When writing for holidays, there are two important details to keep in mind: People want to read about the familiar. Yet they also want something fresh and new with a twist!
To help gather ideas for holiday stories, first I read a lot of favorite holiday stories and look for what is “familiar.” For instance, when I wrote a Christmas story for a children’s magazine, I discovered that a common theme of many Christmas stories is a mishap centering around children performing the Christmas play.
I decided to use this common and familiar theme in my story.
Then I prayed about presenting a Christmas play mishap in a fresh, new way. As soon as I considered using a different and unique cast of characters, I knew I’d discovered my twist. I decided to have a cast of underwater sea creatures performing the play!
I pitched the idea to the magazine editor and landed the assignment to write Christmas Under the Sea.
If you’re considering writing a manuscript for a holiday, first do your research. Read favorite stories based on your holiday and make a list of familiar and common story ingredients. Then pray about finding a twist to present your story in a fresh, new way.
-Contributed by Nancy I. Sanders
