Holiday time evokes emotions – some
sad, some happy, but always emotion. This is a perfect time of year to get
started on a new story by using one of your holiday memories as a springboard.
What is your most vivid childhood
memory? Were you terribly disappointed when Santa didn’t get you any of your
top five items from the list you painstakingly wrote and mailed to him? Or
maybe Santa meant nothing to you because you celebrated Chanukah and all of
your friends berated you for it. Perhaps your parents went out of their way to
use the pennies they saved and bought you an extra special bathrobe that made
you feel like a princess?
Use these memories and play “what
if?” What if you had gotten every incredible toy on your Christmas wish list,
but you had no one to share your joy with because your parents were too busy. Imagine
a household crowded with children and ripping gift wrap off of presents before
sitting down to a special holiday breakfast of pancakes frosted with powdered
sugar to look like snowballs.
Imagine that you are one of the
parents of such a large brood – you and your spouse have saved all year to make
this day special because, well, maybe tomorrow something is going to change.
Leap into a story and let your mind wander. There are so many possibilities.
Think about it – and then write about it.
Get started by recording some of
your most vivid memories. Look at those memories from different perspectives,
as the different players in the real story. Make up possibilities and bring new
players in to cause some unexpected havoc. Se as many of your real memories and
emotions as you wish and then get carried away a little. Hum your favorite
Christmas carol and change the words. Whatever it takes, have fun and write
your way into a manuscript.
Writing exercise:
Fill in the blanks – Santa slid down the chimney, he had to laugh when
he saw the _____ hanging from the mantel. He never would have thought of using
_____ like that. After he placed all the gifts under the tree, he turned to
drink the _____ and _____ that the family left for him. Mrs. Claus always complained about the ____
he _____ over the Christmas holiday. Suddenly he heard a _____ noise and looked
up to see _____ staring at him. Strange, he thought, _____ must not be from
around here. “Ho, Ho, Ho,” said Santa. “_____ _____ _____” replied the _____. “And
what do you want for Christmas?” asked Santa. “I want a _____ and a _____,”
answered the _____. “And have you been a good little _____” “”_____,” said the
_____. “Oh my,” said Santa.
Writing prompt: Can you list your five favorite gifts you
ever received? Do you still have those five gifts? If not, what happened to
them?
