A Christmas tale

The First Day of Christmas

By Nick Dunkerley

🎄 First things first: you need a story.

Inspiration can come from anywhere.
A conversation with a friend, something you’ve read, or even just a random “what if” moment.

The best stories often start with curiosity.
Like this: “How fast would Santa need to travel to deliver gifts to every child in one night?”

For this year’s holiday project, I want to explore The Sound of Christmas.
I think I know what it sounds like: footsteps crunching in the snow, sleigh bells jingling, children laughing, and food being shared at the table.
That’s the soundtrack of Christmas, right?
At least, that’s how I imagine it here in Scandinavia.

But then comes the but. A question. A curiosity.

What about those who don’t celebrate Christmas with this soundtrack?

• What does it sound like in homes where Christmas isn’t celebrated at all?

• What about someone spending the holidays alone?

• What about families celebrating on a sunny beach in Thailand?

• Or a child in a refugee camp?

Suddenly, I have way more ideas than I know what to do with. That’s how it always happens, isn’t it?

The next step is to find people to interview - sources who can help me tell these stories.
Maybe I’ll call a friend who moved to a warmer climate, or reach out to a local family celebrating something other than Christmas. But even though they’ll share their stories, the overall story is still mine to tell. And that part is important to remember.

So now I have a question and a few ideas for where to start.
The next step is to shape the story - to give it a structure that keeps your audience engaged.

That’s what we’ll dive into tomorrow.

🎁 Today’s challenge: Think of a story you’d love to tell this holiday season. What’s your but? What’s the question you’re curious to answer?