You can also draw on the experiences of friends and family members for articles and stories to write. Look around your church for interesting people and unique ministries. Check out your local newspaper, your community, and current world events for even more ideas. This is Part 2 of a three-part series.
Friends and Family
We can draw upon the experiences of our family and friends by interviewing them, and of course, we can draw upon our experiences with them for more ideas. Two people involved in an incident opens the door for dialogue, and nothing moves a story along better than a conversation.
Does your grandmother have a familiar saying that has shaped your life? If so, pass her words of wisdom onto others. Has she led an interesting life that you can capture on paper so her loved ones will have it long after she is gone. What a special legacy to pass on. I regret that my grandmother died before I had a chance to get her story down on paper. She escaped from Mexicoduring a revolution, and if I only had more information I could write a fascinating true story in her memory.
You may have a friend with a totally different viewpoint than your own on a subject. Write a heated debate in dialogue, showing both sides of the situation and voicing both opinions.
Perhaps the story you have in mind contains sensitive information. You never want to hurt your friends and family members with articles that you write, so it is important to handle these situations delicately. You can do one of three things in this instance:
1. You can change the name of the person and the place the incident occurred. This may also entail changing the time of the event. I did this in a devotional I wrote about a girl who tried to commit suicide. I didn’t want her or anyone who knew her to recognize the incident so I changed her name and placed the incident three years before it occurred.
2. You can change your name and write the article under a pseudonym. In this case you would also change the main character’s name and some of the circumstances. I find ideas for names in my telephone directory.
3. You can write a fictional story regarding the incident. Again make sure you change enough of the information so that your friends and family members don’t recognize themselves and feel as if they are part of a soap opera. The nice thing about fiction is you can take the essence of the story and craft it in a way that the reader gains the maximum benefit from the point you are trying to make. You are not hindered by facts.
In many cultures traditions are passed down from generation to generation. If you have such heirlooms make sure that you capture them on paper. Who were your ancestors? How do they affect your life today and the lives of your family members?