New Year’s Eve is a fun night in the real world and it
can be a fun night in fiction as well. It could be a night of passion for a
romance story or a night of suspense for a mystery. Maybe two people meet at an
acquaintance’s party, or a murder takes place. Whatever happens, try to fit one
or more of the following highlights into your story.
1. New Year’s Eve Party
A lot can happen at a New Year’s Eve party. Dozens of
people get together wearing their best party clothes (glitter and sequins
galore) and consume pints of alcohol. There’s dancing, snacks, champagne, and
entertainment in the form of karaoke and watching the ball drop. You can spin a
party tale for a romance, mystery or thriller. And even for different age
groups including new adult and young adult.
2. Midnight Kiss
You can’t write about New Year’s Eve without including a
midnight kiss, or the dilemma of who your character will be sharing a kiss
with. It’s sweet if they share it with their love but intriguing if they share
it with a stranger. The outcome of the latter could be the start of a new
relationship or maybe he/she just kissed a murderer. Think about it….
3. New Year’s Resolution
A fun addition to a romantic-comedy or any genre is the
mention of a New Year’s resolution. Perhaps it’s said with sarcasm or with
hope. A good resolution for a romance…although a cliché…would be for a character to find
someone to love.
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| Image from Pixabay |
New Year’s traditions from around the world:
- Colored underwear. Many believe wearing yellow underwear on New Years Eve will bring happiness. Others believe red underwear will bring their soul mate to them.
- Eating lentils is supposed to bring a prosperous new year.
- In Ireland, they bang bread against the walls and doors of a house to chase away bad luck and spirits.
- Do a version of Spring cleaning to get rid of old and start fresh.
- Eat 12 grapes (one for each month) while making a wish.
- Write things you'd like to leave behind on a piece of paper and burn it so you don't bring bad habits, experiences, etc. into the new year.
- Light candles. Red will bring love and passion, orange is for wisdom. blue for peace, green for good health, and yellow for financial success.
QUESTIONS: What do you like most about New Year’s Eve?
What do you dislike?
What do you dislike?
QUESTION OF THE MONTH
QUESTION: What are some new year’s resolutions you’ve had in the
past?
My Answer: I set reasonable goals every New Year's
Eve. It's a tradition. I write down a list of goals, including some of my
deepest wishes on a piece of paper. Then I store it in a glass bottle for the
whole year. At the end of the year, I fish it out and see if I met any of my
goals.
Some of my old goals that I achieved:
- Move out of my apartment into a house
- Buy a laptop
- Get a car
- Get my GED
- Finish writing certain stories
- Submit certain stories for publication
Hi Chrys - I gave up resolutions years ago but appreciate people want to get their life straight ... this year I must do something ... and can start that today ... take care and good luck with all resolutions. I enjoy a quiet dinner rather than partying as the New Year comes in ... Happy New Year to you and your family .. cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteI too enjoy a quiet dinner versus a party. Happy New Year, Hilary!
DeleteResolutions? Oh, how can I improve on perfection, lol. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteYou can't improve perfection. ;)
DeleteHappy New Year, Chrys. I spent New Year's Eve watching the Cotton Bowl with Alabama supporters and a Michigan State grad and thinking, "I don't have a dog in this hunt."
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, Sage! Watching football as another good thing to do on New Year's Day.
DeleteHappy New Year! I've decided not to make any resolutions this year since they never seem to happen. I'm just going to try to achieve some goals on a more reasonable schedule.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year! I always have goals, not some ridiculous resolutions some people make that they'll never achieve.
DeleteGood tips for writing about New Year's Eve :) If I wrote about it based on my recent experiences with it, it would be a less than 100 word story (out by 10:30 p.m.)
ReplyDeleteI think making goals for the new year is so much better than resolutions. Also detailing how one might achieve the goals probably helps one get the goals accomplished in the new year :)
betty
Hahaha! Well, a character could do the same thing. A heroine going to bed at 10:30 and ignoring the festivities is something a lot of readers could relate to.
DeleteNot sure I've ever owned yellow underwear. Pretty sure I haven't.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
Yellow underwear shopping? ;)
DeleteHappy New Year!
What if one wears no underwear, are they SOL? lol
ReplyDeleteGood way to see the goals at the end of the year. I just treat it as any other day at my bay.
Ha! Perhaps.
DeleteThat's because you always do so much on every other day, Pat. ;)
We had a quiet New Year's Eve, as usual, and just the way we like it. :)
ReplyDeleteLove the premise of someone possibly kissing a murderer at midnight....
Mine we quiet too, and I like it like that as well.
DeleteSo do I. If only I didn't already have a hundred story ideas waiting for me.
I set a list of goals at the beginning of every year. Sometimes, I actually manage to accomplish them. Not so much last year, but it only makes me more motivated to do better this year.
ReplyDeleteI had a quiet New Years...until my neighbors started setting of fireworks. Fireworks are always my least favorite part of anything. My dog is terrified of them.
I had the same problem with my neighbors doing fireworks. Gosh, they scared my cats so much.
DeleteHi Chrys. You’d think how most of the time I don’t keep my resolutions that I’d stop making them. Yet, even though I don’t achieve, I try to learn why and try again next year by doing things a bit differently so that I can achieve my goals. Last year, I had a resolution to lose weight, which I did. Before I gained it all back and then some :-/. So weight loss and healthy living is one of my goals again this year. As well as submitting my writing to places. Although that will always be my resolution every year.
ReplyDeleteLearning why you don't meet a set goal is good, so one day you can by fixing the problem. I hope you meet your goals this year!
DeleteNice twist with the second point. What if your character did kiss the killer?
ReplyDeleteI prefer to set goals. Those I know I'll do.
Oh, you can bet my character will be in for a crazy ride if she kisses a killer. ;)
DeleteI never make resolutions, either on the secular New Year or Rosh Hashanah. I just feel it's better to make goals as they come up, instead of feeling you're supposed to make resolutions at one specific time of year. My gym, and other people's gyms, are always flooded with these people in the first few months of the year, people who make some getting in shape resolution but aren't serious enough about it to follow through beyond March or so.
ReplyDeleteI celebrated New Year's Eve by watching my 1,000th silent film, which appropriately enough is largely set on New Year's Eve (barring the long flashback segments). Then I watched live streaming of the ball dropping.
Your 1,000 silent film. And I haven't seen one!
DeleteMost New Years evenings pass by with me barely noticing. I think this year I was already in bad. Of course I was also not feeling that well, so it was the place for me to be. But every year I talk myself into the same typical goals. Lose weight, finish editing my story and simplify my house by giving things I have not used in years to goodwill. Good goals, but they tend to fall by the wayside.
ReplyDeleteI barely noticed this New Year's Eve. I just caught the ball as it was dropping. Hope you're feeling better and meet your goals!
DeleteI love those new year traditions or beliefs. I was in Madrid one new year's eve and people were handing out bags of 12 grapes, then popping them in their mouths as the clock struck the hour. That's quite a mouthful of grapes, I can tell you. Have a great 2016.
ReplyDeleteLOL! I'd have to eat the grapes one at a time. Happy 2016!!!
DeleteI don't set goals so much as plan my year out. Having deadlines, self-imposed and from my publisher, helps with that. Happy New Year, Chrys.
ReplyDeleteDeadlines are a big help with reaching goals.
DeleteHappy New Year!
ReplyDeleteI love setting goals, which I consider the same as a resolution although others don't. I enjoy goal setting but more so the achievement of them. New Year's Eve is the perfect setting for a story!
Happy New Year!! :)
DeleteIt really is the same thing. Resolutions are goals, but I think it's because some resolutions are so out there that some don't consider them the same thing as a reasonable goal.
Those other New Year's traditions were great, except I misread the Irish one. I thought it said, "Bang their head against walls and cabinets." Ouch! Of course, bread would not be a great idea for me. It would bring more mice running.
ReplyDeleteOuch! That would hurt. LOL! And mice is not a good thing. Let's keep the bread in our sandwiches instead. ;)
DeleteI'm thinking YELLOW should be my color this year :)
ReplyDeleteI don't usually make resolutions, but I do try to set an achievable goal. Last years goal for taking risks and accepting minor failures worked well. I may add the year 2016 to the header and keep it; along with the goal of writing 100 words a day. This year, I need something more concrete to keep my writing muse happy.
And we certainly have to do whatever we can to make our muses happy.
DeletePutting things in writing is the surest way to commit. Maybe I should do it, but probably I won't.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite New Year's Eve related fiction is The Poseidon Adventure. I enjoyed the book immensely and the first film is one I stop to watch whenever it's on. I've heard the remake was not so hot so I've avoided that one so far.
Have a great 2016.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
I saw the remake and I liked it but I could be the minority on that.
DeleteExcellent. How fun to fish them out and feel that sense of accomplishment. And, New Year's Eve is a great setting for a story and/or scene. Hmm. might have to use that one.
ReplyDeleteI've used almost all the holidays in my stories, and even mentioned New Year's in Seismic Crimes but I never wrote about the festivities. I want to change that.
DeleteNew Year’s Eve – Somewhere
ReplyDeleteAt precisely midnight, she stood at the window in yellow undies wondering if she could actually eat ten more grapes as snow tried to hang onto cactus outside. Having put out the fire caused by the candle which was toppled by the dried biscuit that had bounced off the wall when she’d thrown it, she was now prepared to write herself a note to never do that again. ~
Welcome back and Happy New Year!
That's so funny!
DeleteLove,
Janie
Hahaha! That was great, Diedre.
DeleteAw, thanks, Ladies:-) Chrys, sometimes your inspiration is just too irresistible!
DeleteI'm glad you've achieved so many goals. I got a kiss at midnight from Willy Dunne Wooters, but I had to ask about six times because he couldn't hear me ask for a kiss (he's deaf as a post) and because he didn't know it was midnight.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
LOL! At least you got a kiss. ;)
DeleteI've written a New Years Eve party, but reading your tips inspired a little scene out of me so thanks! :)
ReplyDeleteYay! You're welcome. :D
DeleteHappy New year Fey, you make writing a novel look so easy.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year! I'm glad I make it look easy because it is anything but.
DeleteThat's a neat idea, but I'd forget what I wrote down. Because I did. I completely forgot I had made a list of goals for 2015 until I stumbled upon the post while looking for another post.
ReplyDeleteLOL! That's why it's best to put down goals you know you'll remember. At least if you hide it in a bottle like I do. :)
DeleteHappy January!
ReplyDeleteI try not to live my life one year at a time.
Glad to hear you've reached some of your goals. I need to push myself harder this year!
Heather
Living life day by day is much better.
DeleteThat's a great idea to put your goals in a bottle and look at them at the end of the year. Think I'll try it. Happy New Year.
ReplyDeleteIt's a lot of fun. :) Happy New Year!
DeleteI like your suggestions for New Year's Eve in stories. I thought of a Cinderella at the ball who gets kissed at midnight but this time can't leave in time. Maybe someone is kissed and the kiss leads them to another time. I have not made resolutions in years because I always broke them. I am hoping to be more active in some way this year since last year I didn't do much, I felt.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many possibilities. :) I hope 2016 is an active year for you.
DeleteGreat ideas for NY's stories Chrys. I didn't know the colour of our underwear had any bearing on future happiness, lol! But some of these could be incorporated into a story no problem. HNY!
ReplyDeleteDon't underestimate the power of underwear color. HAHA!
DeleteHappy New Year!
As a night owl, New Year's Eve is right up my alley. Not the midnight kiss, though. Don't have anyone to share that with.
ReplyDeleteI don't either. Maybe next year we will. :)
DeleteI'd like to buy a car, and a laptop. I use a laptop from work. It's not really mine.
ReplyDeleteI was fortunate. I was never able to buy either before.
DeleteI've never heard the one about colored underwear. Bad luck for those who don't wear any I guess.
ReplyDeleteI guess so. lol
DeleteI like the optimism of new year's eve - whatever the past year was like, we have a chance to improve on it in the coming one.
ReplyDeleteSo do I, Patsy. :)
DeleteHappy New Year Chrys, A great post to commence the year.
ReplyDeleteYvonne.
Happy New Year, Yvonne!
DeleteI came over from Question of the Month. Intriguing thoughts on writing a story about the New Year - I can feel my creative juices flowing. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Kalpanaa! :)
DeleteI love movie scenes about New Year's Eve. I haven't written a scene with that setting yet. Interesting facts. I'm usually asleep at midnight.
ReplyDeleteNew Year's Eve scenes are so much fun! I've glossed over this holiday but want to write a scene like this some day.
DeleteYou seem to really make good use out of your resolutions :) Congratulations on moving into a house.
ReplyDeleteI try. :)
Delete