Santa Claus: his proper place in Christmas?

AuthorAppleton on December 1, 2014

“Ho! Ho! Ho!” Yep, that is the sound of old, jolly Saint Nick. Only presently he is commonly known as Santa Claus. He is a giver of bounteous gifts and delicacies. He lives in a castle, according to some tales. But is this his proper place in Christmas?

I found this painting titled “The Spirit of Christmas” and, honestly, I love it. The artist is Greg Olsen and he really captured the spirit of how Santa figures in Christmas for me. Here is the link to his full painting: The Spirit of Christmas.

Christmas is a beautiful time of recognizing the history behind the Christ child and of all those who followed later. The most famous being Saint Nicholas. The giving of gifts that reminds us of God’s gift to the world. The showing of compassion that follows the example of Christ. The beauty of the Christmas decorations and lights, reminding us that God created beauty and wants us to enjoy it.

The proper place of Santa Clause is at the feet of the Christ child. The myths that surround him need to be tailored to honor the true spirit of Christmas and to honor the Christian tradition for which Saint Nicholas stood. Santa Clause is a fantasy story, wonderfully imagined, but today he is commercialized with his values lost in the mountain of toys. Looking to the mood of Olsen’s painting should remind us of Santa’s true place in Christmas.

Question: What place does Santa Clause hold in your Christmas traditions?

Subscribers: My early Christmas gift to you!

AuthorAppleton on November 24, 2014

Nothing keeps you connected to the content on my site like subscribing to my Email list… And this week I released a new product, an Ebook on writing, as a Thank You to all my subscribers. But that is only one reason you should be on this list.

Here are 3 benefits to subscribing to my email list.

  1. Weekly blog posts straight to your inbox, focusing on Family-Friendly Fiction
  2. The Writer’s Scrapbook: 10 Tips to Fantasy Storytelling eBook for Free! This little book is packed with writing advice that I’ve gleaned over the years. This is not your typical book on writing. I take it from the perspective of a Christian author trying to create meaningful content.
  3. Exclusive content offers and updates related to writing and my novels.

The Writer’s Scrapbook. I am so excited to put this Ebook in your hands. Many, many people have asked me for writing advice and have questioned how I can write fantasy as a Christian author. Packed into this short book is potent advice I have formulated to encourage you to understand the writing process and even how worldview impacts the stories I create.

Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner! I have some cool posts planned and a couple of fun announcements coming soon.

Thanksgiving inspired fiction: What if?

AuthorAppleton on November 17, 2014

It’s amazing how historical events shape present-day culture. One example being Thanksgiving. Are writers taking full advantage of historical inspiration for fiction narratives?

The above picture is from the animated movie Free Birds. I felt it was appropriate because it was a humorous take on Thanksgiving. The turkeys hijack a time machine and travel back to the original Thanksgiving. Their goal? To take turkey off the menu!

This simple film had me thinking about the endless possibilities we have with fiction. There is a lot of lost opportunity here. What about fiction based around Christmas and even Easter? I love to ask the question “What if?” With these two words you reveal a universe of possibilities.

What historical narratives would you like to see fictionalized?