A New Writing Project

Christmas in Prague

We have visited Prague several times but never at Christmas, always in the summer. I love this picture of the city known as The Jewel of Europe dressed in snowy white. How lovely the Charles Bridge must look covered in snow with the river gliding underneath. Prague Castle must take on an even lovelier demeanor than usual in the winter scenes. 

Think about favorite places you have visited. Most of us do our traveling in almost any season but winter. What do you think Sweden is like in December? Or Paris? New York? San Francisco? Or your summer lakeside cabin? A national park where you camped? All of these places seem different in the chilled winter days.

What a perfect topic for an essay. Choose a spot and compare a summer visit to a winter one. What would change? What would stay the same? Would the people behave differently in summer and winter? What might you see in the shops in each season? How does each season affect you?

It's also a good start for a fiction story. Your hero meets a girl on a sunlit summer day and falls for her. What has changed by the time winter arrives and the city is lit up with holiday charm? Can he find her again in the darkness of the late winter afternoons or in a concert hall warmed by the music being played? 

Think about a favorite place and create a story, essay or poem describing it in winter. When I say 'think.' I don't mean to let it flit through your mind. Ponder on the whole idea for a day, or two, or more. The more you muse over it, the better you'll be able to write. 

Write about the feel of the air, the crunch of snow beneath your feet, the taste of the warm liquids people love in winter. What smells might there be from an outdoor Christmas market? What about the sound of sleigh bells? Or children playing? There are riches galore if you take the time to bring them to life in your mind. 

What is one of your favorite places to visit? Have you ever been there in the winter? Did you like it better than in the warm summertime? Keep thinking, then start writing. Nothing like a new writing project to kindle inspiration.