Did you realize that fiction plays a big part in many of our Christmas traditions? No, I’m not talking about the birth of our Lord and Savior. His birth is not fictional, but many of the things now believed about that special event are; they have been set in place by poetry, books, movies, songs, etc. This is evidence of the effects that fiction writing can have on the world.
December 25 has always been a holiday, but it hasn’t always been Christmas. What the Romans celebrated on that day was not the birth of Christ. The pagan festival of Saturnalia took place at this time. The birth of Mithra, the god of light, was celebrated on this day. The story of the conception, birth, and death of Mithra is very similar to the story of Jesus. Mithra is even supposed to have resurrected from the grave.
The Christmas season is one of beauty and joy. Decorations, some simple and others showy, can be seen just about anywhere – in stores, in restaurants, in suburbs, in the country. Once the sky darkens, the air is filled with flashing lights of all colors. Men dressed as Santa Claus can be found in just about any store you enter.
Ideas for stories are all around us. Each day, there are unusual things to be seen and mysterious sounds to be heard. It is up to you, the author, to make stories out of these events. Do you walk into a room and find that an item has been moved? What about that mysterious howl…
Do you have any friends or loved ones who are writers? Are you having problems deciding what to get them for their birthdays or Christmas? First, we will talk about the normal but functional gifts you can bless them with. Books on writing, a dictionary, or a thesaurus is always appreciated, and writers can never…
Will your character dance around his Xmas tree on Falling Needles Family Fest Day? Could your character’s uncle make Scrooge look like a great guy to work for? Could he be the real reason for Humbug Day? Does the character you created plan on celebrating A’phabet Day as soon as he learns his alphabet?
Are you trying to come up with a town name that makes one think of snow or the winter holiday season? Did you know towns appropriately named for winter and/or Christmas stories already exist? AlabamaBell, AlabamaBethlehem, AlabamaChestnut, AlabamaEvergreen, AlabamaStar, Alabama AlaskaCandle, AlaskaNorth Pole, AlaskaWiseman, Alaska ArizonaBell, ArizonaChristmas, ArizonaHumbug, ArizonaPartridge, ArizonaSanta Claus, ArizonaSilver Bell, ArizonaSnowflake, Arizona…
Do you have a torment of ogres chasing after your character? Is he about to run into a devilry of gremlins? Has he been driven insane by a rally of hobgoblins who escaped capture by a malevolence of trolls? Does your story need a monster? Take a look through the monsters in this article and…
Phobias are constant, irrational fears that afflict some people. Their fears should be taken seriously. They should never be made fun of or belittled. But, as writers, we can bless (or curse) our characters with phobias and make the story so much more interesting. What happens if someone encounters the object of their fear? They…
What comes to mind when you think of Thanksgiving? Some of you may think about the Pilgrims and Indians and the feast they shared on this day long ago. But if you are more food oriented, you probably think about the scrumptious food you will have with friends and family as you celebrate this day.…
