Is Santa a Gnome?

So here I sit, wracking my overused brain to find a topic for this post - something of such unbelievable value to everyone that it becomes a permanent bookmark on your browser - when it hits me.

My gnome looks a lot like Santa.

I know what you're thinking. Genius! Right? I mean he has the red hat, white beard, and is admittedly pretty round. Plus who's to say Santa doesn't change his clothes specially for the holiday?

In all seriousness (and this is where I tie it all in to writing and offer you free stuff, so watch the brilliance unfold). We don't normally connect garden gnomes with Santa Claus, but that's where our creativity as writers comes in to play. We see connections between things that are unique. We can look at a picture of a house and suddenly our mind is making up a story about the mysterious widow that lives there waiting for the ghost of her murdered lover to return. Okay, maybe you didn't think of that, but you get the idea.

So I don't want to hear any complaints about not having any good ideas. Got it? Pick up a random object off your own desk or shelf and make something up about it. Something not obvious to the rest of us. Then convince me. No really. Go do that and email it to me at paranormalpov at gmail dot com with "contest" in the subject line. I'll take the most creative one and post it right here on my blog, linking back to you. Then, if you are in the U.S. I'll give you a prize to boot! You can choose between a book (either Clockwork Angel, Personal Demons, or Beautiful Creatures, or anything of a comparable value) or a critique of up to ten pages. Go ahead, impress me! In two hundred words or less of course, since I anticipate the entire blogosphere participating. Why yes, I have been told I'm an optimist! How did you know?

You have until December 31st - 3 weeks from tomorrow. So get to work! Yes, I am aware that's New Years Eve, think of it like a resolution you can keep now. Not letting your creative juices sit on the back burner while keeping up with the holidays.

*Please note that I am changing the rules slightly. My contest after all. He he he. I'm extending the word limit to no more than 1000. That should give you some more wiggle room. But if your piece is shorter, that's fine. This is an exercise in creativity not length.