And yes, I do mean the winter/Christmas/Thanksgiving/Hannukka/Samhain/Diwali/Hogmanay/New Year/Kwanzaa/Chinese New Year/Solstice/Saturnalia/Festivus November/December/January type of holiday.
If you ever think of submitting your stories to literary magazines, contests, anthologies, or other publications, you need to know two things:
- They are often themed and holiday stories are always popular,
- Your story needs to be written, edited, submitted, selected, corrected, and green lit, month in advance of the actual holiday.
Write your December stories now. Time’s running out.
The Prompt
Write A Story Tied To A Holiday That Takes Place In November/December/January/February
Tips
- Evoke the sights, smells, sounds and emotions you associate with that holiday.
- Put on some appropriate holiday music to get you in the mood.
- Go beyond the obvious idea for the story associated with your chosen holiday. No saccharine tales of redemption or bitter humbug retellings of A Christmas Carol, for us!
- Make the characters stronger than the trappings of the holiday.
- Write the story for someone who has never participated in your holiday traditions. Show them what it’s like to be you at Christmas/Hanukkah/Hogmanay/Groundhog Day.
Need more tips? Here’s a podcast episode that talks you through it:
GO!
Which holiday did you choose? What did you do to get in the mood? Do you think you’ll revise and submit this story to a publication? Tell us in the comments or join the conversation in the comments