Round Robin: Holidays, Traditions, and Writing.
This month’s round robin asks: What stories have your written or read where a holiday takes place. To what purpose was the inclusion of the holiday? How do you celebrate holidays or events? Does this ever make it into one of your stories?
I’ve only ever written three stories around holidays. Two were flash fiction (Halloween and Christmas); the other was a short story involving a vampire and a virgin on Valentine’s Day. I have posted both the Halloween story (The Spell) and the Christmas story (The Christmas Wish) on my website. One of them was posted for a Round Robin a few years ago. LOL
None of my stories have included any of my holiday traditions (certainly not the Valentine’s Day one. LOL) Well, not really. Gathering around a Christmas tree with family is something we do, but that’s where the similarities end.
Holidays and Stories I Enjoy
When I was much younger, I loved reading Regency Christmas anthologies. This was back when Regencies were sweet romances and anthologies were a collection of short stories, maybe 10,000 to 20,000 words, and not these boxed sets. The length of each story was perfect for a breather in the middle of the day. At the end of each story, I’d be smiling. I could never get enough of these anthologies. Even now, I miss those collections (and those types of Regency romance. It seems that everything has sex in it anymore. Not that I’m against sex in romance. I write it, but, every so often, I want something sweet.)
One of the more recent holiday stories I’ve read was by Faith Bicknell. It was a chapter book series about a man who is turned (vampire). Each book was set on, and released before, specific holidays. My publishing house Freya’s Bower published them, and I edited them. (Faith’s a fine author.) With the house closed, the series is no longer available, but I do believe she’s releasing it again without all of the holidays before Christmas.
I’m hoping to find a good Christmas/holiday story to read this year. Watching Hallmark movies is not enough. LOL And, before you say, “Write one,” I’m in the middle of a couple of WIPs that take precedence over a Christmas story. However, next year…
For those of you who write, do you include your holiday traditions in your stories? And what are your favorite holiday stories?
For the readers who do not write, what are some of your favorite holiday stories?
Hi Marci
I also enjoy the ‘sweet’ Regency romances as they are more in the culture of the time.
I found your comment about sweet Regencies timely – the first two in my Berkeley Square series had sex scenes in them, although in both instances it was prompted by the characters. The third book in the series will be a much sweeter read because, again, that is what works for this particular set of characters. I’ve only ever written two Christmas themed short stories, both of them contemporary. Good post. Thank you.
I love those anthologies of feel good Christmas romances. Not just Regency but other genres as well. Like you I’m hoping to find one or two to warm my heart this Christmas.