Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Use Holidays in Your Writing


When April arrives, we can almost kiss winter good-bye. I say almost, as many places in the USA have April snowstorms. The good part is that they usually come and go fairly quickly. Here, in Kansas, we are celebrating spring in full force. Daffodils, forsythia bushes, Bradford pear trees and some of the redbud trees are putting on a show for us now. It makes going out to do errands a real pleasure. As I drive from store to bank or post office, my spirits are always lifted at the sight of the spring blossoms. 

Today is April Fool's Day--a day that was much more fun when I was growing up than it is now. Children seem to adore this silly day. Have you ever thought of writing a children's story with April Fool's Day as the theme? Children's magazine editors usually beg for holiday or special recognition day stories other than Christmas and Halloween since they get lots of those. Go for one of the lesser holidays and your chances of being accepted are much better.

That goes for other holidays, as well that could be the basis for story or persoanl essay for grown-ups. Take a look at this list:

1.  Valentine's Day
2.  Martin Luther King Day
3.  President's Day
4.  St. Patrick's Day
5.  April Fool's Day
6.  Easter
7.  Passover
8.  Mother's Day
9.  Father's Day
10. Memorial Day
11. Graduation
12. Independence Day
13. Labor Day
14. 9/11
15. Halloween
16. Veteran's Day
17. Thanksgiving
18. Hanukkah
19. Christmas

I'm sure this is not a completel list. You may think of others. You don't have to write a story with the holiday as the main thing--let it be background setting for a fiction story, or something that happened in your family at the time of one of the holidays.  

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