My project for course: Children’s Fiction: Write Compelling Adventure Stories

My project for course: Children’s Fiction: Write Compelling Adventure Stories

The story I worked on for this class is called SANTA THE ELF: NO RELATION.

I got the idea from my 4-year-old son based on a toy that he has. A couple Christmas's ago, he was given a stuffed elf from a friend. He has always been very eager to name all of his stuffed animals, so I asked him what he wanted to name this elf. Without skipping a beat he said, "Santa." It initially made me chuckle, and after I told him it was a great name, I thought 'What a fun idea for some sort of a story—the idea of an elf having the same name as Santa Claus.'

This is the first story I have worked on so taking this class to help map out characters and plot was a lot of fun and very helpful. Below is the synopsis for SANTA THE ELF: NO RELATION. If it helps, for Santa the elf I was imagining Charlie Brown meets the Goblin from Dragons are the Worst, and the other Santa Claus is like Malcom Claus from Arthur Christmas meets Old Man Marley from Home Alone.

SANTA THE ELF: NO RELATION
Synopsis

SANTA THE ELF: NO RELATION is about an elf determined to create his own identity and finding friendship through shared experiences.

Santa R. Claus, the elf, is fed up with people ignoring him once they find out he’s not related to the OTHER Santa Claus. ‘Claus’ is a fairly common last name in the North Pole, but to be named ‘Santa Claus’ is pretty unique. Feeling anything but unique, a determined Santa the elf sets out to save his social life by convincing the OTHER Santa to change his name.

When Santa the elf confronts the other Santa by stating his name, purpose, and some other complaints and demands sprinkled in, something unexpected happens—he starts to like the guy! This other Santa is kind, attentive, and despite liking his own name, he goes along with Santa the elf’s plan of helping him come up with a new name by figuring out what Santa likes—something that nobody has ever bothered to do (except Mrs. Claus). Through a series of very thorough questions (What’s your favorite holiday?) and experimental activities (How high can you jump?) the two Santa’s bond and, more importantly, figure out Santa’s new name: Chester.

Feeling like he has accomplished his goal and made an actual friend, Santa the elf can confirm that he is the one and only Santa Claus. In a flash, he is overwhelmed by piles of mail, ringing phones, lists to approve, and toys to inspect. Not being a fan of all of this new responsibility, he decides that maybe having two Santa’s isn’t such a bad idea. The other Santa says maybe Santa the elf could go by his middle name. “Rudolph?,” asks Santa the elf from the bottom of the pile. Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer peaks out in surprise.