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.