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.