Record Keeping

Read Revelations 19-22

Revelation 20:12 "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."

Writing is creative, so not all writers are good at record keeping, but it is a skill we need to develop. When we are first beginning to write, there isn’t much to keep track of and it doesn’t even seem worthwhile to keep track.

But the more we write, the more crucial record keeping becomes. We want to keep track of which queries we’ve sent out, to whom, when, and whether or not we have a response.

Once payment enters the mix, we can’t afford to lose track of who has paid, who hasn’t paid, and when we can expect payment. Even writers who only write blogs for their own enjoyment will want to keep track of which subjects we have covered and when.

Clarity

Read Revelations 16-18

Revelation 17:8 "The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is."

Even if we are not writing directions we will want to make sure our writing has clarity. Anyone who reads what we have written should be able to understand what we are trying to say.

We will want to make sure our subject and verb agree and to keep our sentences straightforward. Any modifiers should be closest to what they are modifying to prevent unintended humor.

Our fiction especially needs to be written clearly. Confused readers will not only not finish our stories, they will not purchase anything else from us and recommend their friends do the same.

Research

Read Revelations 13-15

Revelation 15:3 "And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints."

The most efficient way to research is to write the piece and highlight where we need more information and what questions we still need answered. That way we can narrow our search to what we need and save time.

But research is a pleasurable pastime. We can look up something we are interested in and enjoy the journey if we have time.

Research is also a way to generate ideas. As we are looking for specific information, looking for more information, or browsing the Internet or library, we may be surprised at how the facts we come across spark ideas for more articles, stories, or plot points.

Symbolism

Read Revelations 10-12

Revelation 10:4 "And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not."

Symbolism is most effective when it unfolds naturally in our stories. We may notice a theme showing up in physical ways—that’s when we see the symbolism — for instance we may notice circles everywhere when our theme involves closure.

We can add depth to our characters when they become aware of their own symbolism during the plot. A character might need to open a savings account as a symbol of independence, for instance.

We may be surprised at the symbolism readers pick up on in our work. Since they are coming new to our stories, they may notice things we didn’t realize were there—possibly even unintentional.

Science Fiction

Read Revelations 7-9

Revelation 9:7 "And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men."

Science fiction stories usually take place in the future. They rely more on technology in the settings, pushing what we know of science to what might still be ahead and how that will affect us.

Characters may be from other planets and only look vaguely like something we would recognize, perhaps different parts of familiar animals put together in unfamiliar ways. That means the plots affect not only earth, but involve other planets, maybe stars, or could involve a different ocean world than what we are used to.

Settings tend to be stark at times, often taking place on inhospitable planets or entirely on a space ship. But as long as the science is something possible, most anything goes.

Melodrama

Read Revelations 4-6

Revelation 5:4 "And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon."

Melodrama happens when emotion is overwrought in a writing piece. The emotion displayed is excessive to the event.

It happens in real life, especially with children and teenagers, but can happen to normally rational adults who let things build until they explode. So melodrama doesn’t necessarily have to be a negative thing or something to be avoided.

When we write melodrama, we can give it context to explain characters’ reactions. We might also use melodrama for humor.

Marketing

Read Revelations 1-3

Revelation 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."

Marketing means sales. Writers who are good at selling things will find there are many venues looking for their work.

There are companies who hire writers to write sales letters, direct marketing material, brochures, and other sales-related materials. There are magazines looking for how-to articles for their business readers.

Readers also are looking for how-to books to improve their business revenues. Then there is the writer’s marketing of her own work, using query letters, book proposals, and whatever other means she can find to encourage editors, publishers, and readers to give her work a try.

Love Interest

Read 2 John, 3 John, Jude

2 John 1:6 "And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it."

Stories don’t have to be category romances to have romance in them. A protagonist usually has a love interest, no matter what the genre.

Even television shows and movies provide romance for their characters. Love is a part of living and plots seem pretty empty without it.

But when the story is something other than a romance, the love interest becomes a subplot. Often the girl and guy get together at the end, along with the rest of the happily-ever-after resolutions, but them not getting together could provide a motive for the protagonist’s actions.

Getting Ideas

Read 1 John 1-5

1 John 1:1 "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;"

“Where do you get your ideas?” is a question writers are asked and a question writers ask each other. The answer is, we get our ideas from everywhere.

We might be reading the newspaper and something catches our imaginations. It might be we have an idea about the article itself or something in the article, a tidbit that sets the ideas flowing.

It happens when reading magazines, listening to sermons, reading book or movie titles, hearing snatches of conversations, in our dreams, and everywhere else. It’s when we stop reading, listening, or paying attention because we have gone on the journey of “what if.”

Movies

Read 2 Peter 1-3

2 Peter 1:5 "And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;"

When we think of writing a movie, we automatically think of movies that are shown in theaters. But there are other movie markets: made for television movies and direct to DVD movies, for instance.

Even some You-tube videos are created as mini-movies. Most movies have a three-part structure.

Act 1 is the setup act where the characters and situation are introduced. Act 2 is where the tension builds as the characters try to solve the story problem, just like in books, and Act 3 is the climax where the showdown between good and evil takes place and the situation is resolved one way or another.

Tragedy

Read 1 Peter 1-5

1 Peter 1:24 "For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:"

Tragedy has a big impact on everyone’s life and that’s why it’s a popular topic to write about. We might write an essay about how a tragedy has changed us.

We might write an article about someone who has endured tragedy and made a positive impact because of it. We could write about a tragedy that a community has been through and how readers can help.

For our fiction, a tragedy might be the motivation or an end for our characters. The type of story we want to write will dictate the enormity of the tragedy and when it takes place in the story since different genres handle tone and content differently.

Transitions

Read James 1-5

James 1:16 "Do not err, my beloved brethren."

Nearly every type of writing needs transitions. Both fiction and nonfiction rely on transitions so readers aren’t jarred by abrupt changes and can easily follow the piece.

Nonfiction transitional phrases might include words like finally or next. Sometimes the transition might be a word in the last sentence of a paragraph repeated in the first sentence of the following paragraph.

Fiction transitions usually involve marking time, for instance later that day, or after he left. Other times an extra space between paragraphs or a new chapter may mark the transitions.

History

Read Hebrews 10-13

Hebrews 10:32 "But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;"

Some writers keep track of what historical event took place on a given day. We can write fillers for publications about something related to the publication’s subject matter for the time period the publication covers, for instance when the microwave oven was invented for a cooking or women’s magazine.

Writers interested in history might want to do a longer piece on a milestone anniversary of a historic event, for instance a fifty years anniversary. We might even write a book—even a children’s book—that offers more detail and tells the whole story of the historic event or how an invention came into existence.

Historical fiction is another way for history-savvy writers to go. While doing research, we might come across a little known historical fact that sparks a story idea, or might get so caught up in the era we’re researching, we can’t help but imagine a story of people who lived then.

Detail

Read Hebrews 7-9

Hebrews 9:19 "For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,"

Our stories appear so clearly in our heads, we can’t believe readers can’t picture the scene. We’re like the two year old who sees his reflection in the mirror and believes we also see him when he hands us the mirror to look into.

So we have to make sure we give out the details of our scene, our characters, their actions, and motivations. We have to describe the setting well enough that the readers see what we see in our imaginations.

We have to find actions for our characters to take that clearly represent their personalities. And we have to give our characters a chance to think through their situation in order to give detail to their motivations.

Medical

Read Hebrews 4-6

Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

Writers with interest or expertise in medical related subjects are in great demand. Magazines are always looking for articles on the latest breakthroughs in the medical world.

Readers are also wanting to know if the latest medical information will help them or harm them. Instead of relying on advertisers who are trying to sell them the newest pill, they look for data from unbiased well-researched articles and books.

Fiction writers can use their medical knowledge to bring realism to their stories and settings. We might even be able to predict the next medical issue with our facts in combination with our imaginations.

Ghostwriting

Read Hebrews 1-3

Hebrews 1:5 "For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?"

Ghostwriting is when a piece is written by a person other than the person whose name is in the byline. Usually when we think of ghostwriting, we think of celebrities’ autobiographies.

However, plenty of professionals need ghostwriters to write manuscripts in their voices. A brilliant doctor may have developed a more effective way to relate to her patients, but not be able to communicate that effectively to her fellow professionals in the article she is trying to publish, so she will look to hire a ghostwriter.

Even an organization might want to hire a ghostwriter to write the story of the founding and history of the organization for a milestone anniversary coming up. Ghostwriters rarely get credit for their writing, but they can get paid fairly well for their hard work.

Stereotypes

Read Titus 1-3, Philemon 1

Titus 2:2 "That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience."

Writing is condemned for the use of stereotypes. A stereotype is a character that has been overused and is no different from the same character in many other works.

When characters are nothing but a stereotype, readers get bored and disengage from the story. But stereotypes can help when we’re writing the first draft of a story.

The trick is not to leave the character or the setting as nothing but a stereotype. We’ll need to make changes, turn details upside down, and add substance to our characters and settings so they are distinguishable as unique to our stories.

Niche

Read 2 Timothy 1-4

2 Timothy 1:6 "Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands."

Hopefully we have so many ideas that we are overwhelmed by the possibilities of writing projects. Articles, essays, nonfiction books, short stories, fiction books—we can write anything we want.

We may find that pursuing each idea requires lots of research and lots of research eats up our writing time. That’s when we may want to find our own niche to write about.

We may already have experience in an area and want to write about that or we may have done so much research on something that fascinated us that we have become experts on the subject. Once we have found our niche in something we enjoy writing about, we can use one research venture to write a variety of pieces.

Teen

Read 1 Timothy 4-6

1 Timothy 4:12 "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity."

There are plenty of teen markets in magazines and books. The magazines range from popular to Christian and are all looking for certain materials to appeal to their readers.

Teens are looking for information about how to fit in, how to be an individual, and for guidance about making the life decisions that are coming up like college and marriage. Nonfiction books can cover pretty much anything by focusing on one of a teen’s concerns.

For fiction, it still hold true that most teen readers would be looking for stories that have characters slightly older than the targeted readers. That’s not a hard and fast rule, however—just tell the story we want to tell and then look at what group it might appeal to for marketing.

Hero

Read 1 Timothy 1-3

1 Timothy 1:12 "And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;"

The hero of a story is the protagonist. It is the person who has the most to gain or lose in the story.

A nonfiction piece could also have a hero. If we are writing an essay, we might be the hero or if we are writing about someone we have interviewed, they could be the hero of the piece.

Usually the hero is the point of view character in fiction. But it is possible to have a narrator for the story and a hero of the story that are not the same person, like the Sherlock Holmes stories.

Underdog

Read 2 Thessalonians 1-3

2 Thessalonians 3:13 "But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing."

The underdog is the person or team who is at a disadvantage. The underdog is likely to lose whatever it tries.

But people love to root for the underdog to win against all odds. If we want to write articles, we will want to look for people who have succeeded despite the obstacles they had to overcome.

In fiction, our protagonist may be the underdog and the reader will cheer for her to succeed, no matter what we and the antagonist throw at her. We may also write about a losing team or make another character an underdog that the protagonist takes under her wing.

Hook

Read 1 Thessalonians 1-5

1 Thessalonians 5:21 "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."

Editors look for the writer’s hook in every story. For nonfiction, the hook is why the reader should read yet another article on a certain subject.

For a nonfiction book, the hook is what the reader will come away with after reading our book and what makes this book different from other books on the subject that are available. For fiction, the hook is what intrigues the reader about this particular story.

The hook is not just about what is different about this story, but what the story problem is. The hook should come soon in a fiction novel and keep the reader involved in the story all the way through to the end.

Men

Read Colossians 1-4

Colossians 3:21 "Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged."

Most parenting magazines and books are written with women readers in mind. Most sports-related magazines and books are written with men readers in mind.

When we think about writing for men, we think of sports, drinking, and sex. For writers who want to write for men, that may be a good place to start.

However, it is too limiting. There are plenty of magazines for Christian men, for family men, and for men in general who want reading material they would not be embarrassed to have their families read.

How To

Read Philippians 1-4

Philippians 4:9 "Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you."

The how to article is very popular. Craft and hobby magazines are mostly made up of how tos and other magazines usually have at least one how to article in them.

No matter what we are interested in, we will be able to find ways to share that with readers. Children, teens, and adults alike want to learn and look forward to the how to article.

If we have extended knowledge and are good at explaining we might even want to try a book length how to project. Even fiction might benefit from a how to scene as one character teaches something to another character and thus to the reader as well.

Procrastination

Read Ephesians 4-6

Ephesians 6:10 "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might."

There are so many other things we should be doing instead of writing. The house could always use a good cleaning and when was the last time we pulled any weeds from the garden?

Procrastination is an occupational hazard for writers. Even when writing is our day job, we still have a tendency to put off getting those words down.

Sometimes just getting started, even if we have nothing to say, can banish procrastination. Or maybe we can fool ourselves into procrastinating the procrastination.

Outline

Read Ephesians 1-3

Ephesians 2:10 "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

Some writers work without an outline and others couldn’t start a piece without it. An outline may be easier for writers of nonfiction to create because the information is fact based and not imagination based.

However, writers of creative nonfiction may run into some of the same issues fiction writers have. Whether we’re making an outline or writing as we go, we still have to think up what comes next.

Since the creating is the same whether we are writing an outline or a manuscript, it may seem more efficient to forget about making an outline and just write. But when we start with an outline, changes are easier to implement right away and a thorough enough outline makes writing the first draft seem more like the first polish of an already written draft.

Goal

Read Galatians 4-6

Galatians 6:9 "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

Short pieces may not test our determination much. We may easily reach our goal of finishing the piece.

Longer pieces and especially book length pieces require our greatest resolve. We want to keep our eye on the goal of finishing the first draft and polishing and revising our manuscript.

Then we can turn our goal to publishing. We might self publish or we might need to keep a list of potential markets handy so if our work is rejected, we send it to the next market on the list before we let the disappointment of rejection stop us.

Point of View

Read Galatians 1-3

Galatians 2:20 "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

The point of view of a story is not something that has to be decided while we’re writing the first draft. In fact, sometimes we begin writing in one point of view only to discover it’s too limiting for the story we want to tell.

We have several choices. First person point of view is when we write through the eyes of one character using “I,” “me,” etc.

Second person point of view is the narrator speaking to the reader as if the reader was the point of view character using “you.” Third person point of view has a wide variety within, from omniscient to limiting the point of view to one character at a time but often telling the story from more than one character’s head.

Biography

Read 2 Corinthians 10-13

2 Corinthians 11:26 "In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;"

When we’re writing our own short bio to appear at the end of our article or query letter, we will want to highlight what will be of interest to the reader or what will make the editor reading it decide we are the right one to write the article. If we are writing our bio to appear at the end of our book, we can be a little longer and a little chattier, but still keeping what the reader might want most to know about us in mind.

We can write a longer bio for our blog, and depending on the subject, our blog may serve as a running autobiography. But if we’re interested in researching and writing about the lives of others, we have plenty of markets to sell our work to.

Some magazines want biographies of historical people and others will want a biography to go along with our interview of a celebrity or the person of note that our article is about. For book length biographies, it’s safer to stick to historical figures because living subjects may object to our writing so extensively about them.

Showdown

Read 2 Corinthians 7-9

2 Corinthians 7:5 "For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears."

The showdown is the final battle between the protagonist and antagonist that occurs in Act 3. It’s the culmination of all the struggles, failures, and efforts of the story’s hero.

It has to be the biggest confrontation in the story. All the gains the protagonist has had throughout the story, all the lessons learned, and all the skills acquired will be used to defeat the antagonist.

Not all stories have happy endings where the protagonist wins and the antagonist loses, but most do. When the hero is defeated, it might also mean there is a sequel or the defeat is somehow turned into a victory by the hero’s allies—possibly a sacrifice on the part of the hero to save his family or friends.

Middles

Read 2 Corinthians 4-6

2 Corinthians 6:8 "By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;"

Middles are where the meat of a story takes place. Each solution to the story problem fails and the protagonist must come up with other plans at each failure.

This is the time to introduce any other characters who are going to have an impact on the story outcome. This is where the protagonist meets the rest of her allies and also runs into the rest of her enemies.

The middle is also time for the protagonist and love interest to begin the romance, unless the story we’re writing is a romance. There is room for some downtime for the characters before the big crisis and black moment that ushers in the third act.