During the holidays when I’m bustling around creating menus, making shopping lists and signing Christmas cards, my mind is subconsciously stirring with story ideas.  I am counting down the minutes until I am finished and the children are tucked quietly into bed because that’s when I pour myself a hot cup of cocoa and sneak over to my desk, which is conveniently in the same room as our Christmas tree, and write.  

I am primarily a children’s writer.  There is something magical about creating a story for a child that captivates my heart.  Perhaps it’s the way I am transported to my childhood years each time my pen touches the paper or the satisfaction I get in knowing that a child will enjoy, and hopefully learn from, the stories I write.  Whatever it is, the holidays always seem to help get the creativity flowing. 

Here are a few of the things I remember when I think about Christmastime: 

• I can see the snowflakes glittering like diamonds. 
• I remember the excitement I felt on Christmas morning when I saw those perfectly wrapped presents with my name on them. 
• I feel the tears I shed the first time I visited a homeless shelter to serve Christmas dinner. 
• I feel the pain in my heart from the year I lost someone very close and dear to me.  
• I smell the scent of freshly baked koulourakia, a traditional Greek cookie, that my mother filled the house with every year. 
• I hear the joy in the voices of the children caroling through our neighborhood. 

I could go on and on listing all the different memories the holiday season invokes for me.  I’m sure you could too.  Use all of your senses to remember.  Then choose a single moment and run with it.   You can use these memories for any type of story or article; freelance, children’s, or any other type of writing you enjoy. 

List your memory in the comment section (and then get right to work)!  You might want to make yourself a cup of this Heavenly Hot Cocoa too! 

Happy Holiday Writing!