Did I get your attention with that title? Seriously, who would ever ask that question when Christmas time is the ‘most wonderful time of the year’?

It is. In theory.

What other time of year does the appearance of almost everything (talking United States)change; houses have colorful lights and huge characters inflated in their yards, sweaters are ugly on purpose, and stores play songs from the 1950’s? What other time of year do we focus on children and making wishes come true and plan parties with co-workers to exchange gifts with those we barely tolerate all year long?

I myself am only a professional interior decorator at Christmastime. The rest of the year my decorating skills only appeal to me for about one week before I see that vase of fake Poppies really does look fake.

So what’s my issue with Christmas that I ask, do we have to have it?

We’ve made Christmas cookie cutter, a string of prescribed trappings as though Christmas hangs on the same songs, the same cookies, the same “Black Friday” sales.

To be sure, tradition and carrying them on is a human need. It gives us stability in an unstable world. It passes on values to the next generations. It brings people together to share a common experience where everyone knows the script. I think maybe Christmas has crossed from traditional activities to mentally kidnapping ‘must do’ lists.

Worse yet, society (probably marketing departments at all the biggest retailers) want us to apply the same to other holidays like Halloween (coming in a close second with Christmas) and Saint Patrick’s Day (has a few more years to go before it blossoms). These poser holidays want to jump on the band wagon of Christmas sentimentality.

I think it’s time that we, as Christmas lovers, as Christmas believers, consider if we’ve been overrun with the expectations of Christmas instead of pausing in the meaning of it. “Christmas” does mean Christ’s birth after all and even if you value the holiday for secular reasons; peace, love, and good will, that can be lost if we don’t grab hold of it and lead the way.

So when I say, “Do we have to have Christmas”, I mean, can we celebrate, honor the season not without getting caught up in the superficial expression of it?

Now folks, I turn your attention to applying this concept in your writing. Yes, I did not forget that most of you are writers looking for a nugget or a nudge to keep your writing going sharp and effective. It can be easy to spit out words, scenes and plots that are perfect in form, and follow the current expectations, the trend.

Pause.

“Trend” is a bad word to me. “Writing to market” is so flamboyantly touted as the key to success. Obviously there needs to be people who actually want to read your stuff but, is it the people driving the ‘trend’ or that writers deluge readers until it’s all a desperate reader can find? At least if it’s written well, there’s that, but as far as catching a reader’s attention, moving on them, truly (in some cases not to be held with disdain) entertaining them, it’s not happening.

What’s the difference between a great story and a story? All of the above. A book written because something needs to be said. Written because someone needs to be walked through the experience of your characters with a plot that isn’t crystal clear from the first chapter.

Let’s not lower the bar writers. Let’s skip the “Christmas-tizing” (I just coined that word) of our stories.

Don’t just write well, write meaningfully. That doesn’t mean we all have to be literary writers with a pedigree of MFA degrees and the classics memorized. Be brave, be purposeful, and…

Merry Christmas! May all your dreams come true!

Best, Clare