Writing holiday romances for television is suddenly trendy, but many writers, especially new writers, do it completely wrong and then get frustrated.
Learn the mistakes you might be making that keep your TV holiday script off the small screen.
I have chatted with a number of executives who not only produce these films but make sure they are on the air in time for "Countdown to Christmas" and the Thanksgiving sweeps, and they all tell me this is why they are rejecting your manuscripts.
NOTE: There are exceptions to every rule and everything anyone in Hollywood says, so if you are a rule breaker, then, I hope you succeed in doing it your way. This blog is intended for those who are frustrated when they have a solid holiday romance and it's not on the air. It may not even be getting produced; sometimes, a film is made but still doesn't find a home.
Here are some very common mistakes that writers consistently make when writing their TV holiday romances.
THINGS YOU CAN CONTROL (to some extent)
Too much COMEDY. You've been told that TV holiday romances are rom-coms---well, they aren't. They are 90% ROMANCE and 10% comedy, if that. If you are writing a comedy, that is filled with jokes and funny situations, even if well done, you may get a big fat no.
Set at Christmas time but not about Christmas. Executives at Hallmark and GAC have told me this is one of the first things they look for. Yes, you can find examples that don't follow that, but again, they are the exception. Make sure your holiday script is about Christmas.
Not enough ROMANCE. Yup, sort of like the first one. You are writing about friendship or a cause, but the romance between the two main characters isn't there.
The pacing is way off. You haven't followed the nine-act structure.
Too many storylines. It's because you've read every screenwriting book on the planet, and they all say to weave in B and C storylines, but not when they distract from the couple that the story is about.
No stakes or goals for the love interest. He or she is there only to fall in love with your main character. This will sink you every time.
You are writing the same story that has been told many times and have not brought anything new.
It's going to be too expensive to shoot.
Too many characters. Remember TV holiday movies are shot with lower budgets so keep the characters as low as you can.
The writing isn't coming from a unique voice. Always write in your way. It's great to read other scripts but use words that you would use to describe your characters etc.
THINGS OUT OF YOUR CONTROL
They already have something like it in production.
It doesn't fit in their catalog. This means you are writing something better suited for Lifetime, yet pitch it to Hallmark.
At the end of the day, it's about understanding the genre, studying it, and learning what each studio and network is looking for. You must also have fresh ideas or, at least, a new take on an old story.
For more on writing holiday scripts.
The following people have written holiday scripts and have courses, books, or workshops.
Karen Schaler
Isabel Drean
Roslyn Muir
Joany Kane
Rick Garman
I also recommend learning screenwriting and, or continuing to study storytelling and the business of...you know, it's SHOW BUSINESS. A lot of writers forget the business side of it.
READ and WATCH as many of these movies as you can. Find recent scripts and read them. Watch the films. You can find a lot of them on Hulu, but you can also get Hallmark Now, which is rebranding in the fall.
If you want to write a TV holiday movie only as a stepping stone, that's up to you, but it will be hard unless you really understand the genre.
I hope this is helpful if you are struggling with rejection. Keep trying. I'll have a blog on networking soon, so make sure you subscribe!
XO Steph
@stephobourbon on social
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