Common Tropes

Every genre has its tropes - the familiar and comfortable aspects that readers expect to see again and again.

Holiday romances thrive on familiar patterns - the returning city professional, clashing business rivals, or cases of mistaken identity that lead to love. While some might dismiss these “tropes” as clichées, they are the essential ingredients that create the comfort and satisfaction readers crave. These elements persist because they tap into fundamental human experiences and desires.

In this lesson, we’ll explore the most common holiday romance tropes, examining how writers can use these familiar elements while keeping their stories fresh and engaging.

Common Tropes

Returning Home

Sarah Bradley is a corporate lawyer who left her small town for a high-powered job in Boston. When her grandmother’s illness leaves the family Christmas tree farm without management during peak season, Sarah returns to home for what she swears will be just a few weeks. She expects a failing business needing modernization. Instead, she finds Pine Valley Christmas Farm is a thriving community hub where three generations of families come every year to choose their perfect tree. Now she must work alongside farm manager Nick Mitchell to save the struggling business, forcing her to confront whether her definition of success has been wrong all along.

City Meets Small Town

Maya Chen is an ambitious architect known for transforming outdated spaces into modern attractions. When her firm sends her to oversee Blue Lake’s downtown renovation project, she clashes with Sam Cooper, a local carpenter whose craftsmanship has earned him a national following. Now Maya must find a way to honor Blue Lake’s historic charm while delivering the modern updates her firm demands, learning that sometimes progress means preserving what matters most.

Holiday Magic

Jack Murphy is a cynical event planner hired to revitalize dated community celebrations across the country. When Maple Valley’s historic Thanksgiving parade faces cancellation due to declining participation, Jack arrives expecting another quick fix. Now he must work with passionate parade commissioner Emma Harrison to save not just the event but the web of traditions and relationships that have made this small-town celebration meaningful for generations.

Business Rivals

Claire Matthews poured her life savings into opening a bakery on Main Street, carrying on her mother’s legacy of award-winning pastries. When charming entrepreneur David Parker opens an artisanal coffee shop next door, Claire sees him as a threat to her struggling business. Now, forced to share a booth for the town’s winter festival, Claire and David discover that the warmest partnerships bloom from unexpected rivalries.

Family Legacy

Kate Sullivan is a digital marketer who hasn’t read a physical book in years. When she inherits her grandmother’s failing downtown bookstore, her first instinct is to sell it to a developer planning a modern retail space. Now she must work with local history teacher Ben Harrison to explore the store’s past before making her final decision, uncovering a legacy of community connection that can’t be measured in profit margins.

Mistaken Identity

Lauren James arrives in Cedar Grove seeking a fresh start as an admin assistant at the local community center. When a mix-up leads everyone to believe she’s the highly-recommended event planner hired to coordinate the town’s centennial celebration—despite trying to correct the mistake—her natural organizational skills and creative ideas improve the upcoming town festival. Now she must work alongside Michael Taylor, the local florist, all while her temporary case of mistaken identity leads to genuine connections with both him and the community.

The key is keeping the misunderstanding innocent and resolving it before it becomes a major source of conflict. The revelation should enhance rather than damage the developing relationship.

Crafting Fresh Approaches

The secret to writing a compelling romance isn’t avoiding these familiar tropes—it’s finding fresh ways to execute them while maintaining the warmth readers expect. Consider these approaches:

• Combine tropes in unexpected ways: A returning home story might blend with holiday magic and family legacy.
• Add contemporary elements: Modern technology and social values can add depth without compromising warmth.
• Focus on community: Show how your characters’ journey affects and is affected by their community.
• Build meaningful connections: Let your characters bond over shared values rather than just attraction.

Remember that Hallmark readers aren’t looking for elaborate plot twists or high drama. They want stories that affirm their faith in love, community, and the power of human connection. Your job as a writer is to deliver these emotional satisfactions in ways that feel both familiar and fresh.

The most successful Hallmark stories use these tropes as foundations for building richer narratives about personal growth, community bonds, and the enduring power of love. When crafted with sincerity and attention to emotional truth, even the most familiar trope can feel like a brand new story.

Exercise

Draw two random tropes from a “trope hat”, and spend 10 minutes outlining how to combine them. Example combinations:

• Royal romance + small town business
• Holiday magic + rivals to lovers
• Family legacy + fish out of water