Everyone has traditions that shape their memories and feelings of Christmas. In terms of creative writing, this fact in and of itself can help you shape character, theme, and plot in your work.
For example, for the past few years my family has given a dinner for all the widows in our neighborhood. We just did the dinner tonight, and sixteen of them came. We served them dinner and then they each went around and talked about their childhood, and their life, and which decisions have been good and which bad. One of them is a woman who grew up in England next to Sherwood forest. Another grew up Mississippi, has the accent and everything, and is getting over cancer. Some had unhappy first marriages and found happiness later, some are still madly in love with the man they married decades ago. All the different stories and the different ways they were told make these women who they are.
Whatever your traditions are, learn from them. Learn what they say about you and what matters to you. You have to know yourself to create meaningful, passionate writing, and Christmas is a good time to find out what you care about.
What are your traditions? What about those traditions makes you who you are?
Sarah Allen
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