Christmas always brings a little extra magic into the world, and it’s no surprise that many writers dream about writing a Christmas story of their own. If that’s you, you’ll love today’s guest post from G.R. Saunders, a former teacher and lifelong storyteller who beautifully captures the wonder of the season in her book Edgar’s Christmas Wish.
G.R. shares simple, practical tips to help you shape your own holiday story—whether you’re writing for your kids or hoping to publish.
Christmas is that wonderful time of the year when magic seems to abound everywhere. We are bombarded with advertisements of all kinds, showing us the lights and sounds of this most festive of seasons. We see dancing reindeer and polar bears sharing joy and good wishes with each other, trees covered in sparkling ornaments, and lights, elves and Santa Claus.
You may have thought about writing a Christmas story to read to your children, and maybe trying to get it published, too. You would not be alone with that thought. In fact, you might be surprised at how many famous authors have also written a Christmas book!
A few things you might want to consider: Christmas stories run the gamut from very serious to a complete frolic.
If you are writing for an adult audience, you can write about anything from wartime Christmas stories to nostalgic memories of childhood days, and almost anything else. Many magazines are always on the lookout for feel-good stories of “the good old days” that they feature in their holiday issues.
However, if you want to write a children’s Christmas book, there are a few things you need to know.
TIP #1: Decide the Age Level of Your Christmas Story
First, you need to be certain what grade level you are writing for. There is a huge gap between age groups as children grow. Picture books, which are very popular, are usually designed to be read aloud by a grownup, while chapter books are aimed at older children able to read for themselves. If you want to get your children’s book published, you need to be very clear which group you are writing for.
There are six categories of children’s books. They are:
Board books – Average age is from ages 0-to-3
Picture books – Average age is from ages 3-to-8
Early readers – Average age is from ages 5-to-8
Chapter books – Average age is roughly 6-to-10
Middle grade novels – Average age is roughly 8-to-12
YA (or young adult) novels – Average age is roughly 12-to-18
TIP #2: Know Word Counts for Children’s Christmas Books
Word count is critical for writing a children’s book. You may have the best story idea ever thought of, but if your word count is too high, you will need to cut it down to fit the category you are aiming for.
If you look at children’s books that are already out there, you will notice that some of them may only have one or two words on an entire page! Here are some other typical word counts:
Board books – 0-to-100 words maximum
Picture books – Typically 500 words, maximum 1,000 words
Early readers – Typically 1,000-to-2,500 words
Chapter books – Commonly 4,000-to-15,000 words
Middle grade novels – Commonly 25,000-to-50,000 words (sometimes 60,000+)
YA novels – Commonly 50,000-to-90,000+ words depending on genre
TIP #3: Choose a Unique Angle When Writing a Christmas Story
Now, what will you write about?
Christmas magic is all-powerful in most children’s books. This is a time when even the thought of reindeer that fly is perfectly acceptable. With that in mind, you want to present a different take on such holiday themes. This is important because there is a LOT of competition. How can you make YOUR story stand out from all the others out there? Think about an elf’s Christmas experience.
Remember Hermey, the elf who really wants to be a dentist instead of a toymaker? We remember Hermey because we can all relate to having a dream that may or may not come true. Hermey’s struggle draws us in and makes us care about him, even if he is a fictitious character.
In my Christmas children’s book, “Edgar’s Christmas Wish,” the main character is a tree who wants more than anything to be a Christmas tree and celebrate the holiday with a family. Edgar is very aware that he is not as tall as the other trees, and he hopes he will be chosen, anyway. Children can identify with Edgar because his situation is like hoping to be chosen for a sports team at school. This element makes Edgar’s story stand out from other stories about Christmas.
TIP #4: Lessons You Can Learn From Popular Christmas Books
Study popular titles in your category. Take the time to visit the “kid lit” section of your local library or bookstore to see what is already out there. Is there a place where your book would fit?
If you are writing a picture book, you can look at one of the versions of the classic “The Night Before Christmas” by Clement Moore. Even though it was first published in 1823, this familiar Christmas tale still sells copies, year after year.
If you want a more serious tone, check out Truman Capote’s “A Christmas Memory,” a nonfiction account of a boy’s Christmas with a beloved elderly cousin during the Great Depression.
A more modern nonfiction story is “The Christmas Owl” by Gideon Sterer and Ellen Kalish. This is the true story of a little owl who was trapped in the bindings of a tree selected for the Rockefeller Center in New York City and would especially appeal to children interested in the natural world.
And from across the pond, check out the nostalgic “An Irish Country Christmas” by the beloved Irish writer Alice Taylor. This novel would be a wonderful read-aloud selection for older children.
If you are looking for simple, joyful frolic of a book, look no further than “Snowmen at Night” by Carolyn Buehner.
TIP #5: Understanding the Role of Illustrations in Picture Books
A word about illustrations.
Thinking about “Snowmen at Night” brings up something absolutely critical to any children’s book–illustrations.
This is one area that is completely different from novel writing. With a novel, you need to be concerned with an appealing cover and back blurb. With a children’s book, you need to think about illustrations throughout the book. If you are writing a picture book, you will need an illustration on every page. Every Single Page.
Today’s picture books are not like in the old days, when an illustration was on one page, and the story text was on the other. Modern picture books have illustrations on every page, combined with the text. This requires some critical planning as to where to position the text, so it works with the illustrations. This means that sometimes the text should appear at the top of a page, sometimes on the bottom, or anywhere else where it would fit with the illustration. You may need to enlist the talents of a layout artist to help with this.
With all of this to think about, one more thing you must consider: Unless you are a gifted artist, it would be wise to hire a professional illustrator/graphic artist if you are self-publishing. If you are working with an established publishing house, they will match you with an artist of their choosing.
You need to remember this cardinal rule of children’s books: Your illustrations can make or break the success of your book!
I’m sure we have all seen children’s books that had a great story, but the cover and illustrations screamed “amateur!” If you are writing for friends and family and/or a local audience, this may not be a problem, but if you want your book to be competitive with books in bookstores and libraries, a poorly done cover and illustrations will practically guarantee that your book will be passed over in favor of another with artwork that grabs attention.
Let’s use “Snowmen at Night” as an example.
Starting with the cover, the “double life” of snowmen is suggested by a daytime view of snowmen standing in front of houses, but the bottom half of the cover suggests that these same snowmen have a secret life after dark.
This theme is perfectly continued inside the book, wherein the ordinary daytime snowmen are transformed after dark into happy beings that frolic down the street into the park, meet and play games and go sledding with other snowmen, and then drag themselves back home before the sun comes up the next day.
You will notice that the text varies throughout the book, even cascading downhill with snowmen sledding down the hill on their sleds. The bright, cheerful colors, happy illustrations, and expressive faces of the snowmen completely support the story.
That’s what you want–all parts of the book work together to form a complete story experience for your readers.
Final Thoughts: Why Writing a Christmas Story Matters More Than Ever
You may have concluded from reading all of this that writing for children is a whole lot of trouble, and maybe it is. But what an important work it is!
Some writers may think that writing stories for children is beneath them, but I beg to differ. Of course, it is grand to think of writing the “Great American Novel”, and yes, it is.
While it is also wonderful to write history, biographies, romance (who doesn’t love a good love story?), think for a moment of the impact a good child’s book has on helping to form the child into a future adult.
Think of children’s stories as cultural builders for children that reinforce the values of society. Children’s books can help parents and teachers show children the importance of such ideas as kindness, sharing, or patience, not by lecturing the child, but by letting the child see for himself/herself these qualities through a story. That is why these ideas stay with a child and become part of who he/she grows up to be. Think of the lesson of “The Little Engine That Could” which reinforces the idea that “I think I can, I think I can, I know I can…”
So, if you have dreams of writing for children, go for it! A noble calling indeed.
I wish you luck.
About the Author
G.R. Saunders is a former teacher who grew up in a house filled with books and music. She has been reading and writing stories since she was a child. She believes that childhood should be a special time filled with wonder, discovery, and learning; a time for dreaming and enjoying the world of imagination; where animals can talk, sing and dance. A time for hopes and dreams.
In addition to writing, she enjoys sewing and design, knitting, and traveling. She is also active in animal welfare causes. She would love to hear from you!
You can also follow her on Facebook.
About Edgar’s Christmas Wish
Meet Edgar, the little tree with a big heart! Edgar’s greatest wish is to become a Christmas tree and celebrate Christmas with a family.
Will he ever see his wish come true?
In this classic Christmas story for children of all ages, Edgar must learn that Christmas is more than magic or fancy decorations and lights. It’s a simple beauty that shines from the inside out. It’s all about love, and love comes from the heart.
If you’re looking for more holiday-themed inspiration, you might enjoy my children’s book The Flag Keeper, a patriotic story that’s perfect for teaching kids about respect and responsibility around national holidays.
Also check out this article on 5 tips for writing a children’s picture book.
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