It takes one little idea…
A poignant act of re-gifting makes Christmas special for a Fort McMurray family.
My story “A Blessed Christmas,” one of two I contributed to Christmas with Hot Apple Cider (2017), marks one of my first forays into adult fiction writing. As is typical of many fiction writers, I built my story around something that happened in real life.
Over 20 years ago, I was working in a small office. After experiencing employment in much larger organizations, it was a blessing to be in a place that facilitated the building of—and nurtured—great working relationships. Although my colleagues and I came from very different backgrounds, we worked exceptionally well together, and, in time, our friendships grew too.
One of my coworkers had experienced a number of hard knocks in her life. Before she was gainfully employed, her family was constantly struggling to keep above water financially. During one winter season, we were comparing notes about tough times during the holidays. Money was tight in my household back then too, but nothing compared to her family’s challenges! They were so poor that her kids…well, I won’t go into details here because it will spoil my story “A Blessed Christmas.”
Suffice it to say that I have never forgotten the anecdote she shared with me, and here I am 20 years later building a story around this one little moment of inspiration.
My story otherwise is completely fiction. The family is different, the situation is different, the setting is different, and it occurs in the recent past. As someone who spends most of her time writing true-life stories and informational articles, I must say it has been fun building my story from a mere seed of an idea. I plan to do more of the same in the future.
The biggest advice I have for novice writers is to get your story down, and then edit, edit, edit. And then edit some more. (And then hire a professional editor!)
My process is to map out a story in my head before I ever put my fingers to the keyboard. When I finally do, the words usually flow quite quickly.
Both of my stories were written specifically for Christmas with Hot Apple Cider. Because there was a deadline, the time I spent on these stories wasn’t open-ended. Once I had my stories entered into the computer, the vast majority of my time leading up to the deadline was spent editing.
I am sure all the contributors would agree that N. J. is an excellent editor. There is no question that she helped bring my writing to a higher level. Hurray for N. J.!
I would love to have you join me on my creative journey by signing up for my monthly newsletter at https://sallymeadows.com. What’s in it for you? You’ll receive exclusive giveaways and specials in addition to my latest news. For a limited time, I’m offering, in addition to a FREE mp3 of my national award-nominated song “Holy Spirit” (yes, I’m a singer/songwriter too), a PDF download of my holiday story “When Love Means Letting Go.” You can also connect with me on Facebook at https://facebook.com/SallyMeadowsMusic.
Sally Meadows is a six-time national/international award-nominated author, singer/songwriter, and speaker from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She writes inspirational short stories, children’s stories, informational articles, and inspirational songs. Recent work includes a Christmas CD (Red & White) and the book, Beneath That Star. As a workshop leader and conference speaker, nothing makes her happier than seeing others rise up to the creative call on their lives.
I found A Blessed Christmas to be a very involving and touching story. For personal reasons, was also pleased to see you promote the valuable idea of having a qualified editor on your writing team. 🙂
So good to hear how you were inspired to write A Blessed Christmas. You are one multi-talented writer/author/singer/song-writer … Great work, Sally.