SWRT 286 | Writers Book Club: A Christmas Carol

December 7, 2023

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This week, Alida and Kathryn tackle a holiday classic, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Most of us have seen the story dramatized annually, whether on television or in the theatre. But how many of us have actually read it? It was my first time and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. No surprise, however, Dickens packs this tale with more than good cheer. There is a lot to examine as writers, lessons that we can carry into our craft year round.

VIDEO

AUDIO

SHOW NOTES

What we talked about:

Do we love A Christmas Carol? (0:30)

The humor, absurdity and the voice of the piece. (3:56)

The description of Scrooge. (9:30)

The variety of supporting characters. (11:35)

It’s a ghost story! (18:37)

The cautionary tale of Marley. (22:04)

The ghost of Christmas Past, and the power of backstory in Scrooge’s character arc. (23:14)

The ghost of Christmas Present and the power of relationships. (32:29)

The turning point of his own words being quoted back to him. (36:46)

“The Deserving Poor” attitude of the Victorians. (37:45)

The stripping of Scrooge’s house and the loss of hope. (44:50)

The change. (50:16)

What writerly take-away’s do we have? (55:42)

LINKS

Get Alida’s Writing Tips here.

Things we mentioned:

Henry Winkler’s Scrooge
Bullet in the Brain by Tobias Wolff

Have thoughts, questions, other examples? Join the conversation at the Story Works Writers Facebook group.

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About Your Hosts

Alida Winternheimer is an award-winning author with an MFA in writing from Hamline University. She pursues her fervor for all things story as a writing coach, developmental editor, and teacher. Two of her short stories were nominated for the Pushcart Prize. She is the author of The Story Works Guide to Writing Fiction Series. Alida lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her Golden Retriever, Seva the Wonder Dog. She camps, bikes, and kayaks in her free time. Unless it’s winter, in which case she drinks chai by the fire. You can find more at www.alidawinternheimer.com.

Kathryn Arnold writes fantasy and anything else that sparks her creativity from her home in Kingston, Washington. She currently earns her living as an insurance underwriting assistant, where she also creates marketing and web copy. When not writing, she plays (and teaches) piano and keyboard in a band (or two), and is working on starting a ministry team with her husband. You can find Kathryn at www.skyfirewords.com.

Robert Scanlon was born in Australia, but whisked off to England when only a baby. After many years complaining about the weather, he did the sensible thing and moved back to Australia. Despite a career in the music industry, followed by decades teaching public speaking, Robert is an introvert who adores reading. Robert grew up on a diet of sci-fi masters, eventually discovering he had read the library’s entire science fiction section. Now he has to write his own. Robert is the author of Constellation, book one of the Blood Empire space opera series. Find out more at www.RobertScanlon.com