IT’S ALL ABOUT . . . HOLIDAY WRITING PROMPT

By Melissa Stoller

During the winter holidays, take a moment to reflect about what makes your holiday traditions - or any other rituals - special to you. Use these thoughts as inspiration for a book idea. Here are a few writing prompts to get you started, and an activity to connect with family and friends. Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, and safe season, and cheers to 2021! ​

WRITING PROMPTS:

Brainstorm about any holiday-themed family heirlooms handed down to you by earlier generations. And think about whether you will hand down your holiday ritual objects to your children, grandchildren, or other family and friends. What stories will you tell about these heirlooms?

1. Ask “What if?” questions. What if you had a holiday adventure in a museum, amusement park, theatre, in nature, while traveling, or in another destination? 
2. Observe and wonder about holiday scenes. Brainstorm to imagine decorations in your home, a scene outside your window, or another holiday setting in your life. What do you wonder about? 
3. Brainstorm about your culture/heritage/faith tradition. Do any thoughts spark a story idea?

And here is an activity you can do during the holiday season:

ACTION - REACH OUT TO RELATIVES OR FRIENDS/RECORD THEIR STORIES/TELL YOUR STORIES:

1. Interview relatives or friends - capture the details of their joys and hardships.
2. Ask about their family heirlooms, holiday traditions, customs, history, immigration stories, and more.​
3. We are all storytellers - write your stories! 

BIO:
Melissa Stoller is the author of the chapter book series The Enchanted Snow Globe Collection - Return to Coney Island (Clear Fork Publishing, 2017); and the picture books Scarlet’s Magic Paintbrush, Ready, Set, GOrilla!, and Sadie’s Shabbat Stories. (Clear Fork, 2018 and 2020). Melissa is a Blogger and Course Assistant for the Children’s Book Academy, a Regional Ambassador for The Chapter Book Challenge, a Moderator for the Debut Picture Book Study Group, a volunteer with SCBWI/MetroNY, and a founding member of The Book Meshuggenahs. In other chapters of her life, Melissa has worked as a lawyer, legal writing instructor, freelance writer and editor, and early childhood educator. She lives in New York City with her family, and enjoys theatre, museums, and long beach walks.

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