Today’s writing prompt, Mister Grinch, is the second prompt of the TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS PROMPTS on the Daily Drafts and Dialogues blog this year. Keep reading to see the full prompt and my completed version of it.
Today’s Writing Prompt: Mister Grinch
Write in the third person about a character who is acting like a Grinch. Try to write something funny, tragic, or heart-warming. Go ahead and make it cheesy if you want– full of cheesy and corny Christmas Spirit. Why not? ‘Tis the season!
Completed Version of Today’s Writing Prompt
Mister Grinch?, by K.E. Creighton
As Mr. Campbell shoveled snow from the sidewalk in front of his old shoe store, Kyle heard him mutter, “Bah humbug,” under his breath. Kyle was only seven so had to ask his father what that meant. His father laughed and said, “It means Mr. Campbell is grouchy and quite possibly the Grinch in town. So I would stay away from his store this time of year. Such grouchiness is infectious.”
For the entire week before Christmas, Kyle followed his father’s advice but still watched Mr. Campbell in his store from the large front window of their electronics store across the street. While a steady flow of customers came and went from their electronics store, not many ventured over to Mr. Campbell’s store. Mr. Campbell, however, seemed content each day, as he wandered around his empty store to straighten displays and boxes every half hour. And when he would sit down near his front desk to eat lunch every day at noon, precisely.
Every year for the past five years, Kyle’s father insisted they keep the electronics store open late on Christmas Eve. And Kyle would have to stay too, even if he would rather be at home eating the sugar cookies his grandfather always brought over. “We’re often the last hope in saving someone’s Christmas. Plus the extra few sales don’t hurt either,” his father would say, then wink.
This Christmas Eve, Kyle saw Mr. Campbell standing up at his front counter at the shoe store eating his dinner next to a dim light. When Kyle looked closer, he could swear Mr. Campbell was talking. But who was he talking to? There was no one there. And then suddenly, Mr. Campbell arose and started swaying from side to side, as if he was… was he dancing? This made Kyle giggle.
Kyle’s father peered over his shoulder to see what Kyle was giggling at, then giggled too and said, “Huh, well, I’ll be. It looks like Mr. Cambell isn’t a Scrooge after all.” As they stared out the window, snow started falling lightly and coating the sidewalks.
After a few minutes, Kyle said, “Yeah, I think he’s just bored and lonely, dad.”
“Well, then let’s go grab some of your grandfather’s cookies and one of those new blue tooth speakers that came in last week and head over there. We’ll close the store. We won’t get many people in now that it’s snowing anyway.”