How to write a great seasonal romance

I love writing Christmas romances – almost as much as I love reading them – and they’re always a favourite with my readers.

But I also enjoy reading and writing other seasonal stories, too. I believe that the seasonal setting of a novel can anchor a story in a way that makes it even more accessible to the reader – which is why they’re so popular!

While July might not seem like the ideal time to be talking about festive books, actually, this is normally when I find myself writing them. Books take a while to go from idea to publication, so it’s never too early to start thinking about fictional Christmas. (Plus, if you’ve been following me on social media this week, you’ll know I’m all about Christmas in July!)

But just like with all other romantic tropes, seasonal stories come with reader expectations. Meet them (or exceed them!) and your reader will reach the last page with a satisfied, fulfilled sigh. Miss them, and your reader won’t be able to shake the feeling that something is missing. 

So, if you’re planning to write a Christmas – or seasonal – story this summer, read on for my step by step guide to ensure you leave your reader satisfied on the last page, not writing to Santa for something more. 

Setting

Some settings just lend themselves better to a certain season. I remember writing an autumn book set in a Scottish castle, full of shadows and a ghost and warm drinks and cosiness – only for my editor to announce at the edit stage that it would now be published in the summer, and could I please edit accordingly. The book (Pregnant on the Earl’s Doorstep) still worked, but it lost that seasonal resonance I’d hoped it would have – even though I kept the ghost.

So it’s worth considering what setting will best suit your season. Of course beaches work well for summer, and country houses in the snow are lovely for winter, but you can think beyond that, I’m sure. Summer in the city is a very different vibe from winter there, but both work. And a beach in the tropics is very different to one on the Scottish coast. In fact, beaches in winter have a completely different beauty all of their own. 

And what about offices – with Christmas parties or early finishes on a Friday in summer? Are your characters heading home for Christmas, to see friends they only see at that time of year when everyone makes their annual pilgrimage to their hometown? Or are they gathering for a wedding at midsummer – or midwinter, for that matter?

Almost any setting can work at any time of year, but spend some time thinking about what your chosen season means in that place. Is it falling leaves and back to school, or icy roads and Christmas lights, or spring bulbs and valentine’s dinners, or picnics and outdoor theatre and endless warm evenings? 

Try This: 

If you’ve already got your setting, try imagining it in every season. If you’ve got your season but no setting, brainstorm a list of different places and what they’re like at that time of year. Put together a Pinterest board of images to help you see all your options. 

Try This:

Try doing some free writing around your character and the season. Let your subconscious come up with what the season means to them and why. Remember to consider all the memories, motifs and events they associate with that time of year, too. 

Action

Your plot is your plot, but something to consider when deciding how certain scenes play out is whether there’s a way to tie them more closely to your season.

If your hero and heroine have to have a certain conversation, but it could really happen anywhere, why not use that opportunity to send them off on a seasonal activity while they’re talking? The conversation will be the same if they have it over lunch in a nondescript cafe or walking around a Christmas market, but the latter will definitely add more seasonality to the story. 

Try This:

Brainstorm a list of seasonal activities for when your story is set – anything from kicking the leaves in autumn to ice skating in winter, puddle jumping in spring or picnicking in summer. Then see if any of them fit neatly within the story you’re trying to tell. 

Try This:

Look at your plot, your characters, your conflicts, and your season and try to find connections you can use to make the book tighter. For instance, if you’re writing a summer book, and the conflict is about your heroine trying to save her family business, make that business an iconic ice cream parlour on the beach that’s tied into locals’ and tourists’ memories of the place, and that’s a tighter fit for your season than a cafe in the town. 

Or perhaps the conflict might be more character driven than plot driven. If your hero is a huge Christmas fan who believes in the magic of the season, but the heroine has only bad Christmas memories and is mistrustful of Christmas miracles because in her experience they never last, you can use that to build a better conflict between them. 

Senses

This is where the season can really add the sort of touches to your story that drag your reader in and make them feel like their living the scene.

Seasons feel different – and even if you’re writing about a location that doesn’t have defined seasons, that will feel different to a character that is used to experiencing them.

By including descriptive details about how the time of year sounds, feels, tastes or smells, as well as how it looks, you’ll bring the season to life for your reader. 

Try This:

Close your eyes and imagine it’s the time of year you’re writing about. If it’s Christmas, picture yourself sitting by the tree; for summer, the beach, or whatever suits your story best.

Now, concentrate on what you can hear – carols, a Christmas movie, or seagulls overhead perhaps. Next, what you can smell – damp leaves, pumpkin spice coffee, or daffodils and wet grass. What can you feel? The prickle of pine needles, or sand between your toes. What tastes can you experience? The sweetness of easter chocolate, or Halloween candy, perhaps. 

Jot them all down, and put your list somewhere you can see it while you’re writing, to remind you to include some of these in your scenes. 

In summary, readers pick up a seasonal story because they want to feel like they’re there, in that moment of time, experiencing the season themselves. It’s our job as readers to fulfil that wish, and the more tightly you can tie the season to your characters, setting, action, senses and conflict, the more successful you’ll be. 

Also? It’s just a whole lot of fun!