Category Archives: Christmas

Holiday Contest!

by
Jessica Nelson

Happy Holidays and a Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it!

Here at Inspiration for Writers, Inc., we’re gearing up for the holidays. Trees are up and lit, Christmas carols are playing on the radio, the shopping is done…well, mostly…or not at all. Anyway! We’re in the holiday spirit, and we want to spread the cheer!
Therefore—drumroll, please—we’re holding a contest!

Your challenge is simple: write a holiday themed story—Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanza, whatever it is you celebrate (or don’t celebrate)—of 1,000 words or less. Your story can be fiction or non-fiction, essay or narrative, or anything in between.

The contest will run from today (12/17) to Monday, January 5th, at midnight. You can submit your stories to Jessica Nelson at jgirl126@gmail.com.

Stories should be:

-1,000 words or less in length
-Sent in word document form as an attachment
-Written in Calibri, Arial, or Times New Roman font, size 11 or 12
-Double spaced

And remember:

-Be Creative!
-The stories don’t have to be perfectly grammatically correct, but it definitely impresses the judges if they are! (Especially when those judges are editors.)
-Feel free to go back through the blogs to pick up some tips for good writing.
-Did I mention, be creative?

We will award a first and second place. The first place winner will have his/her choice of a $50 gift certificate for any of Inspiration for Writers, Inc.’s services or an Inspiration for Writers, Inc. briefcase. Second place will receive the remaining prize. Both the winners and the winning stories will be posted as the blog on Wednesday, January 7.

Good luck, writers! May the Muse and the Holiday Spirit be with you!

Christmas in the Fictional World


by Sandy Tritt
I visited the blog of a dear friend yesterday, and the blog included the question, What gifts would you give your characters for Christmas? Well, that got my rusty old brain churning. Even though we don’t share with our readers everything we know about our characters, our personal knowledge of them will come through in our writing. Many years ago, I attended a workshop that included a list of questions about your character to help you think of your character in different ways. Here are some examples:
1. If your character were a dog, which breed would he or she be?
2. If your character were an animal, which animal would he or she be?
3. If your character were a piece of furniture, which piece would he or she be?
4. Which public figure would your character most like to meet? Why?
5. What music does your character listen to?

And so forth. Our Inspiration for Writers’ Character Trait Chart gives prompts for various traits or preferences your character may possess. Please feel free to download it.

So, even though you may not have a holiday scene in your novel, give some thought to how your characters would celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah. Would they attend religious services? What about community services, such as special music or theatre presentations? Would they host or attend holiday parties? What kind? How would they decorate? And what, above all else, would be the gift they would most cherish?

We at Inspiration for Writers, Inc., hope you have a blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year.

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