Three Keys to Writing Memorable Holiday Stories

Writing a holiday story, the author explains, can make a book memorable, and she shares three keys drawn from her own YA mystery series, which often centers on a particular time of year. The post begins with the idea that each major holiday brings its own themes and settings. Christmas, for example, is tied to family, secrets, and a sense of wonder, while Thanksgiving leans into family, travel, and fall weather. Tapping into these familiar associations gives a story a ready-made texture that readers can recognize.

The author also suggests that a writer can play against expectations. Because holidays are so well known, a story can explore themes that run opposite to the usual ones. She gives examples from her Halloween mystery, where the spooky season becomes a setting for characters to face real fears, and from her Thanksgiving mystery, where a family gathering brings unwelcome estranged relatives. The strongest holiday stories, she argues, make the holiday so central to the plot that the story could not happen at another time of year. She points to Rex Stout’s novella “Christmas Party,” where a Santa costume is crucial to the mystery, and describes how an outdoor Halloween attraction gave her heroine a spooky setting and a public place to meet other characters.

Finally, the post encourages writers to draw on their own family traditions. Unusual Christmas customs or distinctive birthday celebrations can add warmth and specificity to a story. The author recalls the cookie turkey name tags she has made for years and included in her Thanksgiving novel. She closes by inviting readers to share their own holiday stories or ideas in the comments.

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