Writers: Embrace the Bleak in Your Stories

By Bonnie Randall

Part of the How They Do It Series 

JH: Holiday stories offer happy endings, but they also tap into some dark areas writers can benefit from all year long. Bonnie Randall takes her monthly place at the podium today with tips on making the most of the dark moments in your writing.
Tis the season of peace, love, and good will. Christmas is here again and, like many people, I am binging on seasonal books and movies. I am also—like many writers—crafting stories and collecting ideas that fall under this theme we call the ‘happiest time of the year’.

I am also reflecting on how interesting it is that the best Christmas stories take us to the darkest places. It’s A Wonderful Life starts off with a suicide attempt. A Christmas Carol features a horrifying haunting. Looking past the silly, even the antagonist of The Grinch is a ruthless sadist whose sole intention is to rob people not of their possessions, but of their happiness—and he’s not above engaging in animal cruelty to do so. (Ahem. Consider his poor, little dog). The beatific, altruistic mom in The Christmas Shoes dies while her loving husband and son hover helplessly at her bedside.

Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com