Many people may make fun of them—and most certainly deserve the poking and prodding—but it’s undeniable that while most Christmas romantic comedies (which you see on Hallmark, Lifetime, and now Netflix and other streamers The kind)) are predictable, formulaic, and, well, sometimes quite cheesy, sub-genres are big, and audiences love them.
Audiences are demanding Christmas rom-coms, which means studios, production companies, and especially networks and streamers are actively looking for the next predictable, formulaic, and sometimes cheesy script — hopefully one that will be marketable twists or extra special ingredients.
Here, we provide some fun basic elements for those who want to write the next “great” Christmas romantic comedy that we can all watch during the next holiday season at our family’s choice or request.
1. Relatable and Overworked Protagonist
The protagonist is usually busy with love or Christmas. You see this in almost every Christmas romantic comedy. Why? The best movie stories provide as much conflict as possible for the protagonist. It keeps the audience engaged and interested in what the protagonist is going through.
But there is a key factor here. People watching these movies may feel overexerted. Whether it’s the busy life of a single mom/father, teacher, corporate executive, movie star, business owner, or magazine editor, we all may be juggling family and work responsibilities and feel overwhelmed by life.
We live through our protagonists, so it’s important to connect with them. Because we live vicariously through them, it’s exciting to see these characters give up something we wish we could give up, if not just for a few hours (or days or weeks in the protagonist’s world).
That’s why these movies are so popular. We get a chance to see what it feels like to step away for a while, breathe, and maybe experience the magic of falling in love again.
If you wanted to flip the script a little, you could take this Christmas rom-com trope and flip it, starring a character who lives a quiet and simple life, and show them what it’s like to live in one’s shoes What a feeling.
“Holiday” (2006)
2. Snowball settings
Location is everything. The small town setting is a stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of overworked life (i.e. the big city).
For most of us, Christmas is about returning to our roots. While many Christmas romantic comedies are set in big cities, the small-town snowball scene appeals to many viewers – another reminder to sit back and enjoy the simplicity of life.
Here’s a tip: If you want to subvert expectations and offer some variety, take a snowball cliche and flip it on its head. Find an unexpected location and insert the usual Christmas dynamics and visuals to create a new mix. Christmas in Hawaii? Christmas on the space station? The sky is (or isn’t, in the latter case) the limit.
3. Christmas date-cute moments
The cute encounter in a Christmas romantic comedy is a scene-stealing scene designed to be a charming and unforgettable moment when two soulmates meet. It’s destined to be a breathtaking moment filled with magic and romance.
Read more: 100 Potential Encounter Cute Moments Scenarios
This is this Big moments in Christmas romantic comedies. Nowadays, some of them are truly cringe-worthy, as almost every cute moment of an encounter is repeated over and over again. However, they remain a staple of any romantic comedy.
How do you offer something different, if you will? your script? Maybe they met ugly. We’ll let you explore what this might mean.
“When Harry Met Sally” (1989)
4. Christmas magic (literal or figurative)
Whether it’s magic items or seasonal magic, this element brings whimsy to the audience.
The fantasy elements in Christmas romantic comedies work best when blended seamlessly with emotional beats, reminding audiences of the magic of belief, whether that’s believing in Santa Claus and his magical world, the magic of faith, or the magic of love.
You can subvert people’s expectations of the element by having something that’s considered magical end up being something very real and of this world, which can be more relevant and exciting.
5. Cute supporting characters
Supporting characters bring humor, warmth, and depth to the story—their interactions with other characters help define and illustrate their traits and character arcs.
Supporting characters should both challenge and support the protagonist.
The supporting characters also provide more depth to the story itself by providing side adventures and necessary B and C storylines (with some intertwining ties to the A story).
Of course, if you want to subvert that expectation and shake things up a bit, you could have two characters stranded on an island together while you find creative ways to create using just the two love interests and their surroundings The story of B and C. Interacting with volleyball is too derivative, but you get my point.
Read more: 3 Types of Supporting Actors Your Protagonist Needs
“The happiest season” (2020)
6. Christmas traditions as plot drivers
Most screenwriters who successfully write and produce Christmas romantic comedies usually pick on specific Christmas traditions as the plot engine:
- Christmas cookie traditions lead to baking contests or bakery plots.
- The Christmas decorating tradition gave rise to decorating contests.
- The mistletoe kissing tradition brings an element of magic.
There’s something relatable and familiar about Christmas traditions that audiences love.
How can this expectation be subverted? Maybe you could have the main character work on creating new Christmas traditions. Maybe the magazine they edit is tasked with creating new traditions, which ultimately leads to chaos that they have to solve.
7. Big misunderstandings and big gestures
A crucial misunderstanding creates conflict that drives the couple apart, before the inevitable reconciliation is achieved in a grand gesture. It’s a go-to for any romantic comedy, especially Christmas comedies on Hallmark, Lifetime, Netflix, and now any streaming outlet.
You have to always make sure that misunderstandings feel believable, but not so difficult to overcome that reconciliation and grand gestures feel forced. And always personalizing the grand gesture and connecting it to the character arc. The audience should feel like this could not have happened any other way.
You can subvert expectations and surprise the audience by having two people in love get caught up in a misunderstanding and everyone around them believes something different. The grand gesture may suggest they knew the truth all along.
“Love Actually” (2003)
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These are the basic expectations of a Christmas romantic comedy. Hallmark was once the only purveyor of this subgenre. Be with them all your life. But the demand for Christmas rom-coms has proven to be so great that big streamers like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Apple TV are jumping on board.
You can (and should) also use these elements to subversion So are expectations. Sometimes all a screenwriter needs to do to get noticed is deliver something very familiar and comfortable, with an unexpected twist.
Besides Christmas, there are many other holidays. We’ve seen some content come to light on the small screen, but consider the diversity of your audience. You can have a dual mix of Hanukkah and Christmas – or just Hanukkah. You can choose from Kwanzaa, Missoka, Pancha Ganapati, and more.
Happy holidays to everyone!
Learn More: 5 Must-Read Classic Holiday Movie Scripts |
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Ken Miyamoto has worked in the film industry for nearly two decades, most notably as a studio liaison and then as a script reader and story analyst for Sony Pictures.
As a production writer, he participated in numerous studio meetings with companies such as Sony, DreamWorks, Universal Pictures, Disney, Warner Bros., and numerous production and management companies. He previously signed a development deal with Lionsgate and has had numerous writing assignments, including starring Anne Heche, Sean Patrick Flanery, Billy Zane, James Brolin, Haley ·The miniseries “Blackout” starring Duff, Brian Bloom, Eric LaSalle and Bruce Bucklina. Follow Ken on Twitter @ken电影and Instagram @KenMovies76
