How to Write a Holiday Tale that Isn?t a Turkey

When we write stories, with the purpose of sharing them with others, we enter into an agreement where we allow our reader to see a glimpse of our heart, our souls and our memories. If we truly want them to be immersed in the tale, we actively immerse ourselves in those memories so that a glimmer of what we saw, heard and felt comes through.

This is especially true with holiday tales. The best way to convey a holiday scene is to take a trip back in time through the wonderful world of our unconscious. Here are some great ways to delve back into our child hood memories and incorporate them into our holiday tales.

1) Sit in a darkened room and close your eyes. Allow yourself to go back in time to the very first Christmas that you can remember. Take a deep breath and relax. What are the scents, sounds and feelings that come up? What is the first picture that pops into your mind?

Is it the sound of children racing down the stairs that comes to you first? The feel of your heart pounding when you awoke and found that Christmas was really here? The warmth of your parents' blankets as you bounced on them, anxious to wake them up?

The autumn and winter holidays will always be associated, for me, with my grandmother's cooking and pumpkin pies. I remember running into her little house, and the sound of the front door's slam behind me. I was immediately engulfed in warmth. The scent of nutmeg and cinnamon and pumpkin seeds physically drew me forward, until I was wrapped in my grandmother's embrace.

2) Recreate the scene. Since a prime trigger for me is the scent of pumpkin pies, I often order pumpkin scented candles from Yankee Candles. I sit on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket, light the candles and wait. Within moments, the scent has pulled me back to my grandmother's kitchen. And I hear the sound of my cousins pounding down the hall after me, each of us anxious to win the first warm treat.

You can do the same. If a scent triggers your memories, you can either bake the cake or cookie or brew the eggnog. Or you can get one of those scented candles and simply light it.

If the feel of sweaters immediately transports you back to your snow throwing days, slip one on. If you are like me and live in Florida, turn the air way up first. Close your eyes and hear the sound of children shouting as they try to nail each other with snowballs. Picture their fresh flushed faces.

3) If there is a particular holiday character that sparks your memories, rent holiday movies. Some of my favorites are Frosty the Snowman and Miracle on Thirty fourth street. Watch one for a while, until you get the holiday feeling, then turn the sound off. Watch the pictures and let your mind go.

4) Use all of these pictures and sensations and feelings in your story.

If you are writing about a little girl in a big family, think back to what holiday dinners were like for you. Did everyone talk at once? Does your character like this or does she feel overwhelmed? What is it like to be the smallest one in a room full of adults? Is there a cousin or neighbor that is constantly picking on her? Do the children get bored and decide to explore the forbidden attic?

5) Once you have a scene in mind, write down all of these questions. Don't worry about answering them until you have run out of questions. Then think back to the picture, sound or feeling that you associate with and answer the questions.

6) Now describe everything that you can about the characters. What are their ages? What do they look like? Are they the youngest or oldest in their family? Where do they live? What is their favorite thing? What are their best friend's names? Who is their arch nemesis and why?

Get as much detail as possible down.

Once you can describe all of these things, the pieces of your story will begin to fall into place. More importantly, your characters and your scenes will be real and alive. Be brave and put as much of yourself into these stories and your characters. Your readers will love you for it.

About The Author

Caterina Christakos is the author of How to Write a Children's Book in 30 Days or Less. For more writing tips go to: http://www.howtowriteachildrensbook.com.

Publishing Guidelines: This article may be freely published so long as the author's resource box, bylines, and copyright are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated. Send to CChrist896@aol.com

cheap limo service Lombard .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare
In The News:

Recent reports show many common passwords can be cracked in literally seconds. Kurt the CyberGuy explains how to strengthen your passwords.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Iron, a robot that stands 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs 154 pounds, combines advanced artificial intelligence with human-like movement and exceptional vision.
Hertz, the rental car giant, recently confirmed that customer information was exposed through a cyberattack on one of its software vendors.
There are a number of features with AirPods you may or may not know about to take your listening experience to the next level. Kurt the CyberGuy explains.
These 35 Chrome extensions have privacy and security concerns. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says to delete them now.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says 329,000 mph fusion rocket promises to be fast, disruptive and enable deep-space missions.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says a new autonomous AI is a game changer that also raises privacy risks. Is your data safe?
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says robots and drones are revolutionizing fruit farming with faster picking and smarter handling.
Landmark Admin revises May 2024 cyberattack scope to show twice as many people were affected. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson gives tips to help stay safe from an insurance data breach.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about how Yamaha’s hydrogen outboard motor could revolutionize boating with zero emissions.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals how to memorialize or remove a deceased loved one’s Facebook account and protect their digital legacy from misuse or scams.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says an Apple Watch saved psychiatrist Amanda Faulkner by detecting deadly leukemia early.
Scammers and fraudsters are increasingly targeting the most vulnerable, especially nursing homes and the personal data of their residents. Kurt the CyberGuy has safety tips.
Infected USB flash drives can spread malware among multiple organizations in ways that can easily bypass traditional security systems.
With a fully automated warehouse system and AI-powered robots, Ocado's Hive picks, packs and delivers grocery store orders in just a few minutes.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Recycling robots are using artificial intelligence to learn how to sort recyclables by recognizing patterns in colors, textures, shapes and logos.
The Reachy 2 robot is designed to be friendly and approachable, inviting natural interaction and is perfect for research, education and experimenting with embodied AI.
Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson shares several easy ways to keep your credit cards safe from digital thieves while you're traveling this summer.
Arcturus sets up cameras around the edges of baseball stadiums to capture real-time action and generate a 3D digital clone of the game.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
The CyberGuy explains why healthcare organizations are vulnerable to hackers after there have been a half dozen data breaches this year.
Developed at two California universities, the innovative technology combines brain-computer interfaces with advanced AI to decode neural activity into audible speech.

How to Write a Short Story

Everybody knows writing a story is not easy. Like the... Read More

An Inside Look at Proofreading

This is the ideal topic for us all to think... Read More

Why We Dont Write Our Books

In the ten years that I've taught people how to... Read More

Best Writing Advice I Ever Got

I've been in the communications business a long time?over 25... Read More

Top 5 Rules of English Grammar

Communication is effective when we follow certain rules. These rules... Read More

Getting the Story Down

Questions and answers on writing life experiences for ourselves and... Read More

5 Easy Steps To Writing Your Appealing Letter

You must write a hypnotic persuasion letter to help you... Read More

Amazing Ways Writing Articles Can Improve Your Business

How to get a lot of traffic to your website... Read More

Writers Who Consistently Cut The Mustard Do So Because...

Have you ever wondered why certain writers are able to... Read More

5 Effective Web Writing Tips

Writing for the web is very different from writing for... Read More

Is Someone Plagiarizing Your Work?

About two weeks ago I received an article submissionthat immediately... Read More

The Psychology Of Effortless Writing

I love writing. I love the swirl and swing of... Read More

Rules for Getting the Story Down

1. Write it fast, fix it later.2. Commit to writing... Read More

In Praise of Personal Pronouns

Rudolph Flesch, a pioneering advocate of readability, put great stock... Read More

Nobody Likes A Rambler

We all know people who ramble. They include every boring... Read More

Self-examination vs Self-indulgence

Self-examination is brutally honest. Self-indulgence is brutally maudlin.Writing requires the... Read More

Freewriting: A Strategy That Will Bring Your Writing To Life

Freewriting is a release from the prison of rules. It... Read More

Pairs/Groups Of Words Often Confused - Part 4 of 6

LATER, LATTERLater means afterwards; latter is the second of two... Read More

Write For Yourself First

It would be very selfless or noble of me to... Read More

Should I Keep Writing?

Writers are an insecure lot.It's easy to understand why. You... Read More

Write On! - Key Components of Successful Business Communication

Written communication is often the first impression you make on... Read More

A Writers Personal Cheer Squad

We all need a cheer squad.We all need people to... Read More

Web Writing: Create Writing Flow With Four Uncommon Connectors

Connectors -- conjunctions, punctuation, and transitional phrases -- allow readers... Read More

Hey Cient, this is Me! Find Your Writing Voice and Sell Yourself

In a crowded market, clients will be seeking personality as... Read More

7 Writing Muse Kickers to Fill Up That Blank Page

Nothing is more daunting for any writer than having to... Read More

limo O'Hare Glen Ellyn ..