How to Ruin a Holiday
Including some movie clips
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in the United States celebrating today. This past year has been incredible. I launched this Substack and sold my debut novel. I am grateful to be engaging with a growing audience for my work and meeting people from around the globe. Thank you for being part of this curious writing journey with me. I hope to continue to provide you with research ideas and inspiration for your own projects as I work on mine.
I invite you to spend a few minutes today to dive into this most delicious of topics of holidays.
Last issue, I mentioned I had just returned from the Writer Unboxed conference in Salem, Massachusetts. One of the key presenters, literary agent Donald Maas, opened his session with a series of questions about elements you could include in your writing to heighten the story and connect with readers. I perked up when he asked, “Did you cancel the Fourth of July?”
As a matter of fact I did! In my upcoming debut, The Pelican Tide, a variety of important cultural events are compromised when oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil platform covers the shore of Grand Isle, Louisiana.
Don’s point (I think) was to say you can relate to your reader by evoking strong cultural moments and expectations. By setting your story on a holiday, or in the run up to a holiday, you can create a deeper story. If you ruin the event for your characters, or include humor, your readers will feel the connection.
Let’s Find Some Holidays
All cultures and countries have holidays, you have no excuse for not finding one to fit into your characters lives and traditions.
One my favorite multi-cultural (for me) books that I read last year is by Syed M. Masood, The Bad Muslim Discount. This story about Pakistani and Iranian immigrants weaves in Islamic cultural traditions and holy days. I didn’t need to be familiar with all of them to understand how these events, some shown with great humor, were important to the characters and the story.
Holidays abound, religious holidays, patriotic holidays, bank holidays, cultural holidays, and hundreds of days that commemorate or celebrate events. Here’s a list to start you on your exploration.
Lunar New Year (includes Asian Zodiac, foods, and customs)
Holidays for Conflict and Humor
All stories must have conflict and tension. Even a non-fiction story benefits from a strong narrative thread.
Need a fire in your story? Try frying a not-completely thawed turkey on Thanksgiving. Set a candle too close to a Christmas tree, light one too many candles for a romantic Valentine’s Day, use real candles in your Halloween luminaries. And of course, Fireworks are part of a myriad celebrations across the globe.
Perhaps you’re looking to piss off a character’s romantic partner or family member? Easy! Have a your character forget their birthday, anniversary, or Valentine’s Day. Give them an inappropriate holiday gift.
I’ll never forget the scene in the 2003 movie Love Actually when Alan Rickman’s character is cheating on his wife and while they are holiday shopping and he buys a necklace for his paramour. In a later scene, his wife finds a necklace thinking it’s for her to only be surprised instead with a Joni Mitchell CD. Ouch! There’s a reason that scene sticks with me, the humiliation, disappointment, and broken heart, all layered on Christmas. And if you’re a Hallmark holiday movie fan, I’m sure you have dozens of examples you can recall as well.
However holiday mayhem doesn’t have to be sad, consider the 1983 movie, A Christmas Story based on Jean Shepherd’s book, In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash. The only present young Ralphie wants for Christmas is a Red Ryder BB gun but everyone tells him it’s dangerous and he’ll shoot his eye out.
Watch this scene for the heartwarming family moment and the humor. And, if you can find any of Shepherd’s books they are laugh out loud funny.
I’ve “picked” on Christmas because it’s an easy example even if you don’t celebrate the holiday. But there are other examples, consider the 1993 movie, Groundhog Day staring Bill Murray, a man destined to relive Groundhog Day over and over until he learns the meaning of life. Go back further and you may remember the 1987 movie Planes, Trains, and Automobiles about a man trying to get home for Thanksgiving (Steve Martin) who through a serious of events is stuck with a shower ring salesman (John Candy.) Both of these movies are comedies but layered with conflict and tenderness, and tagged to a holiday.
And Then My Uncle Said…
Holidays and holy days bring out the best and worst in people and their families. Consider a scene with people sitting around a holiday table, a few too many drinks, and Uncle Max lays into his son the vegan teasing him about his lentils and rice dish while the rest of the family is feasting on prime rib.
How about a family member who walks late into a religious ceremony, this could be any religion anywhere in the world.
Scene and Holiday Prompts
A minority community clashing with election workers
A veteran learning she has a terminal illness on Veteran’s Day
A woman trying unsuccessfully to conceive learns she’s pregnant on Mother’s Day
A mom holding a mom’s party on the first day of school
A family pulling their resources together to make The Haij
A grandfather works to recover from an illness to attend his grandson’s college graduation
A person having their last drink on New Year’s Eve
Settings and More
Along with holidays comes the trappings of decorations, special foods, fancy clothes, weather conditions, and so many expectations. These all become poignant details. Then there are the people, children excited about relatives and treats. Grown ups dreading relatives and travel or maybe eager to see loved ones who are far away. What surprises are waiting?
Holidays and special days are memorable and provide readers with relatable feelings and experiences.
Writers seek ways to evoke mood and emotion. Holidays and other shared cultural experiences come pre made - like a pie at the Thanksgiving table. Except the ones my mother-in-law makes that are always underbaked.
Can you relate?
Here’s to a happy and healthy holiday season no matter what holiday you celebrate and where.
The holidays are always a great source for drama and humor ideas. Love your suggestions and prompts!