The Tale of Christmas Tales

The Tale of Christmas Tales: An essay on how Christmas stories come to be

                Early this December, as I do every year, I began thinking about potential Christmas story plots. My basic requirement is that the plot must be simple and short enough to be complete in one page and slip inside Christmas cards thereby avoiding the extra postage. I had a few plot ideas, but they were impossible to flesh out in the space of a page or just ended up unacceptable for one reason or another. I brainstormed. I wrote anything and everything I thought of Christmas related on a sheet of paper, and it filled up a page, but what a mess of scribbles.  As December progressed, a few ideas surfaced as potential candidates. I hammered three stories out. These ended up on WritersCafe.org, but I still had none suitable as Christmas card inserts. For inspiration, I researched on the internet to see how a few Christmas classics came to be.

                I suppose the two most memorable stories that came to mind were Charles Dicken’s “A Christmas Carol” and Philip Van Doren Stern’s “The Greatest Gift” which of course was the basis for the memorable Christmas movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Both of these authors claimed the stories were inspired by simple Christmas concepts, but from there, the similarity ended.

 Charles Dicken’s novella instantly became a widely accepted success and has won critical acclaim over and over. “A Christmas Carol” was first published in 1843 and has never been out of print. His initial goal was to reach citizens with a message relating his concerns of poverty and social injustice, and he did it by playing on light and joy versus gloom and despair. The story has replayed on radio, in at least 50 stage plays and over 50 film and television adaptations with many famous actors, Disney characters, Muppets, and even Smurfs playing the parts. On the other hand, Stern’s “The Greatest Gift” did not meet instant success. The author privately printed 200 copies of the story that no one would buy, so he gave them to friends and relatives.  Years passed until Stern received $10,000 for the movie rights for what would become, through various adaptations, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” These are but two of the most famous Christmas stories.

                A famous poem also needs to be mentioned and that is “A Visit from St. Nicholas” more widely known as “Twas the Night before Christmas” from its first line. This poem made the rounds anonymously for many years before the author, Clement Clark Moore admitted to writing it. Professor Moore was embarrassed by the childish subject matter and rough alliteration, but the poem had lasting appeal with his Santa imageries enduring to this day. There are many more great Christmas stories to read with their own Christmas twists and turns that make them unique. I try to come up with that special twist or turn to make my own Christmas story unique yet remaining based on well-known Christmas themes.

                A writer has to be careful if borrowing from another author, and we know that you cannot borrow a story wholesale"plagiarism could mean jail time or widespread rejection or censorship in this internet age. News of bad behavior travels fast.  In my Creative Writing Course, the professor quoted T.S Eliot: “Mediocre writers borrow. Great writer steal.” I still don’t understand"did Eliot condone/practice plagiarism?  I seem to recall another quote but don’t know who spoke it: “If you are going to borrow from an author, borrow from the best.”  Case in point from a personal perspective:  I considered writing a story entitled “It was a Wonderful Life” about someone dying on Christmas and her life’s effect on others but besides being a rip-off beginning with the title, the story is just in poor taste for Christmas, so I continue to try my very best to make the story uniquely my own. I brainstorm to work connections with tried and true Christmas traditions, like last year’s insert “Santa has a Breakdown.”

                Anyone remember a science fiction, outer space Christmas story where wayfarers run into the other worldly Santa Claus? His shout of glee amounted to “Oh! Oh! Yrrem Samtsirhc!” Undoubtedly cheesy but unique. Or how about Princess Moonchild the fairy who never understood Christmas until little Eleanor explained the true meaning of Christmas?  My personal favorite was about a greedy little boy who got what he deserved and learning that you can’t always get what you want.

                There you have it, a little over one page Christmas essay"too long for Christmas cards. It may not add a twist to the nativity story with a baby Jesus, donkeys, wise men, shepherds, or angels; not a tweaked story with Santa and his elves, reindeer or Mrs. Claus; nor a different way to have Christmas trees starting on fire or over decorating; or stories about dysfunctional family get-togethers or Christmas blizzard stranding, baking, or eating too much. All those Christmas-related ideas do in some unique manner make the holiday special; however, those few truly successful and famous Christmas stories, poems, movies, and television specials, those that we all love, will once again bring the real cheer to us during this Christmas season.

So, “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”/”God bless us everyone!”/”That’s right. That’s right!” (Borrowed in order from “Twas the Night Before Christmas,”/ “A Christmas Carol,”/”It’s a Wonderful Life.” Borrowed phrases because I’m that type of writer.)

Reviews

[Marie]

Interesting reading.
I believe what T.S.Elliot meant is that mediocre writers don't consider themselves good enough to actually steal another's work; great writers believe it to be their right.

I'm pretty sure Oscar Wilde made the statement "If you're going to borrow from another writer, borrow only from the best." It sounds like him.

Both these writers could say such things; they were too good ever to have to use another's ideas.

So, I'm sure, are you.

[ANTO]

An interesting essay - my first essay read/review on WC
Not my last now you have lit a small fire Neal
thanks for sharing