Why the Christmas-themed romance?

Beautifully crafted holiday romance stories have always been my favourite novels to read-and not only during the holiday season, but all year round. And I’ve come to discover that I’m not alone. Readers worldwide enjoy ‘love under the mistletoe’ stories that evoke sincere emotions and reflect family, heart and home. As writers, we play a part in enhancing the holidays for our readers by taking elements that may not be as magical in real life and making them sparkle on the pages. For example, take snow-the cold, wet, often dirty and slushy, inconvenience that lasted far too long this winter. Put it in a holiday story and it transforms into big, soft, beautiful flakes falling peacefully outside the window as the hero and heroine snuggle by a warm fire. The element is romanticized to create the vision of a Christmas snowfall that we would all love to experience. This romanticizing the elements is at the core of the entire holiday romance novel, and I believe is what makes it a fan favorite. Despite the often conflicting tumultuous or heart-wrenching storylines, or the heat level, or the sub-genre of romance, the writer needs to evoke an overall heartwarming feeling in the reader to have a successful holiday themed story that resonates with readers.

The three S’s of the traditional Christmas-themed Romance

The three S’s of the traditional Christmas-themed romance-the sights, sounds, and smells that are common in most Christian homes during December are important to create a backdrop for the setting. It is important to include traditional, familiar Christmas references throughout the novel, in every scene, if possible, to surround the reader with these holiday stimuli. They are the primary step in creating that heartwarming feel that is expected from these kinds of novels. However, it’s not enough to set a story during the Christmas season and describe the usual sights, sounds and smells that we have come to associate with it. While these elements are important to any holiday story, they need to create the emotions that readers feel during the Christmas season to be effective.

Sights such as lights, holly, mistletoe and decorated evergreens bring back personal memories for the readers. They associate these familiar elements with their own Christmas preparations, and it helps to create a common world shared between the reader and the characters in the story. The character’s holiday décor, however small an element, is still a powerful one in bringing the reader into the story. How the character reacts to the sights is what will help create the mood and tone for the story. A character who loves the Christmas season and is looking forward to it will react much differently to the sight of festive lights on the street poles immediately after Halloween than a character who is dreading the upcoming season or who views the holiday as just another way for stores to make money.

Sounds such as ringing bells, Christmas carols, or the pitter patter of horseshoes on the ground as the characters enjoy a romantic horse-drawn sleigh ride help to bring a scene to life. It places the reader firmly in that sleigh ride or on that corner street where the salvation army Santa volunteers ring their bells of hope and charity. Having a Christmas music soundtrack occurring in the background, whether its music playing in a mall or the character’s car stereo, adds another layer of dimension and are an effective tool as certain songs hold different meanings for the characters. For example, someone away from home during the holidays will react differently to hearing the song ‘I’ll be Home for Christmas’ than someone who is forced to spend the holidays with their family under obligation. In the first scenario, the character may feel a longing for home or the loneliness that the season can evoke, and in the second, they may hear the song as a mere taunting of their situation.

Smells are probably the most under-utilized and by far some of the most effective ways to enhance the setting. Candle manufacturers capitalize on the feelings evoked by certain scents during the season and so should writers. Regular lattes should become cinnamon spiced, and a Christmas day meal scene is never complete without the scent of gingerbread cookies or pumpkin pies-traditional family favorites-baking in the oven. While real trees may not be as popular in real life anymore in Christian homes due to the fire hazard concern and the ever-growing popularity of different coloured trees that rotate and come pre-lit, they are a great addition to our stories. The scent of pine filling the home is one many people remember from their childhood. And in addition to the terrific smell of the live tree, there are countless scene ideas that can develop from the use of one.

Christmas Plays a Part in the Storyline

For a Christmas story to have the most impact on readers, I believe that the time of year needs to impact the plot. Something about the holiday season needs to bring the main characters together and there are many plotlines that work great, each with a purpose of evoking a different response from readers. Some of these classic plotlines include-the breakup before the holidays and the inevitable attempts at being set up with someone new or the desperate need to spend the holidays alone-think The Holiday with Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet. The idea of a secret Santa crush, the child who wishes for a spouse for their lonely parent or the twelve days of Christmas theme that has been used for different purposes such as ‘the Groundhog Day effect’ of The Twelve Dates of Christmas. Other more common tropes that can be incorporated into holiday titles include-mistaken identity or trapped together for the holidays. No matter which story writers choose to tell, the holiday season must play a part in the story’s development and help create the high stakes, sense of urgency readers expect from a romance novel.

After choosing a theme for the story, we have to decide on our characters and how they feel about the season. Do they love Christmas and want to spend it surrounded by family and friends, only to have their plans derailed for some unexpected reason, creating an urgency in them to get home in time for Christmas Eve? Or do they dread that time of year because of bad memories associated with the season or the inevitable feelings of loneliness if they are unable to spend it with the ones they love? Or maybe the character simply feels that the holiday is a commercial racket and prefers to ignore the festivities altogether. Your character’s viewpoint will help determine the feelings you aim to achieve in the reader. For example, if the main character dislikes the holiday, they are sure to notice the commercialistic side and the tackiness of overdone decorating. They will push aside the tempting baked goods, claiming the season isn’t an excuse to gain weight, etc. If, on the other hand, your character loves the season, they will see all of those things in a favorable way and the way we describe them as writers changes as we see it through the eyes and experience of our characters.

Christmas romances also contain certain parameters that are helpful in structuring the story. The specific timeline, for one, is useful in that the journey usually begins sometime after Thanksgiving or December 1st and concludes typically on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or in some cases-New Years. This provides a framework for the story and gives both the author and the reader comfort, knowing the happily ever after is simply weeks away. The urgency of the upcoming holiday also creates a driving motivation for the characters to resolve their issues in time for their desired mistletoe kiss.

Secondary characters’ role in the Christmas Romance

As readers, we all enjoy the wise, meddling grandmother or the precious match-making child in these Christmas stories. They enrich the plot with even more heartwarming moments than the romance could evoke alone. The secondary characters that appear in these novels also tend to be those that resonate with readers-besides children and grandparents, we have parents, close friends, co-workers- all who provide a familiar support system that readers can identify with in their own lives. Often these characters play a role in helping the hero and heroine realize their love for one another and they encourage the union, making it feel right on every level. Or sometimes they are the antagonist, keeping the two apart. Whatever their role and purpose in the story, secondary characters add a sense of realism and new twists to every plot.

80 Degrees and No Snow in Sight

With the publishing industry cycles, holiday title deadlines for submission usually occurs in the early spring and revisions are completed throughout spring and summer, so how do we write Christmas novels in the middle of July? Surrounding ourselves with holiday spirit certainly helps. Everything from festive screen savers to Christmas music playing can be inspiring and help create the mood we are trying to capture. Close the blinds to block out the view of the sun and crank up the AC, forcing you to wear a sweater or enjoy a cup of warm hot cocoa. If you’re not afraid of a hefty power bill, crank the AC and turn on the fireplace. Looking at photos from the season or sorting through decorations that you’ve stored can also help bring the season to the forefront of your mind. On my personal bookshelf, there is no shortage of wonderful holiday romance novels that I can re-read to help evoke the necessary emotions that help inspire me when the hot sun is demanding a beach romance story instead.

Ahhh…the Covers

For me, the best part of writing the Christmas romance is receiving the first look at the book’s cover. The bright red, green, white or gold lettering on festive backgrounds of snowy scenes or mistletoe kisses are tempting to every reader of romance because ultimately, what better time for romance than the holiday season? A time that in essence is the symbol of love and forgiveness. A time that is focused on family and community and time spent with the people who matter most. Christmas embodies the true theme of any romance novel and provides a fantastic foundation for writers.

In Conclusion

Writing the Christmas romance has to be an emotional ride for the author in order for it to be a story that resonates with readers and evokes that sense of heartwarming that we’ve all come to love and expect from these kinds of stories. Readers love romance stories because they are uplifting and the promise of Happily Ever After on the final pages provides a feeling of comfort and hope. The Christmas romance adds another layer to the magic as the reader connects and identifies with the stress, the struggles, and then the love and happiness that the season brings. There is simply no better time for love than the holiday season.