The best gifts are memories!
What is your favorite Christmas story?
Personally, I am not a fan of the Grinch. I get the appeal, but it just doesn’t hit me in the heart. And while I laugh hysterically at the movie “A Christmas Story,” my real favorite is O. Henry’s The Gift of the Magi. I love the self-sacrifice and love that come through in this story. Two people are willing to give up something very special to make their favorite people really happy. It’s not about the gifts at all, it’s about how much they are willing to do for someone they love.
I love a good Christmas story. That’s why I’m writing one! Or, I’m trying to. I’ve been working on this particular one for more than a few months.
I’m working on a short story about Christmas, sort of a cross between The Polar Express and The Martian. Yeah, that’s a real mash-up, I know. But let’s say you’re a child, in space, waiting for Santa to arrive. You want Christmas to come to you, no matter where you are, so you wish upon a star and the stars send you the answer you need.
If I wrote a Christmas list, I’d ask for the ability to write the words that captured the emotions necessary to make this story a success. I think it needs some sadness and some joy, some wonder and some doubt, some fond nostalgia but also hope and excitement for the future to come. That’s a tall order for one story!
Wish me luck on this project, and I wish you a very Merry Christmas!