2 Kings 19-21

2 Kings 19:14 "And Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up into the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord."

When something gets too hard for our characters, they may need to ask for help. A conflict could arise when they don’t know how to go about asking for help.

They might not know which other story character to approach. The conflict could come when they ask the wrong person.

They may also not know how to present the problem. The conflict could be because they aren’t convincing enough.

Displaced

Read 2 Kings 16-18

2 Kings 17:23 "Until the Lord removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day."

Displaced characters are a rich source of story points. Fiction, nonfiction, movies, plays, television shows have used displaced people for drama and comedy.

For nonfiction, we might write an essay about how we coped when we were tossed out of our familiar world into something frightening or amusing. We might find someone to interview who became famous, or not so famous, because of how they coped with being displaced.

In fiction, we might show a group of people who have been displaced and how the group as well as the individuals cope—some well, others not so much. Or we can show one person who has been thrown out of their element—either a protagonist or another character and how it affects the protagonist.

Enabling

Read 2 Kings 13-15

2 Kings 13:21 "And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet."

Sometimes we help someone and they do so well, they surpass our success. We can find the story behind the success for nonfiction articles, interviewing the one a successful person says was a big influence on them.

In fiction, one character can be the enabler of another’s success. It might be a parent-child relationship, a mentor-mentee relationship, or a friendship where the success could be the cause of some conflict.

We can also be real life enablers by helping a fellow writer find success. We can do it one on one or join a writer’s group.

Believe In Your Work

Read 2 Kings 10-12

2 Kings 10:3 "Look even out the best and meetest of your master's sons, and set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house."

There are times we have a great idea, but when we begin to write it down, it doesn’t seem so great any more. The best we can do is write a few sentences, paragraphs, pages and then the writing dies out.

Sometimes, it’s true—the idea doesn’t have any merit. But it’s not always true.

Sometimes we just need to believe in what we’re writing and believe we can fix the sagging sentences. We have to believe in our work and know we can make the writing good enough with enough hard work.

Taking a Chance

Read 2 Kings 7-9

2 Kings 7:4 "If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die."

Our story will never reach a satisfying conclusion unless our characters take chances. They need to do what scares them so they can grow.

They need to keep taking chances as the story goes on to keep the reader interested. Once they have done one thing that scares them, we have to present them with an even more daunting problem.

Each change they risk taking brings them both closer and ironically farther away from the goal. At the end, it will all pay off in a character who has grown because of the adventure.

Writer’s Space

Read 2 Kings 4-6

2 Kings 4:10 "Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither."

One of the best things about being a writer is that you can write anywhere. The question is: should we?

Naturally, when the circumstances call for it we would, but for the most part it’s nice to have a space of our own. It may not be a separate room, but there should be some way to partition our space apart from the rest of the room.

If we need to share the space and supplies with the rest of the family, we might need to work a little harder to personalize our portion. At least we can schedule out a time that is for writing alone.

Effortless

Read 2 Kings 1-3

2 Kings 3:17 "For thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts."

We want to make our characters work for what they get. When we read about it, it gives us hope that hard work pays off.

Readers can get annoyed when a reward is effortless. When things come too easily to a character, it’s more than boring—it can make us angry and frustrated.

Even nonfiction articles about a person for whom things come easily rarely get printed. People want to read about how someone struggled and then succeeded.

The Next Generation

Read 1 Kings 19-22

1 Kings 19:16 "And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room."

Passing on a legacy to the next generation is an ambition many have, so it’s natural that our characters would have it, too. Some will be characters who built up a business they want to see carried on through their children and grandchildren.

Others might have family recipes or histories that they want the next generation to have access to. Some might simply want the next generation to be better prepared for living and better off in lifestyle than they were.

Nonfiction articles concerning the next generation might be about how some person or group is working to make a difference to young people’s lives. Or an article could be about a legend of a person and the contributions he or she made to improve the world.

Showing Off

Read 1 Kings 16-18

1 Kings 18:38 "Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench."

A character who shows off can be too much for some stories. If the motivation isn’t clear, it can come off as forced.

Children showing off, single guys and gals showing off for each other are both examples of acceptable showing off situations. The motivations are natural.

A villain might show off his strength, his wealth, or his power. A hero might show off to annoy, to attract attention, or to distract from his real actions.

Consequences

Read 1 Kings 13-15

1 Kings 13:22 "But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the Lord did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers."

We have consequences to our actions, so it’s only natural that our characters experience the same. Most will be logical—a hand on a hot stove will get burned.

Plotting needs the progression of action and consequence to develop. It’s the only way to get from point A to point B.

But writers need to plot a little more. We will want to tweak our stories by using the worst or most surprising consequence of the character’s action.

Seizing Control

Read 1 Kings 10-12

1 Kings 12:11 "And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions."

We can only think that young Rehoboam and his buddies were too aware of their own youth and weakness to have given and followed such foolish advice. They felt they had to seize control of the kingdom by threats and a show of force.

When we write scenes of our characters seizing control, we might write it when the villain takes control of the situation that the hero must fight against. Or it could be at the climax, when the hero wins the day.

But we can also write nonfiction articles about seizing control. Those articles might concern how to handle a difficult child for parenting magazines, how to control an unruly classroom for teaching magazines, or how to keep from being bullied for kid’s magazines.

Hobbies

Read 1 Kings 7-9

1 Kings 7:15 "For he cast two pillars of brass, of eighteen cubits high apiece: and a line of twelve cubits did compass either of them about."

When we write about hobbies, we may first look at our own for inspiration. What kinds of things do we like to do, or what did we like when we were kids?

There are markets for nearly any hobby you can think of, books and magazines. Some markets are dedicated to the hobby and others are general markets open to hobby-related articles.

Hobbies are not excluded from fiction. In addition to what a character does for a living, readers may enjoy knowing what she does in her free time. A character’s livelihood may even be based on his hobby.

Pets

Read 1 Kings 4-6

1 Kings 4:28 "Barley also and straw for the horses and dromedaries brought they unto the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge."

There are plenty of markets to write for if you want to write about pets. We don’t even need to own pets at the time we write about them.

We can write stories that star pets, pets off on adventures of their own. We can write stories about a person’s relationship to his pet.

Or we can write articles about pets. We can write how to care for a pet for children’s markets or informational articles for children’s and adult’s markets.

Death Scene

Read 1 Kings 1-3

1 Kings 2:1 "Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying,"

Actors look forward to playing a nice, juicy death scene. Gasping breaths interspersed with wise words are a challenge to perform just right.

That’s what to keep in mind when writing a play, movie, or television show. Stories people will read rather than watch need to be done a little differently.

Drama that works when people are watching it unfold can look ridiculous on the written page. Writers need to find the right balance.

Similes

Read 2 Samuel 22-24

2 Samuel 22:43 "Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the earth, I did stamp them as the mire of the street, and did spread them abroad."

Similes are when you directly compare two different things. We actually use the words like or as.

It’s not usually wasted on things that are alike. It’s mostly used for two very dissimilar things.

Similes are intended to bring up a vivid word picture and compare something familiar with something in the piece that might be unknown to the reader. Some similes are so well-known, writers will want to avoid them and instead think of something fresh.

Get a Grip

Read 2 Samuel 19-21

2 Samuel 19:7 "Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy servants: for I swear by the Lord, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one with thee this night: and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy youth until now."

We throw everything we can think of at our characters. We’re not trying to torture them, we’re just trying to write a compelling story.

Our characters show they are affected by the events and heartaches that happen to them. We want to make them seem real by showing how deeply they feel their emotions.

But then they have to get a grip on themselves. They can’t wallow forever or we’ll lose the reader’s attention.