Christmas provides a rich seam for writers to draw on. Most years, Christmas movies gross billions at the box office. Some authors bring out a Christmas book a year. And festive family feuds are gold dust for script writers. Where would those soap Christmas specials be without a good old bust-up?

So today’s exercises, which we did at the Maggie’s Creative Writing group last Friday, are based around this theme.

In earlier sessions, we created a character, gave them a voice, some-backstory and a time and place to live out their narrative. In this session we will place our characters into a Christmas setting.

To do this, we need to think about where they spend the day, who and what is around them, what is going on in their lives in the weeks before Christmas, and how they feel about the season. Whatever is happening in your character’s life, it’s likely to be brought into sharp focus at this time of year.

At the start of my novel, Blue Tide Rising, my main character Amy is so lost in her own dysfunction, she doesn’t even realise what day it is when she surfaces on 25th December. Here’s a short extract.

When I venture out, I wonder why the streets are so quiet. I’ve been conscious of the build-up, of course – tinsel hanging outside Speedy Cash, carols floating out from the Methodist Mission, Christmas songs from the one remaining pub. The temporary fireworks shop morphed into a temporary Christmas shop. Someone has even hung a few lights on the section of road between Ladbrokes and the pharmacist.

The debris of the season lies all around. Soggy wrapping paper, discarded tinsel, bottles on the street, more vomit than usual. I walk all the way to Lidl to find it shut. I’ll have to make do with something from the corner shop.

On my way back I see The Man striding down the street. Very rare to see him away from his post. He looks smart, in a brown overcoat. He’s wearing his Trilby. He reminds me of my granddad dressed for Sunday.

‘Here she is on Christmas Day!,’ he opens his arms out wide. I tense up, in case he’s going to hug me, but he side-steps and continues on his way. He must have somewhere to go.

‘Merry Christmas luv!’ a man swigging from a can of extra strong lager and trailing a length of purple tinsel lurches towards me. I duck.

Coming back over the threshold of the house, I see Psycho-Boy, crashed out in the hall, a pair of antlers round his neck.

‘So this is Christmas,’ I say to myself as I step over him.

So here are today’s writing exercises:

Exercise 1

It’s Christmas day in your character’s life. Write a scene that occurs during the day. Here are some points to bear in mind.

• Where do they spend the day – at home or elsewhere?
• What is around them? Describe the setting, decor, objects that surround them. Use the senses to describe what your character can see, smell, hear, touch etc.
• Who is there? Introduce other characters if you like.
• How does your character feel about Christmas?
• Has anything been going on in your character’s life that can escalate – or get resolved – at Christmas?

When we did this in the group at Maggie’s one writer’s character lived in a country that doesn’t celebrate Christmas, another didn’t know what day it was and another was a bird (and no, not a turkey). But everyone used their creativity to incorporate their characters into a Christmas setting.

Exercise 2

Pick one of the following lines, and use it in a piece of writing. It can be the first line, last line, or somewhere in the middle.

• He always behaved badly but this year Uncle Norman took things to extremes.
• When I saw the familiar scrawl on the gift tag, I dreaded finding out what was inside.
• You want to know why I left town on Christmas Eve?
• ‘I know what you asked for, but this is what you’re getting,’ said Santa.
• Every Christmas Eve at the stroke of midnight she appeared at the top of the stairs
• I should never have gone to the office party…

Happy writing – and merry Christmas! ✍🎄☃