How to write a winter’s tale
Holly King-Mand is a writer, presenter and campaigner for literacy (the ability to read and write) who has inspired thousands of children to be creative. Holly enjoys writing her own short stories, usually set in magical places. Here, she guides you through how to write a sparkling winter’s tale.
Winters in the UK can feel long and bleak. Thanks to cold and rainy weather, short days and long, dark nights, people often don’t feel like going outside or doing much at all.
This can make the season feel dull and boring at times. However, winter can also be a magical and exciting time – the perfect setting for a story. Dark nights can create spooky or cosy atmospheres and frozen landscapes can set the scene for risky adventures. This week, challenge yourself to create a wonderful winter’s tale and have some frosty fun in the process.
Consider your characters
Who is the driving force of your story? You can choose anyone you like – an adventurous school child or a talking animal – but try to link your character to winter. The child could be learning to ice skate. Or you could write about a cheerful duck struggling with a frozen lake. What about a grumpy snowman who didn’t want to be made? Or a friendly yeti who just wants humans to stop chopping down trees. Pick carefully, because your character has the power to change your whole story.
Choose a chilly setting
Your winter’s tale could be set in any location during winter, but it could also be set somewhere that is always cold. You could pick a cool geographical location like the snowy peaks of the Alps (a mountain range in Europe), a frozen forest in Siberia (an area in Russia) or a drifting iceberg in the Antarctic. Alternatively, you could choose a more fantastical setting, such as a distant icy planet. Wherever you set your story, make sure there’s plenty of opportunity to feature snow and ice.
Create a wintry atmosphere
How do your characters live? You can contrast the bitter cold with warm and snuggly things – home could be a cosy cottage with a crackling fire, or a frosty igloo under the Northern Lights (colourful skies seen near the North Pole). Your hero might travel by sleigh under woolly blankets, or ride a polar bear. Try using similes to enhance the wintry mood. This is comparing two things using the words “like” or “as”. For example, “he was as frozen as an ice cube,” or “her eyes sparkled like snow”.
What’s the moral?
Winter is often depicted as a tough season, so a winter tale is a great opportunity to share a moral lesson with your readers. Maybe they will learn that experiencing hard times helps you to appreciate the good times. It doesn’t have to be related to winter though, it could be something like “don’t judge a book by its cover”, or simply the importance of kindness. What will your readers learn from your story? Finally, scan the QR below to read how to write an awesome ending.