Writing Yearly Short Christmas Fiction
Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is approaching like a train down a steep grade. So you wanabe writers, here is an idea, a yearly short Christmas fiction tale.
Numerous people have told me that they have always wanted to write a book, but they could not think of anything to write or they would get started and find they did not have enough of a story to qualify as a book. Well, writing short stories is a good way to get started, even if it is one a year at Christmas. Short stories can be submitted to magazines and periodic anthologies. A few years back, my Christmas story, The Pet Store Christmas Mystery, won first place in Weem’s Concept Christmas periodical. Gift of Silent Words was published in two different magazines a year apart.
Write and collect a number of short stories and have them published as an anthology. That is a good start. I started with Christmas fiction, one short story each year. That created a good writing foundation that expanded to novellas and novels. Most though not all of what I write is fantasy. However, you have a number of genres from which to choose. Your particular interests will dictate the kind of stories you write. But give it a whirl! Start with short stories and share them with family and friends, get their feedback, and learn from it. Hone your craft and, who knows, it might just lead to a great novel someday.