The Inside Story of “Scary Saint Nick” 

The encouragement of a writers’ group can help you get your words on paper.

A case against using bribes and threats versus celebrating the true miracle of Christmas.

“Double dog dare all my writer peeps!” 

That’s all Glynis Belec said on our writers’ group Facebook page. The call was for true stories, fiction or poetry—all of which I could oblige—for the new Christmas with Hot Apple Cider anthology. The press release announced that submissions would be accepted from writers and aspiring writers. Darn it, no excuses for me.

I immediately thought of a piece I’d done as a writing exercise for my writers’ group in Drayton.

The assignment had been to pick a picture from a calendar and write a story or poem about it. I’d found one with your typical American Coca Cola Santa—big, jolly, and smiling. So wrong.

I admit, the first draft wasn’t much of a cohesive story, but more of a rant about how the Santa I grew up with was a man to be feared, not revered.

I’d felt it was my duty to set people straight, because I knew that Santa was not some benevolent force in the universe, but a scary, mean, old man with a grudge. The annual threat of being put in a sack if I was naughty certainly didn’t help.

But then this call for submissions came…

After re-reading that original piece, I realized that there was so much more to the story. Yes, my Christmas tradition differed from most people on this continent—and here was my chance to once and for all plead my case against the big red.

But that wasn’t the only thing I wanted to say. Christmas has been such a special and wonderful family tradition for me that I would never want people to think that just because I don’t like Santa, I don’t like Christmas. Far from it. But to me the season is about the gift of the Christ Child, not some impostor from the North Pole.

I shared my idea to edit and submit that piece with my writers’ group. “Don’t just think about it, do it!” was the consensus.

I left that February meeting all fired up and ready to finish my Santa piece. But, being a magnificent procrastinator—it’s a gift, really—I waited until the last day possible to work on my submission.

On February 28, I sat at my computer for several hours. My fingers must have been on fire, because in the span of a few hours, my piece had almost doubled in length.

At 11:45 pm, a full fifteen minutes before the midnight deadline, I clicked send.

Ha! There you go Glynis. Challenge accepted!

I find that, in some ways, it’s more difficult to write a non-fiction story than it is to write fiction. Because, in every story a writer puts to pen, a little bit of herself is left behind.

With fiction, this is easier. I can elaborate and still distance myself from a character’s emotions. In non-fiction, however, I feel more vulnerable. There’s a direct spotlight aimed at my innermost thoughts, which are usually reserved only for God and my journal. I suppose this is one reason why I’ve always preferred to write fantasy stories.

But being part of a group of people with the same passion has helped me expand my writing horizons. Having others share about their own struggles and successes as authors really helps as we spur each other on in our various writing adventures. Besides, it’s immensely affirming to have others remark positively on my writing.

As writers, we spend a lot of time alone at a keyboard. So if you’re serious about writing, I suggest you join a writer’s group in your area. You don’t have to lay yourself bare on the first night, but as you slowly get to know the people who share your passion for storytelling, you’ll quickly learn that as a writer, you’re already are part of a community.

Jeannette Altwegg loves words. She enjoys writing plays and inspirational reflections for worship services as well as regaling her writers’ group friends with fantastical stories. While usually more at ease writing fiction, she surprised herself by placing third in the Wellington County Historical Society’s annual Jean Hutchinson Essay Contest in 2016. When not writing, Jeannette either reads or buys books for her church library.