“It’s a Wonderful Life,” the 1946 Christmas classic, can teach writers a great deal about storytelling. The movie is the tale of George Bailey, a man lucky enough to see what life would have been like had he never been born and what life is like because of him. This is due to an angel-to-be who comes to earth to save George from committing suicide, earning his wings in the process.

Snuggle up with some hot cocoa and a blanket, and watch “It’s a Wonderful Life,” starring James Stewart, for great lessons in storytelling:

1) it’s all in the details

2) contrast will bring your story to life

3) endings can swing many ways

4) characters with character will take you far

First, details. Probably the most salient details in the film are Zuzu’s petals. Zuzu is George Bailey’s youngest child. She holds a rose at one point. The rose loses a few of its petals and George puts them in his pocket. When George is looking at life without himself, he reaches into his pocket, and discovers the petals are gone. The angel advises that they aren’t there because he wasn’t born; therefore, Zuzu was never born, etc. But, when the angel reverses things, and George is back to “being in the narrative,” he discovers that the petals are still in his pocket. These specific, tiny details drive the story, and give the main character important knowledge about his position in the universe. Use details wisely, and they can be a shorthand way of explaining things to the characters and readers.

Second, contrast is important in storytelling. It’s what makes stories interesting. George’s life before he jumps in the icy water is difficult, to say the least. For instance, he is happily married but, at one point, he’s frustrated with his growing family and the noise they make on the piano before dinner. Then, after George jumps, life goes completely downhill. The angel is showing George how rotten things got when he wasn’t around – George’s wife was an old maid who worked at the library and the town was run by Potter, a man who was completely ruled by greed. It is these contrasts that make the substance of the story lifelike.

Third, endings can swing many ways but they are often dependent on the presence of certain characters. In this case, they are George Bailey, the main character, and Clarence, the angel. “It’s a Wonderful Life” has many endings – the unhappy one where George is about to commit suicide; the happy one when Clarence jumps in the icy water and George saves him; the ending where no one knows George because he was never born; and the happy ending at the very end when reality falls into place and the tale has its true ending: (Spoiler) the whole town pitches in their meager savings to save the savings and loan after it’s almost ruined. George regains his prominent position in the town Clarence the angel gets his wings.

Finally, the fact that George Bailey has a sterling character drives the whole film. George is a character who always does the right thing (except when he yelled at his wife and children that one time when he was at the end of his rope.) He’s so good that, when he can’t make everything good around him, he wants to throw it all in, and jump to his death in the icy river. But, this is the crux of the film – the angel Clarence jumps before George can and George, acting like he always does, dives in to save the stranger’s life. Characters with character are fascinating to observe because they are few and far between.

Warm enough under your blanket? “It’s a Wonderful Life” is a great ride, and will teach you a lot about storytelling, as well as usher in the Christmas season. View it today. Save some cocoa for me.

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Laura Yeager is a cancer blogger at curetoday.com. She teaches writing at Kent State University at Stark and at Gotham Writers. She is also the mother of a son who is writing and illustrating a children’s book about his adoption from Guatemala.