How to write a holiday rom-com for TV, according to the experts

Have you ever watched a holiday rom-com on Hallmark Channel or Lifetime — or any of the other many networks and streamers that now air them — and thought, “I could write that”? It’s harder than you may think — but just as fun.Regular writers of Christmas fare for Hallmark Channel, Great American Family and Lifetime share the ins and outs, misconceptions and exceptions to writing a Christmas TV movie.Some say the holiday season goes by quickly, but for those whose jobs depend on it, Christmas is always on the brain.Writers are always looking for their next gig so there’s no real rest or downtime between assignments.

The pressure is on to come up with ideas, get them sold and get writing so the films can get made and ready to air.“I feel like when I’m not writing Christmas movies I’m pitching Christmas movies, so I feel like it’s Christmas all year round,” said Anna White, who executive produced and wrote “The Holiday Junkie,” directed by and starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, premiering Saturday on Lifetime.It can be challenging, however, to get into the mindset of Christmas when life outside doesn’t match the world you’re creating.Rick Garman, who wrote the 2023 Hallmark Channel hit film “Christmas on Cherry Lane,” along with its three sequels this year for Hallmark+, often writes Christmas movies in June.A resident of Savannah, Georgia, he says the high heat and humidity can be a slog.

When those moments bubble up, Garman has trained himself to think big picture.“I sort of flip back to this idea that people are going to watch this movie and it’s going to make them happy … and then I sort of get over myself.”Sometimes writing a script for a Christmas TV movie can be like listening to the same holiday song on repeat.“If you look at the hundreds and hundreds of Christmas movies over the last several years, it is tricky to come up with a different idea or a new twist on an old idea or a classic,” said Cara Russell, an exec...