Christmas Writer’s Tag

Hey everyone! It’s December now, and when most people think of December, they think of Christmas! So I decided for my first post of the month to make my own Christmas Writer’s Tag! So here we go!

Rules:

Thank the person who tagged you and leave a link to their blog. (Thank you me, haha!)
List the rules.
Answer the questions.
Write the questions down for reference for the next person.
Tag as many or few people as you like.

Questions:

Have you ever written (or are you writing) a Christmas story? If so, what was (or is) it about?

Yes I have written a Christmas story, a long, long time ago. I believe it was called The Christmas Candle, and if I can recall, it was about a little orphan boy who sold candles on Christmas Eve and the candle (if I can recall) made its way around the little town and brought cheer to everyone and somehow it came back to the boy who got adopted by a really nice wealthy couple for Christmas. It’s been a long time since I looked over it, so I don’t know for sure if that’s exactly how it played out, but it was something close to that.

2: Is Christmas celebrated in any of your stories?

Yes, I know for sure it’s celebrated in my main WIP, and I’m planning on putting into another story I am writing.

3: Is Christmas a main event/plot point in any of your stories?

Actually yes. In my main WIP, the main character gets married on Christmas. He also later comes home from war to see his sons for the first time for Christmas. So for him, Christmas is a main event.

4: Are any of your characters born on Christmas?

Yes, actually. I have one who is born on Christmas, and another is born on Christmas Eve!

5: For Fantasy and Science-fiction writers, how do people celebrate Christmas in your worlds? Do they even celebrate Christmas?

I write mostly historical fantasy, so my fantasy world operates much like medieval Europe did. So they celebrate it pretty much the same way, with feasts and celebration.

6: If you write other types of fiction, do your characters have any special Christmas traditions?

I’ve never really thought of it, so I don’t think so. Would be interesting if I added something though….

7: Have five of your characters answer this question: What is your favorite Christmas dessert?

Will: I love cake! Unfortunately I don’t get to eat too much since I have to share with everyone….

Mari: I enjoy oranges a lot! (Yes that was a dessert back in the day.)

Richard: I don’t really mind anything. Pie is good. Or fruit.

Duarte: Raspberry pie is delicious!

Doug: … chocolate chip cookies…

8: Do you have any characters who DON’T celebrate Christmas? Why?

Not that I know of. But I haven’t actually gone through and interrogated every one of them with those questions….

9: What is your villain’s favorite Christmas memory?

Wow, this one is a hard one because my villain didn’t have a very happy life after he turned five, and I don’t know how many memories he would have of before then. One of his favorite memories though was baking cookies with his mother and older brother when he was three or four.

10: What is one thing your main character wanted as a kid but never got?

Hmm… well, I’ve never really thought of this question before. I believe once in Will’s childhood when he was very young, he wanted a sword, but because of his age, his grandfather refused to get it for him. But in the end due to his ingenuity, Will made enough money himself to buy the sword so he still got it in the end, technically, just not for Christmas.

11: Do your characters know the Nativity story?

Yes, I think most of them do, in part because religion was such a major aspect of medieval life, and my WIP is based off the medieval era. And I’m a Christian, so yes, I’m not ashamed to say the Nativity story is the reason I celebrate Christmas — because of Jesus.

12: In your story world, what importance is placed on Christmas socially?

As I said before, since I write historical fantasy, it’s very similar to the real world in aspects of social culture. Since my main WIP is set in a medievalish world, Christmas is an important religious holiday, though not as important as Easter. Nearly everyone celebrates it, and it is a major festival.

13: Have five different characters (unless you don’t have enough) answer this question: What is your favorite Christmas tradition?

Brielle: My father always hosts a large Christmas feast. I love all the food and getting to talk to so many different people… but mostly I just enjoy the food.

Shane: I always enjoy decorating the tree, putting little candles on it and other pretty things. I just don’t like it at night when I’m terrified the house will catch on fire while I sleep.

Brittney: I like going to pick out a tree. It’s wonderful just to breathe in the crisp winter air and smell the pine all around you, and find just the right tree….

Rowland: Opening presents, man, how can anyone NOT enjoy opening presents?

Bastian: … I enjoy just sitting around in my pajamas on Christmas Eve Night, sipping on hot chocolate and listening to the wind whip around the house while I’m curled up in a blanket before a nice toasty fire.

14: How does one of your side characters react when they are around their family for Christmas?

Hmm, I’ll answer this for my character, Dell. Even though he never actually gets together for Christmas with all his brothers in the book, I did write a Drabble (basically a little short side story for those of you who may not know the term) of what a Christmas in their house might look like.

Dell would definitely try to play the peacemaker, because somehow his older brothers would fight. He’s the baby of the family and consequently the favorite of three of his four older brothers who all take it upon themselves to “protect” him. He also probably would be the one stuffing food down his throat and begging his brothers to let him open his presents already, and he’d be the one wanting to hand out the gifts. In all, he’d be super happy to be all together with his brothers, despite the chaos that would most definitely ensue with them all in the same room.

15: Have you ever written on Christmas?

I can’t actually recall for this one. I know I worked on a role play with some people once on Christmas… does that count? I feel like I probably have sometime or another, so I’ll say yes.

16: What is your favorite writer-related Christmas gift you’ve ever received? (It can be a book (and if so, name the book and how it related to your writing), notebooks, pens, paper, etc.)

I’m sure there might be another, but the most recent one I can think of is a book I got last Christmas, To Birmingham Castle by Alicia Willis. I really enjoyed the medieval facts in it, and it inspired me to work more of my medieval style world.

17: What is your favorite writing memory which is associated with the Christmas holiday?

Hmm, it has to be finishing the first draft of my WIP. The day I finished it, we were putting up Christmas trees and I vividly remember my mom getting out the lights and putting them on the tree just as I finished writing “the end” on my first draft.

18: Have you ever gifted someone one of your stories for Christmas?

Yup! The Christmas story I mentioned way back in question 1, I printed out and gifted to my grandma one Christmas because she loves Christmas novels. But I’ve never gifted anyone a professionally printed book.

19: Have any Christmas novels you’ve read ever affected your writing?

I honestly have not read too many Christmas novels, so no.

20: Who are you going to tag?

I’ll tag Princess Geek over at I’d Rather Be Geeking and Kayti and her sisters over at Sisters Three (if you all want to do it, of course, no pressure XP). And I’ll also leave an open tag, so whoever wants to steal this may go ahead and do it!

Question List

Have you ever written (or are you writing) a Christmas story? If so, what was (or is) it about?
Is Christmas celebrated in any of your stories?
Is Christmas a main event/plot point in any of your stories?
Are any of your characters born on Christmas?
For Fantasy and Science-fiction writers, how do people celebrate Christmas in your worlds? Do they even celebrate Christmas?
If you write other types of fiction, do your characters have any special Christmas traditions?
Have five of your characters answer this question: What is your favorite Christmas dessert?
Do you have any characters who DON’T celebrate Christmas? Why?
What is your villain’s favorite Christmas memory?
What is one thing your main character wanted as a kid but never got?
Do your characters know the Nativity story?
In your story world, what importance is placed on Christmas socially?
Have five different characters (unless you don’t have enough) answer this question: What is your favorite Christmas tradition?
How does one of your side characters react when they are around their family for Christmas?
Have you ever written on Christmas?
What is your favorite writer-related Christmas gift you’ve ever received? (It can be a book (and if so, name the book and how it related to your writing), notebooks, pens, paper, etc.)
What is your favorite writing memory which is associated with the Christmas holiday?
Have you ever gifted someone one of your stories for Christmas?
Have any Christmas novels you’ve read ever affected your writing?
Who are you going to tag?

Thank you all for reading!! Are you going to do this tag? What are some of your favorite Christmas memories? If you’re a writer, have you ever written on Christmas? Let me know in the comments below! God Bless! ~ Kay Leigh