Writing Secret Santa Claus Club: Concept
It’s rare I go to bed thinking I did everything right as a parent. We typically question our efforts and can be hard on ourselves even when we have the best of intentions. This was a problem I faced when it came time to tell my daughter the truth about Santa Claus.
After so much thought, I decided to write a special book for my amazing daughter River. I truly felt right about this decision. My intentions were in line with creating something special from the heart. Of course my intention at the time was how I can make this transition unique and special for my little girl. What can be done to soften the blow when discovering the truth about Santa Claus?
It started like this:
My ex wife called me one day nearing my daughter’s ninth Christmas. She said; “Hey, I think we may need to have a conversation with River about Santa.” In the moment I remember feeling defensive and sad that this story she’s been told about Santa would now be a lie or a sad reality. My ex proceeded to tell me how a couple of River’s friends were talking about Santa not being real. They were also making fun of her for believing in Santa! (Kids can be so cruel.) My ex then asked if I had any creative ideas how we tell River about Santa.
After a lot of thought and research the very first draft of Secret Santa Claus Club was born. Actually it took about a year before River’s book was ready. My ex and I decided we could borrow one more year keeping River a believer before we had to reveal our special idea. So between River’s 9th and 10th Christmas I started creating the concept of the Secret Santa Claus Club book.
Durning that year, I had to turn a concept into a draft. I had to refine the draft. There was a lot at stake so this part of the process was long and grueling. I was constantly imagining River reading this book and it had to be perfect. After the final draft was complete, I needed to find an artist; and finally I had to figure out how to print a copy. (I used Shutterfly and it turned out really nice!). I even made a Secret Santa Claus Club Certificate to give River. It really helped make this experience more magical.
In the end, I succeeded in my goals. I was able to write a book that helped keep the magic and true meaning of Christmas alive; all while helping to hold River accountable from sharing her non-believers' thoughts and feelings with other believers. Now it was nearing time to give the book to River and see how it was received. I’ll talk about that experience in my next blog! Stay Tuned!