It’s that time of year again, and what better way to relax and celebrate the end of 2024 than by watching a festive film?
But there’s more to Christmas films than just spreading the holly jolly spirit. Read on to discover my five favourite Christmas films and the invaluable writing lessons hidden inside.
1. The Holiday: Don’t be afraid to switch things up
The Holiday follows two women as they switch houses – and lifestyles – for a week over Christmas to escape the problems of their everyday lives.
Over the course of their respective stays, Iris learns to stand up for herself with the help of elderly screenwriter Arthur, and Amanda learns to open herself up to relationships without self-sabotaging them; both lessons they couldn’t have learned without a change of location.
Moving to another country over the holidays might be an extreme option, but the film demonstrates how changing up your environment can help you to overcome an otherwise insurmountable problem.
If you’re suffering from writer’s block or are stuck in a rut at work, then simply moving from your desk to your kitchen table or visiting your local cafe or library could help you come up with renewed motivation and inspiration.
2. The Muppet Christmas Carol: Write for joy
Dickens’ A Christmas Carol has been retold many times in different styles and formats, but my favourite will forever remain The Muppet Christmas Carol.
Much like the original story, the Muppets’ version follows Ebenezer Scrooge as he’s visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to Come who teach him about the true meaning of the festive period.
If you focus too much on the financial side of your writing – like tight-fisted Scrooge at the start of the film – you’re likely to suck all of the joy out of your craft. Writing outside of work can help you to rekindle your love of the written word, as well as offer more opportunities to improve your skills.
So, over the festive period, why not challenge yourself to write a fun article about your favourite topic or a Christmas-themed short story?
3. Anna and the Apocalypse: Balance humour with serious topics
Anna and the Apocalypse is a gorgeous but underrated Christmas rom-com musical… with zombies.
When writing nonfiction, it can be easy to slip into a serious, formal tone. While this monotonous approach might be appropriate in some circumstances, most of the time you should try to sprinkle some personality into your writing to make your work more engaging.
Anna and the Apocalypse touches on serious topics, such as difficult parental relationships, death, and the end of the world. But the songs give the characters an outlet for their emotions and make the film much more entertaining and poignant for the audience.
4. Iron Man 3: Don’t shy away from difficult topics
Iron Man 3 is a Christmas film in the same way Die Hard is: it’s set in the lead-up to Christmas as Tony Stark must face an old enemy and their terrorist organisation without the help of his usual technology.
Beyond the typical CGI-filled fight scenes and science fiction elements, this film has a real heart that brings me back to rewatch it every year. Indeed, it deals with the fallout of The Avengers through Tony’s battle with mental health problems after his near-death experience.
This serves as an important reminder when writing: that even if you’re writing something light-hearted, such as a lifestyle article, it’s important not to ignore serious or difficult topics when they’re related to what you’re speaking about.
Director Shane Black could have focused on the big-budget Marvel fight scenes and festive ending. But his decision to include Tony’s panic attacks gave the film an additional emotional depth that makes a billionaire, genius, playboy, and philanthropist a lot more relatable to regular viewers.
5. The Polar Express: Don’t be afraid of where the journey might take you
As the Conductor says in The Polar Express: “One thing about trains: it doesn’t matter where they’re going. What matters is getting on.”
In the case of this film, Tom Hanks is encouraging the protagonist to embark on a festive journey to the north pole to meet Santa. In the case of writing, it’s important to open your mind to where your work could take you.
While planning ahead can give you a strong structure and outline to work with, you shouldn’t let it stop you from exploring other paths. Staying curious while you’re writing and going down a rabbit hole of research can help you to write an article that takes a unique and informed approach to a subject.
All that matters is getting on the train – and never stopping writing!
Our team of writers can help you engage with your audience
All these lessons might have inspired you to write more in the new year so you can stay in touch with your clients.
But of course, client service is always number one, and you might feel that you don’t quite have the time. Fortunately, that’s where our team of content writers can help.
Whether it’s blogs, guides, or any other form of written content, we’ll produce engaging, compelling copy in your voice so that you can speak to your clients all year round.
Email hi@theyardstickagency.co.uk or call us on 0115 8965 300 to find out more.
