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34 Best Christmas Short Story Ideas
Showing 34 short story ideas curated by Reedsy.
Write a story about the gifts that two people buy for each other over a period of ten years, and how that shows the change in their relationship over time.
Set your story at a busy airport during Christmas week.
Santa Claus is backed up with orders recently, and you're in charge of writing the official letter of apology to all of the children around the world informing them that their presents may arrive a week late this year.
Santa Claus had one too many pork chops during the pre-Christmas feast, and now he's stuck in the chimney — and there are footsteps approaching!
Write a story that's set at a ski resort during Christmas.
Write a story about a high-stakes decoration competition between neighbors vyying for the title of Most Festive Home in their city (and the local newspaper feature that comes with it).
Set your story entirely under mistletoe.
Write about Christmas from the perspective of the local cat.
Write a story about a rival studio that is desperately trying to create a song to outsell Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You."
Write a story that begin and ends around an awkward Christmas dinner table.
Your parents named you Holly after your grandmother, and you just accepted an invite for a group called The Jolly Hollies thinking that it was a club for people with your name. Turns out that it's actually an annual caroling group, and you can't sing.
"I didn't believe in Christmas until now." What might have happened to cause this character to say this?
Set your story at a disastrous gift exchange.
Write about a character who is confused about what a White Elephant gift exchange is, and ends up going on a search for an actual white elephant.
You left cookies on the table on the day before Christmas. When you wake up the next day, the cookies are gone, and in their place is a note. What does it say?
Write a story in the form of a diary that journals every day in the month leading up to Christmas.
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