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.