Hallmark Christmas movies have been poked at for their predictability. I maintain that’s the reason they are so popular. With all that is unpredictable in our world, it is nice to know that things will turn out right in the end. And that the end is really a beginning. It’s basically comfort food you eat with your eyes.
For those who watch these movies and think “gee, I could write something just as good” you’re in luck. I have taken the time to put together a DIY guide to Hallmark movie making. Just follow the steps below to build a basic plot. Pick the items that interest you and let your imagination flesh out the framework.
Title:
“Christmas at_______________” or “A ______________Christmas.”
Use the name of the street you live on minus the word road, court, lane, etc. Then choose one of the following:
- Inn
- River
- Wood
- Lake
- Mountain
- Island
For example, I used to live on Hidden Valley. Being a big fan of the lake, my title is “Christmas at Hidden Valley Lake.” Or I could go with “A Hidden Valley Lake Christmas.” With either title, you can almost smell the evergreens that dot the shoreline and see the mountains reflected in the chilly waters.
Now, we need the leading characters. They fall into two categories. There’s the visitor who is looking to revive their Christmas spirit, escape a failed relationship, or return for a visit to their hometown to buy up the town’s best feature. Choose their profession from the following:
- Journalist on assignment to write about Christmas in a small town
- Novelist on a deadline to finish their latest book but are struggling with writer’s block
- Artist who has lost inspiration to paint or sculpt
- Musician trying to escape the crushing pressures of fame
- Banker/Real Estate broker looking to buy the town’s most beloved feature
The other lead is the local resident. These folks are proud of their town and are still struggling to get over a missed career opportunity, a lost love, or having to close their business. Choose their profession from the following:
- Shop owner struggling to keep the doors open and may have to sell the family business that his grandfather, who helped build the town, started decades ago.
- Baker trying to decide whether to accept the offer from a big corporation to franchise their business or stay small and remain true to their promise of “homemade.”
- Café owner trying to get over the loss of a spouse and struggling to raise a child alone.
- Teacher who just can’t find true love even with the help of friends who keep trying to play matchmaker.
I’ll go with number four from both lists. So, now we have “Christmas at Hidden Valley Lake” featuring a famous musician looking for a place to lay low from the limelight and a schoolteacher who is giving up on love because they just cannot find their soulmate.
The visitor and the resident are the ones who will fall in love, usually in the week leading up to Christmas. There is often a deadline involved. That deadline must always be Christmas Day. In the case of visitors, the writer or journalist has a career-making book or article that is due. The musician has a concert to play. The banker must close the deal or lose their job.
In the case of the resident, there is the decision to sell, franchise, struggle with their child’s wish that Santa bring their surviving parent true love for Christmas or give up on finding that soulmate. Here again, their deadline is Christmas.
These deadlines must conflict with the town’s annual Christmas event, which the visitor and the resident have agreed to attend together. If the visitor doesn’t show, the resident will think it was all just a lark.
You’ll need supporting characters to flesh out the story and push the plot along. Those must include the best friend of either lead character or both if you really want to have some fun. These provide wise counsel and help the leads see their situation more clearly. There is the boss who is usually demanding and helps drive the story’s conflict which will either unite or tear our lead characters apart. Throw in a grandmother or aunt who is kind, caring and convinced that a cup of cocoa and a Christmas cookie can solve any heartache. Personally, I think this is wise advice.
I’ll take the demanding boss for the musician. In this case, that will be her manager always treating her like a commodity and not a person. The teacher gets the widowed aunt who keeps telling him not to give up on love all the while trying to fix him up with someone. The conflict is the Christmas dance. The musician has a last-minute call to perform on a big Christmas special, which would be great for her career. The teacher decides to tell her of his feelings for her at the dance, while vowing that if he doesn’t find love this Christmas, he’ll stop looking forever.
There are only two other criteria that must be met. First, the two must somehow make it to the big Christmas event, where they will finally share their true feelings for each other. At that point they will kiss, but not just any kiss. It must be in front of witnesses.
Second, when they kiss it must start snowing. This last point is why the Bahamas vet all tourists coming to the island. If they fit any of the character descriptions above, they aren’t allowed on the islands. Snow would not be good for tourism in the Bahamas.
But it would be great for the folks at Hidden Valley Lake. See you there!
