Erin Dealey

What fun to chat with debut author Nathan Christopher about his new holiday book,

When Santa Wrote Back!

Illustrated by Pablo Pino (Sourcebooks Wonderland).

About the author:

Nathan Christopher is a former child and aspiring adult who enjoys spreadsheets and―perhaps more useful to his writing aspirations―making people laugh. He pens his stories (and his letters to Santa) in Windsor, Canada, where he lives with his wife and children―who ensure endless material and a conveniently sleepless schedule for writing. 

Let’s ask some questions!

Inspirations

Q 1. What was the inspiration for When Santa Wrote Back? Some unanswered North Pole correspondence of your own? Santa questions from your kids? The rhinoceros angle didn’t pan out?  

Nathan Christopher: The original spark of inspiration came to me after Chelsea Lin Wallace (poet & PB author) posted her child’s letter to Santa on Twitter. It started off politely (“How are Mrs. Claus and the reindeer”) before taking an abrupt left turn: “Let’s get to the point. What I want for Christmas is…”

I found this so authentic and absolutely hilarious. Kids want to be polite and struggle to balance just enough “small talk” before launching into the inevitable wish list. I knew there was a story there, and soon after I came up with the idea for an epistolary book where Santa writes back to a mischievous kid.

Q 2. They say most books are a tiny bit autobiographical. Is there a Jake in your life? Or might Jake be you?  

Nathan Christopher: I think, in a way, Jake is every kid (including me). All kids love Christmas (and Halloween, and Easter) and get EXCITED about getting stuff! It’s normal.

But then we need to learn to temper our selfishness, and to come to also love the family and community aspects of those special occasions. Jake is probably also inspired by the types of clever, rule-bending characters I loved when I was young, like Calvin & Hobbes.

Learning to Rhyme

Q 3. Did the text always rhyme? How and when did an “aspiring adult who enjoys spreadsheets” hone his rhyming skills?  

Nathan Christopher: I avoided rhyme for years. I knew that rhyming poorly was beyond the pale, and I thought rhyme was a talent you had to be born with.

Only after some unrelenting nudging from a critique partner did I start educating myself on rhyme and meter (HUGE shout-out to Renee LaTulippe and her YouTube channel), and I realized that rhyme was a skill that could be learned—and was fun!

That said, I actually initially outlined When Santa Wrote Back! in prose, and took a stab at a partial rhyming draft without being certain I’d keep it in rhyme. Luckily it worked, and feedback from critique partners was positive!

Challenges and Surprises

Q 4. What was your biggest challenge or biggest surprise in creating When Santa Wrote Back?  

Nathan Christopher: I had to be a little careful having a main character who is obsessed with presents (read: selfish) and who manages to upset Santa (apparently, it’s possible!) at the center of the story. The challenge was striking a balance so that he could remain likeable and have a deserved redemptive arc.

I love picture books where characters learn nothing, and I don’t generally set out to write books with “lessons.” But in the case of this book (and the sequels) I found it was best to balance out the questionable behavior by having him eventually learn a lesson.

Nathan Christopher: Pablo brought SO much to the project, it’s hard to know where to start. He introduced additional characters (e.g., elves) that don’t appear in the written manuscript but add a ton of fun and interactivity to the book.

He’s also so amazing at expressions—some of the funniest moments in the book come from looks the characters give each other. My favorite is the reindeer side-eyeing a parking enforcement officer as they give Santa’s sleigh a parking ticket.

#Kidlit Insights and Resources

Q 6. Can you share a few insights gleaned from your kidlit journey?  Am I correct in gathering that this is your debut children’s book?   

Nathan Christopher: Yes, this is my debut book! I have to say the biggest insight from my kidlit journey is that writers (and the online writing community) are amazing.

Some of my best friends who I talk to every day are my critique partners. Without question, I never would have stuck with it long enough to eventually get published if I hadn’t had the support of amazing writing friends and online communities, like Twitter (RIP) and Discord.

The other insight is that writing, for me, has been an incredible learning journey. That includes learning about writing craft and the publishing industry. It’s been extremely challenging to get here, but I love to learn and have found that aspect of the journey to be very rewarding (regardless of the ultimate outcome).

Q 7. Can you tell us a bit about your “PB Workshop” Discord server?

Nathan Christopher: PB Workshop is a free online community (hosted on Discord) for picture book writers and illustrators. Over the past five years it’s grown into a wonderfully supportive community of over 800 creators.

It’s a place to discuss the publishing industry, ask for help with craft topics, commiserate over querying or submissions, and more. Anybody can join via the link on my website (look for “Nerdy Stuff for Authors”).

Takeaways

Q 8. What do you hope readers will take away from reading this book?

Nathan Christopher: I hope When Santa Wrote Back! leaves readers (both kids and adults) laughing, smiling, and feeling a spark of Christmas warmth. It celebrates everything I find fun about the holidays: the magic, the traditions, and the kids who are determined to secure a massive haul of gifts.

Presents and Projects–and a Cover Reveal–oh my!

Q 9. Is there a question you wish I had asked? Ask away—and please answer.

Nathan Christopher: Well, you didn’t ask me what I want for Christmas this year. The answer is sleep (and also power tools).

Q 10. What’s next for you? Any new projects you can talk about?

Nathan Christopher: I’m excited to let people know that WHEN SANTA WROTE BACK! is actually the first in a three-book series starring Jake, our mischievous but lovable main character.

When The Witch Wrote Back! and When the Easter Bunny Wrote Back! will both be published in 2026 from Sourcebooks Wonderland. More projects are in the works after those, but nothing that I’m able to announce yet.

Wow! Such exciting news.

Many thanks for writing back to us on the blog, Nathan Christopher!

(See what I did there?)

To learn more about Nathan Christopher and his books,

check out his website: HelloNathan.ca

And follow him on social media:

BlueSky: HelloNathanC

Insta: hellonathanc

X: @HelloNathanC

PB Workshop Discord: http://discord.gg/KSYfkNg

Congrats on When Santa Wrote Back! Nathan.

You know I LOVE epistolary picture books + holiday books + rhyming! (Shameless plug…)

Up next on the blog:

We chat with debut author/illustrator Thea Lu about her award-winning picture book perfect for Thanksgiving –or any time of year:

Here & There.

Published by Eerdman’s Books for Young Readers.

So thankful for BOOKS!