3T Writing Tidbit - Writing the Holidays

 If you google "Writing the Holidays" (I'm writing this the last day of 2024, so I'm assuming people are still googling, but who knows what evolution AI will have effected) you'll get everything from writing holiday stories to writing despite the holidays to writing to stay sane through the holidays.

I have a short but different take. Be aware of the holidays and use that awareness to write better stories (holiday or not).

In the northern hemisphere, days leading up to December 21 are getting darker and darker. Not only do days themselves shorten, but the daylight itself becomes thin, like nightmare lighting. The effect is more marked the farther north you go.

In the southern hemisphere, this happens in June, but they deal with it the same way northerners do.

GIVE ME MORE LIGHT

Sydney hosts the largest festival of lights. In my subdivision, December sees us rivaling small countries in use of electricity.

Here's the writer's take on it. Check out these two images (made with Stencil).

 

 The first really pops! Lots of things going on, lots of color and light.

The second is much more sedate. Only a few people, and there's only two colors of light, blue and pale yellow.

But here's the twist. Look at the text. In which picture does it stand out more?

Well, right. The second. So does that mean we should always go for the more singular, subdued light?

Sure -- if you want the text to stand out. But if you're writing a mystery, the best way to hide a clue is in plain sight -- with a whole passel of color and light and bustle going on around it.

Published since 2009, over the years I've accumulated various items of writing wisdom. The Third Tuesday Writing Tidbit showcases these items in no particular order. Click here to see all 3T Tidbits.