How to write a Christmas story
Christmas stories are full of magic - and anyone can drop in!
Christmas is a time for storytelling: stories around the fire, yarns in the pub, catching up on the lives of friends and family as we dream ahead to all the pages of our own story yet to be written.
It’s also a time of headaches and hassle as we struggle through the throng of shoppers to pick that perfect present for that special someone who already has everything. How many pairs of socks or bathroom sets or battery-powered figurines doing the hula while singing a rude song does any one person need anyway?
This year, to give a loved one a truly personalised gift, why not write them a short story inspired by Christmas? You don’t have to be Charles Dickens to capture the spirit of the season as, with just a bit of practice, anyone can conjure up a little literary wonder. It’s also a great way to weave some extra magic for the children by making them the stars of their very own Christmas adventure.
By applying the principles of creative writing – working through the steps of taking an idea, expanding it into an outline, developing characters and dialogue, putting together a first draft, and then polishing up the prose with a spot of editing – you can easily craft a piece of short fiction to delight your intended reader.
You have your theme already: Christmas. Now you need an idea. Choose something fun and simple that can be summed up in one or two sentences. Some ideas you could use are:
A family on a winter’s walk discover a caveman frozen in the ice. After he thaws out, they invite him into their home and explain to him what Christmas is all about.
Two children slip sleeping potion into Santa’s milk and take his sleigh for a spin around the neighbourhood.
A young boy decides to give his town a white Christmas by building a giant snow machine.
A new toy lies nervously in its box waiting to be unwrapped.
I pity the fool who tries to slip sleeping potion into Santa’s milk!
Once you have your idea, figure out who your characters are. You don’t need to create elaborate backstories or invent complex personalities, just keep it to around two to four recognisable characters: an excited child, a department store Santa, a parent, a policeman, a plastic doll looking forward to being played with.
When you’ve decided on your characters, you next have to cast the roles, just like casting a play or a film. You should put real people into your story, so if you’re writing about a small boy, you might choose a young male relative as the model for the character. Or if, say, you were writing about a department store Santa Claus, you might pick a kindly uncle. Adding people you know helps you hear the characters’ voices and figure out their motivation.
How would Uncle Frank react if he were dropped into the story? What would your nephew do if he found himself face to face with one of Santa’s reindeer? If you’re worried about using your friends or family, just change the names and no one need know they’re now a character in a story!
The next step is your outline. This is where you set out the plot from start to finish. Know how your story ends before you begin writing, otherwise you could end up wandering in circles like someone lost in a snowstorm (hey, there’s another idea for a Christmas story!). A few sentences should cover the outline. So, in the idea above about two children stealing Santa’s sleigh, the outline could look like this:
Santa falls asleep after drinking the milk.
The kids sneak outside and see the sleigh.
They take it for a ride around the neighbourhood.
Something causes them to panic and they crash.
They return home sad to find Santa waiting for them. He isn’t angry though, as he tells them this was their Christmas present: not the sleigh ride, but the lesson they’ve learnt about responsibility.
After your outline, start writing dialogue. Write this just as a script at first:
Robbie: I think he’s asleep.
Roberta: How much potion did you use?
Robbie: Just a few drops. It should give us an hour. Come on, and don’t forget the carrots for the reindeer.
No one would ever laugh and call Rudolph names again.
Once you have your outline and script, begin writing your first draft. Stick as closely as possible to your outline and keep the story moving. Don’t dwell too much on describing every sparkle of snow or thought that goes through a character’s head; rather, keep the action unfolding to push the narrative forward towards the ending you’ve set out.
Once you have a rough first draft finished – step back and give it time to marinade, like a fine Christmas ham. When you next return to it, it’ll be time to cut off the fat to leave a lean bit of writing.
Read with a critical eye. Are there any parts that could be improved? Could you edit it in some way to make it flow smoother? Read the dialogue out loud to check how authentic you’ve made the voices. Does the story have momentum from the opening line, or does it take a bit of time to get moving? If so, maybe you need to lose that first couple of paragraphs and throw the reader straight into the action.
And that’s it. By taking a simple seasonal idea and applying the techniques of creative writing, you’ll be able to create something unique that comes straight from the heart.
Of course, it may not be a young person you’re writing for but a grown-up. So, if you fancy writing something a little darker and more adult, here’s a first line prompt:
‘The other reindeer stopped in their tracks when they saw the shotgun Rudolph was carrying. None of them would ever laugh and call him names again.’
Merry Christmas!