There’s something so magical about the festive season; twinkly lights strung up everywhere you look, the smell of warming spices as food is prepared for the celebrations, wrapping up warm in cozy jumpers and curling up with a mug of hot chocolate. But, most importantly, there’s an overwhelming feeling of community, family and kindness this time of year. It’s no wonder seasonal romances are so popular! No matter what holiday the characters are celebrating, readers are looking for a reliable happy-ever-after (HEA) to warm their hearts and immerse them in the joy of the season. Thinking of writing your own? Then look no further! We’ve pulled together six top tips for incorporating the holidays into your stories.
1) A Festive Spin on Popular Tropes
Rather than just using the holiday as a backdrop for the romance, why not give it an active role in the development of the central relationship? There are so many ways that you can incorporate the holidays into popular tropes and storylines. Are your characters snowbound in a cozy cabin, stuck together in forced proximity? Is one of your protagonists in need of a fake date for the holiday? Do they share an unexpected kiss as the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, leading to one night with consequences? Does an office Christmas party end with your character falling for their boss? Could you do a twist on the increasingly popular grumpy x sunshine trope, and have one character who’s a Christmasaholic and one who’s a bit of a Scrooge? Or maybe the holidays inspire reflection and forgiveness, resulting in a second chance/reunion romance? Don’t be afraid to get creative and think outside of the box!
2) Sun, Snow and Small Towns: The Power of Setting
We’ve already touched on using a snowy setting to trap your protagonists in heart-racing proximity, but there are endless ways you could use the location to incorporate the holidays into your story. You could lean into the glitz and glamour of the season by taking your characters to a luxury event—what about a New Year’s Eve charity ball in a palace? Or you could send your characters to a beautiful exotic location to spend winter in the sun—a Christmas BBQ on the beach in Byron Bay, anyone? Maybe your characters return home to their small town for Hanukkah? Or are they spending Christmas in London, enjoying trips to Winter Wonderland and ice skating at Somerset House? What about celebrating Diwali in India, attending a mesmerizing lantern festival? Think about how you can use your story’s location to maximum effect to immerse your readers in the magic of the holiday.
3) Melt Hearts with Children and Pets
What readers want more than anything at this time of year is a story that leaves them feeling good, as though they’ve been wrapped in a blanket next to a roaring fire. Don’t underestimate the heartwarming power of children and pets! If you want to infuse your story with warmth and magic, this is the way to do it. Everything is more exciting through the eyes of a child, and that’s certainly true when it comes to the holidays. Having a child (or children!) as a secondary character also opens up a whole new world of festive activities and details that you can feature in your story. From writing wish lists to Santa, to the protagonists teaching them how to make traditional dishes during Kwanzaa, to building snowmen in the garden, the options are endless.
Pets are popular heart-melters all year round, and the holidays are no exception! If you’re going to include a pet in your story, then why not use them to full effect to help immerse readers in the holiday you’re writing about? Small details go a long way to building your fictional world and making it feel authentic for readers. Maybe your characters rescue an abandoned kitten stuck in the snow? Perhaps a dog loves to curl up next to the fire, or maybe there’s a puppy that keeps stealing baubles off the tree (my own dog certainly does!)? Maybe the characters dress the pet up in a festive jumper to keep them warm? Or maybe they even decide to give back this holiday and volunteer in an animal shelter?
4) Get in the Holiday Spirit!
The holidays are often times of self-reflection, forgiveness, hopefulness and, most of all, love. Another way to incorporate the holidays into your story can be to use the heightened emotions associated with them to drive your characters’ emotional journeys. Maybe one character takes courage from the holiday being a time for unexpected possibilities and finally tells their best friend how they really feel? Perhaps a guarded character finds themselves envious of the happy couples around them, and begins to wonder if it’s time to open themselves up to romance again? Could a period of self-reflection make your character realize how much they miss someone from their past? Or maybe two enemies find themselves lowering their guards as the spirit of the season overcomes them, and they’re finally able to get over the miscommunications that caused the tension between them in the first place?
5) It’s Not Always ‘The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!’
What about the not-so-merry side to the holidays? For some, it can be an incredibly stressful, lonely and even painful time. Exploring the realities of this experience could be a really interesting way to write about the holidays! Perhaps your character is a single parent, desperately trying to balance work with making the holiday as magical for their child(ren) as possible? Maybe the holiday is a reminder of someone they’ve lost? Or maybe your character feels lonelier than ever, surrounded by couples and families enjoying the festivities? Whilst you want readers to walk away from your seasonal romance feeling uplifted, the story doesn’t necessarily need to be super sweet or upbeat throughout. As long as the overall feeling is hopeful and we get that all-important HEA, a bit of angst and plenty of emotional depth can make for an incredibly fulfilling read.
6) Use Your Own Experiences for Inspiration
Your imagination doesn’t need to do all the work! What about incorporating some of your personal experiences into your seasonal story? For example, what’s the best memory you have of the holiday? What are your/your family’s traditions? What’s something you’ve always wanted to do for the holiday? How were your childhood holidays different to your current celebrations? Could you even use a negative memory to add depth and conflict into the story? Using your own experiences will not only help to inspire you and get you into the festive mindset (because you might not always be writing your holiday romance around the time of the holiday itself!), but can also add an element of authenticity and warmth to the story.
We hope this has encouraged you try your hand at a holiday romance! And remember, whilst this blog has focused primarily on winter celebrations, there are countless festivities throughout the year that you can incorporate into your stories. There’s Valentine’s Day, Easter, Eid, Independence Day, and so many more.
If you need any more inspiration, then why not check out some of Harlequin’s enchanting holiday romances?
