The Twelve Sentences of Christmas

Just for grins a fake hieroglyph version of a
snowball poem from an October prompt

Write a twelve-sentence story. Begin with a one word sentence. Increase each sentence length by one word. The twelfth sentence will have twelve words.

It can be a Christmas, winter or holiday themed tale. Or, since the story is already constrained, whatever inspires you.

Cold fusion

With the advent of holodecks, people can visit any place any time any season.

Everyone loves the soft freshness of spring, the vibrant color of fall and the bright warmth of summer. But the only ones who seem to like winter are the sports enthusiasts.

The Winter Council wants to broaden winter's appeal. They want people to appreciate winter for the crisp air, the soft snow, the crystal ice, for what makes winter winter.

Your task is to come up with an ad campaign. Come up with a slogan, or poster ideas, or advertisements. Even an ad that runs in a holodeck.

Well seasoned

Autumn, Spring, Summer and Winter walk into a Starbucks. They all sit down with their favorite seasonal beverage, each with a twist. (They're special. They can get their seasonal beverages any time of the year.) Describe what each is drinking in seasonal terms.

If you're familiar with Starbucks menu, use that to inspire you. If not, make stuff up.

Feel free to substitute you're favorite beverage joint.

Frosty freeze

Jack Frost is tired of the negativity that goes with his job. Everyone complains about the cold and the snow. No one appreciates the beauty. They only care how it inconveniences them. Bunch of ingrates!

He wants a new job. He's in your office at Career Counseling For Magical Beings. Get to know him. Help him find a job he'd be perfect for.

In the process, perhaps after he's tried some of these new jobs, talk about what other magical beings have said they'll do or are doing with his Jack Frost job.

Frost and Fire and Rock

For decades global warming has shrunk the borders of the Frost Giants' land. As the thawing pushed them deeper into their territory, the frost giants begged their queen to do something. As is the nature of government, it wasn't until the ice palace's south tower collapsed that the queen decided it was time to take action. She has declared war on the Fire Giants. Ice dragons, ice fairies and other ice creatures are gathering.

The Fire Giants claim they aren't responsible. They say it's clearly the Sun God's wishes for them to have the world's largest volcano. The deep ice that had kept the volcano from the Fire Giants has melted. Now the giants have set up a mining operation. Fire dragons, fire demons and other hot beasties are flocking to defend the site.

It would all be no one else's business if it weren't for the Rock Giants who live down slope. The Rock Giants have been carving the mountainous foothills into wondrous sculptures for 10,000 years. If the Frost and Fire creatures clash, the tsunami of melting runoff from their fighting will wash everything away.

It's up to three friends from the three elements to find a peaceful solution.

Ice palace

St. Joseph's Lighthouse, MI, Arctic blast of 2014

Ded Moroz

This is Ded Moroz. He is the incarnation of the winter holiday. So who is he? What does he do each winter holiday? What ways does he interact with the people celebrating? What is his history? What if he began as an evil figure? Why was he evil and what changed him?

Create a Wikipedia article about him.

---

For the real story, Wikipedia has a good article on Ded Moroz.

I wish I had an angel

I wish I had an angel

What's a warm up?

Black and White Christmas

#16 17 More images you won't believe aren't Photoshopped

Accidental minstrel

Snow Soldier by The Paper Lady 42 

For each set of 5 words create a sentence about winter or your favorite winter holiday. (Feel free to tamper with word forms.)

✵ rumble minstrel mist accident heart
✵ flash tremble vanity tease soldier
✵ cold shard crumble navigate reporter
✵ nunnery rumple dampen silver cling
✵ gypsy embrace temper shade obey

(Sorry for the delay. It was time for a new computer. And time to discover new software often has a distaste for old files.)

This is both cool and kind of creepy! Google created this automatically from the picture and stuck it in my notifications.

We were promised jet packs

We were promised jet packs

What's a warm up?

Midnight maniac

Midnight maniac

What's a warm up?

The heart of Winter

Winter weather reflects Winter's state of mind and heart. If it's cold with a typical amount of cold and bluster she's having a grand season. If it's unseasonably warm, not enough snow, too cold it means something has upset her.

Think back on the winter we've had so far (well, okay, it's still fall but it is December!) and come up with a story that explains it. Is she upset with someone, perhaps one of the previous seasons? Does she depend on others to create winter effects? Clouds? Wind? The snow fairies? The frost elves? Are they not cooperating? Why?

In the bleak midwinter

In the bleak midwinter

What's a warm up?

Snowballed

Snowballed

What's a warm up?

Don't eat the yellow snow

Don't eat the yellow snow

What's a warm up?

Wizards in winter

Wizards in winter

What's a warm up?

Mistress for Christmas

Mistress for Christmas

What's a warm up?

No Holly for Miss Quinn

No Holly for Miss Quinn

What's a warm up?

Christmas fantasies

Magical Arrival by Anne Stokes

You've been transported to another world by one of those pervasive mysterious vortexes that are always plucking people and hurling them to mysterious locals.

Your watch tells you it's almost Christmas. It makes no difference whether the time on your new world matches home, darn it, you're feeling homesick and nostalgic and want to celebrate Christmas.

So how do you pump up the idea of Christmas to get those around you intrigued? What are you able to recreate? What compromises need to be made? What new ideas do your otherworlders have? Is there a Scrooge among them?

Here's wishing you a Merry Christmas in whatever world you're occupying this season! :-)