McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft

opinion wanted

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pcpoet:
the first chapter tells the story of the witch and the Fairy
this part is in  the second chapter

Farmerbob1:
Is it essential that you use a real holiday figure?  Can you invent a child's story character and use it in place of real world characters?

pcpoet:
 the piece is urban fantasy the real world is the setting and the time period that I am writing is 1940. the setting is England. it is really important that the story resembles the historic time period and place I am writing about. if I have it to different culturally to the children reading it I believe I will lose something. I think the only choice is between keeping it as written or removing it.

slrogers:
If it's England then wouldn't it be "Father Christmas"? I'm sure that my history of Santa Claus in different countries isn't all that great, but if you're aiming for some historical accuracy it might be important to know. I'm pretty sure that "Santa Claus," as a name and much of his characteristics and manners, was an American invention during the Victorian time period. It probably influenced 1940s England, but I think it might have still been fairly resent.

All of this is of course too much information for an audience of 8-12, but it might be important as an author to know, especially if you want him to wear red or green, for example. And if you have if the fairies in your book know the "real" Father Christmas and you are just saying that Santa was made up, then it has a different feel than if you are saying that the magic of Christmas is an invention of Coco Cola in a successful marketing attempt to increase winter sales of a cold beverage (or Macy's, which I personally like even more, but wasn't until 1947).

Griffyn612:
I'd say go obliquely.  You can't name them directly, or it'll stick in their minds. 

   As far as Mrs. Angela Sudbury was concerned there was way too much
serious stuff in these kid’s life with there being a war going on. If the
children wanted to believe in fairies and evil witches let them have their
fantasy. Life was already hard enough without a little bit of pretend and
she did not see how this was any different from tales of overly generous
jolly elves, or sprites with a penchant for milk teeth.

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