Entertainment

Read Luke 13-15

Luke 15:23 "And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:"

We read for information and we read for entertainment. If we want to write to entertain our readers, we have plenty of possibilities.

There are magazines dedicated to entertainment and often the articles are about celebrities. Most magazines have room for entertaining articles, whether they are humorous or about light-hearted subjects.

Fiction books are often written and published with entertaining the reader as its major purpose. Even nonfiction books can be written for entertainment, whether it’s a how-to entertain book, a book of humor, or just a book about an entertaining subject. 

Overwhelmed

Read Luke 10-12

Luke 10:40 "But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me."

When we’re facing writing deadlines something in our lives is bound to go wrong and derail us. Sometimes we have taken on too many projects that are all coming due at the same time.

We can easily get overwhelmed by our writing and trying to balance it with our lives. Sometimes we need to buckle down and soldier on until we complete our projects and other times we need a break.

We can keep these feelings in mind in our writing if we want to write about a character who feels overwhelmed by the events in her life. We can show her coping by doing things and taking risks we wouldn’t dare to do.

Women

Read Luke 7-9

Luke 8:3 "And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance."

Writing for women is probably the biggest market of all. Not only are there magazines and books, but many markets not targeted to women know that women are most likely to buy for other family members, so they too try to appeal to women.

Women’s magazines may seem like they are alike at first glance. Writers who are serious about breaking in will want to study them carefully to see the differences because each fills a specific niche.

Women’s fiction covers everything from short stories to genre to mainstream. Nonfiction books can be anything from cookbooks to how-to to self-help to childcare to pretty much anything a writer can imagine.

Critique

Read Luke 4-6

Luke 6:7 "And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him."

Imagine people following us around criticizing everything we do and say! It’s hard enough to get a bad review of a book we’ve had published.

But since writing is meant to be shared, we should brace ourselves that not everyone will like everything we say. Certainly our essays or editorials will bring out the critiques.

Even our fiction may find far too many people who don’t like our stories and aren’t afraid to say so. Since our critics feel free to express their opinions, we can encourage ourselves to continue to express ourselves freely and keep writing.

Meet Cute

Read Luke 1-3

Luke 1:41 "And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:"

Meet cute usually refers to a romance. Writers give their heroine and hero an interesting and memorable first meeting.

It can be funny, embarrassing, heroic, or anything else the writer can imagine or base on a family or other story. When others meet in the story, it is not referred to as “meet cute.”

But it could be part of the back-story if it concerns the protagonist and her best friend. Also readers may want to know how the hero and villain met.

Villains

Read Mark 13-16

 

Mark 14:10 "And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them."

 

The scariest and best-known villain of today is Darth Vader. Darkness and the sound of heavy breathing are enough to strike fear in those familiar with him.

 

Readers expect well-rounded villains. We may want to present a purely evil villain for the sake of our story, but we risk annoying our readers if we do.

 

We will want to find something about our worst villain that is decent, whether it is love for her family or abuse in his past that understandably created this monster. Even Darth Vader had his redeemable side.

Suspense

Read Mark 10-12

Mark 10:33 "Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles:"

Suspense is when we wait for something we know will happen to occur. It could be something pleasant, like waiting for the surprise birthday party to begin with the arrival of the birthday boy.

We can build suspense in our writing using anticipation of various events to build interest in our readers. We can use that kind of suspense, even in our manuscripts that aren’t mysteries or thrillers.

But usually suspense refers to certain genres. In those cases we build suspense by showing things like a gas leak to build suspense in our readers that someone is going to do something to spark a fire, maybe even an explosion to go along with the gas leak.

Supernatural

Read Mark 7-9

Mark 9:3 "And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them."

The supernatural has become a hot topic for books, television shows, and movies. Mostly it concerns vampires, superheroes, and the like.

Those of us who experience miracles in everyday life have to keep readers in mind when writing about a different kind of supernatural. Writers will want to use foreshadowing and narration so readers have the right background for the miracles we want to use in our stories.

For nonfiction, we can use the introductory paragraphs to prepare readers for an interviewee’s story of their brush with the supernatural. If we are writing an essay or memoir, we can bring the readers along with us on the journey we experienced that ended supernaturally.

Food

Read Mark 4-6

Mark 6:38 "He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes."

Writers who specialize in food have almost unlimited markets to choose from. Nearly every publication features recipes—seasonal, easy-to-make, gourmet and more.

We might want to write a historical piece about food—either what people ate in a certain era or old recipes we’ve discovered from a particular period of time. We might develop new recipes using a formerly underused ingredient, soon to become more popular.

We might want to tackle a bigger project, like a cookbook. Even with all the cookbooks already out there, we might find a niche using family favorites or filling any other need we find in our research.

Training

Read Mark 1-3

Mark 3:14 "And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,"

Training costs employers money. The time it takes for the training, the training materials, the on-the-job training, and whether or not all the new hires will make it through add up to an expensive investment for the boss.

Writers can help by writing the training materials in clear and logical order to give the trainees the best shot at absorbing the information. Chances are we have the best chance of landing a training manual writing assignment if we are working for the company or recently left the company.

The employers will be reassured that we know enough about the material to do a good job. But there are other ways to gather information and have enough knowledge to write good training manuals.

Foreshadowing

Read Matthew 25-28

 

Matthew 26:2 "Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified."

 

Foreshadowing is what we do to plant possibilities into the story before the incident comes up. Sometimes we find we need to warn readers about a scene that would otherwise jar them out of the story.

 

For instance, we might write a rescue scene where the characters don’t save themselves, someone else swoops in and saves them. If we have set it up ahead of time, we can have a search-and-rescue team be our protagonist’s heroes.

 

Other times we use foreshadowing to build tension and suspense in our readers. We subtly clue them that disaster is coming and let them worry about when it might happen.

Short Stories

Read Matthew 22-24

Matthew 22:2 "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,"

Short stories can be anything from six words to thousands of words. Different markets call for different lengths.

When we plan our short story, it may be tempting to write to the market, but that can be confining. It may be less stifling to write the story first and then market it.

Chances are we will have ideas for the types of short stories we like to read, but if we are having a hard time coming up with ideas, we might want to let our imaginations drift elsewhere. We might want to adapt a family story, a dream, or even a nightmare.

Dialogue

Read Matthew 4-6

Matthew 4:4 "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

The right kind of dialogue can add action and drama to our stories. We can use dialogue to show conflict or a character’s decision-making process.

To give different characters distinctive ways of speaking, we could use the characters’ word choices. Dialect is hard to write and hard to read, but a few phrases that suggest dialect might be sufficient for a character.

Even nonfiction benefits from dialogue. Whether we are writing a question and answer type of article or an essay, dialogue gets and keeps a reader’s interest.

Genealogy

Read Matthew 1-3

Matthew 1:17 "So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations."

Genealogy gets hotter and hotter as a topic of interest. We want to know who we are and who our ancestors were and where we came from.

Writers can satisfy their family’s hunger to know their roots by researching and putting together the story of their own family. We can self publish a limited number of books and give them away to family members who would be thrilled to have the answers to so many questions.

While uncovering our own roots, we are likely to come across plenty of great stories about our families. We can use these stories as ideas for fiction or articles that would interest a wider audience and possibly find a market for the story itself, depending on the details.

Plays

Read Malachi 1-4

Malachi 3:5 "And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts."

Plays are still alive and well. When we have television, movies, and the Internet to choose from, plays still have their own brand of excitement.

The themes are the same, although the way the subject matter is presented has changed from those days of the Greek tragedies and Shakespeare. The more marketable plays have minimal set requirements so they can be presented even on a tight budget.

Children’s markets are especially hungry for new plays. Since the play might be presented by a class, writers are wise to put in plenty of characters and the flexibility that some might be able to be divided or combined, depending on how many children need parts.

First Paragraph

Read Zechariah 11-14

Zechariah 14:9 "And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one."

The first paragraph needs to capture a reader’s interest. For fiction, it should set the tone for the story.

Fiction might begin with one word of dialogue, but in the next paragraph it needs to orient the reader about who, when, and where. Nonfiction has several ways to write that first paragraph, too.

Newspapers want all the Ws answered: who, what, when, where, and an introduction to the why and how that becomes the body of the article. Other nonfiction first paragraphs might be an anecdote or a question—anything that will get a reader hooked enough to continue reading while also being a crucial part of the article and not just a trick.

Setting

Read Zechariah 7-10

Zechariah 8:5 "And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof."

Some writers start a project with a character, some with a plot, and others with setting in mind. Those who start with setting have an advantage in description because it is important for them that readers get a feel for the place and time they are writing about.

Setting might not be crucial for most stories that could take place anywhere and anytime, but the readers desire some sense of where and when they are as they read. A few details about season, weather, and surroundings help the story world come alive.

We don’t need to go on for pages since too much description tends to be skipped, but setting mixed with action will keep the reader anchored and interested. Even some nonfiction benefits from a few setting details.

Westerns

Read Zechariah 4-6

Zechariah 4:6 "Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts."

Westerns are no longer comprised of the good guys in white hats, the bad guys in black hats, and the hero on his horse riding off into the sunset at the end. Readers still want to see cowboys, rugged terrain, and the battle between good and evil played out.

Westerns are often set in the past in the 1800s. The stories tend to be a little more realistic and less black and white.

But some westerns are set in modern times and deal with less definition between good and evil. Some romances have so much of the ingredients of a western they may fit into either genre.

Self-Publishing

Read Zechariah 1-3

Zechariah 2:10 "Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord."

There was a time when self-publishing was looked down on. Self-publishing companies were known as vanity presses with the reputation that only books that weren’t good enough for regular publishing resorted to the vanity presses.

Since anyone can self-publish, there are still inferior books that make readers cringe, but not all traditionally published books are wonderful, either. Writers can polish their books, hire editors, and make sure they have written the best book possible.

Then we can use one of the many self-publishing companies to get the book out into the world, or be totally self-publishing and control all aspects of our book’s birth. We can publish e-books, print-on-demand books, or printed versions of the book.

First Draft

Read Haggai 1-2

Haggai 2:16 "Since those days were, when one came to an heap of twenty measures, there were but ten: when one came to the pressfat for to draw out fifty vessels out of the press, there were but twenty."

As we write our first draft, we can’t help but see how awful it is. It’s tempting to stop and correct as we go, but that doesn’t work for every writer.

Some never get past the first few sentences, paragraphs or pages because of all the imperfections constantly found. Some get so discouraged they give up completely, especially for a book-length project.

But it’s important to get that first draft onto the page, even if it means we write badly. Writing can be fixed, no matter how bad it is, but a blank page will never be good enough to be published.

Cover Letter

Read Zephaniah 1-3

Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing."

Anyone who has been job hunting knows about cover letters. For job seekers, they are introductory letters to send with the resume.

But writer cover letter letters are a little different. One use is that they are sent after an editor or agent has shown an interest in the proposal previously sent.

The writer would send a cover letter along with the manuscript to remind the editor or agent that they requested it. Another use is an introductory letter sent most often to a trade magazine editor to introduce the writer and their work.

Writing is Not a Waste of Time

Read Habakkuk 1-3

Habakkuk 2:2 "And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it."

When we are writing for publication and can’t get published we begin to feel we are wasting our time. When we aren’t getting published but spend so much time writing instead of doing other things, those around us might also believe we are wasting our time.

But putting words on paper or on a screen is not a waste of time. Historians rely on diaries to discover what life was like in the past.

Chances are if we continue to write and polish our work we will eventually be accepted by a target market. But even if we never do, our writing is not a waste of time because it helps us clarify our thoughts and might one day be something historians look at to see what people of our era were thinking.

Rescue

Read Nahum 1-3

Nahum 1:15 "Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off."

When we’re writing fiction, we have to be careful about writing rescue scenes. There was a time when outsiders were expected to come in and solve the story problems, like the gods in Greek literature or the Cavalry in westerns.

But readers expect the characters to figure out how to triumph over the antagonists whether it’s in books, short stories, movies, or television. Even in romances, the heroine is expected to be proactive in saving herself and not just wait around for the hero to rescue her.

But if we want to write a rescue scene, there are ways to do it without disgusting the reader. We can use things like foreshadowing or having the rescuer join the liberation already in progress and help the protagonist, rather than save him.

Our Readers

Read Micah 4-7

Micah 6:8 "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"

Fiction writers may acquire fans. We may find readers who eagerly anticipate our next book for their next reading adventure.

Some nonfiction writers also have fans, depending on the kinds of writing we do. Often, though, the reader is looking at our work for information and may not notice our byline.

Whether readers know us or not, both categories require a good read. Fiction, nonfiction, information, or entertainment our most important job is never to disappoint our readers.

Writer's Block

Read Micah 1-3

Micah 3:8 "But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin."

We call it writer’s block when we can’t think of anything to write. If we can’t write because we don’t have the tools like something to write with and something to write on or because we can’t find the time, we don’t call that writer’s block.

Since writer’s block is a mental issue, we have to address it mentally. If we have run out of ideas, we might try things like freewriting or journal writing or even making a list—something that we don’t have to write and which isn’t expected to be any good.

We might try writing something different—try fiction if we are stuck in our nonfiction writing, for instance. Or we might need to give our minds and ourselves a break by doing something physical like pulling weeds or taking a walk or by declaring the rest of the day a write-free holiday.

Fatal Flaw

Read Jonah 1-4

Jonah 1:3 "But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord."

A fatal flaw is a trait or belief a character has that compels him to make poor decisions. Those poor decisions further complicate his life and cause him unnecessary problems.

Even when this fatal flaw is pointed out to him, he has a hard time acting against it and usually succumbs to making mistakes. But the character’s fatal flaw doesn’t have to ruin his life.

The story can go in one of two ways. The writer can show how the character grows and leaves the fatal flaw behind or the fatal flaw can be used as a good thing—the very thing that saves the day and causes the character to triumph over his adversaries.