The Romance

In our final class, we’re going to look at the spark, the magic, the romance. After all, what is this genre without those scenes by the Christmas tree? The meet-cute? The almost kiss!

Before we dive in, take a moment to consider your own romance writing. Choose a scene you’ve written for another genre - perhaps something steamy or deeply emotional. How would you transform it to capture that distinctive Hallmark magic? The challenge isn’t about removing elements, but rather redirecting that same emotional intensity into moments of genuine connection.

Understanding the Romance Timeline

Unlike other romance genres that might rush to physical attraction, here we build emotional connections first. Your leads need time to recognize their compatibility through shared experiences and values. This doesn’t mean your romance should be slow—rather, it should not focus on the physical aspects.

The initial spark might come from conflict - the corporate developer meeting the small-town shopkeeper, the digital innovator clashing with the traditional craftsperson. But beneath that conflict, plant seeds of mutual respect and shared values that will grow throughout your story.

Take Briggs and Tiffany. Their first meeting sets up a perfect opposition: His crew filming her shop without permission, her protective stance over her traditional business. Yet even in this conflict, we see hints of what will draw them together—his immediate respect for her boundaries, her recognition of his genuine interest in local stories. These early moments establish both the tension and the potential for connection.

The Rhythm of Seasonal Romance

One of the genre’s most distinctive features is its celebration of holidays, seasons, and traditions. Each time of year offers its own romantic possibilities, creating natural opportunities for your characters to connect. Winter brings the magic of Christmas markets and ice skating lessons, where a steadying hand can spark a moment of connection. Spring offers garden plantings and rain-shelter moments, where shared work leads to shared dreams. Summer evenings open up to stargazing and community festivals, while autumn brings harvest celebrations and cozy moments of reflection.

Consider how your characters’ relationship deepens through these seasonal touchstones. A Fourth of July celebration might have them working together on the town’s float, their hands meeting over streamers as fireworks light the sky. October could find them teaching local children to make Halloween decorations, their shared laughter over lopsided paper ghosts revealing how far they’ve come from their initial conflict.

Building Chemistry Without Heat

When building chemistry, the focus isn’t on physical attraction or heated moments, but on the gradual discovery of shared values, compatible dreams, and complementary strengths. True connection develops through meaningful interactions: Working together on community projects, sharing childhood memories while decorating for festivals, or discovering common ground during traditional celebrations. When done well, this type of chemistry creates a romance that feels both wholesome and deeply authentic, proving that emotional intimacy can be far more compelling than physical attraction.

This moment shows Briggs understanding the real impact of her work beyond business metrics. Their connection builds through a shared appreciation of human stories, not romance. His quiet attention to these messages reveals his capacity for depth, while her willingness to share shows growing trust.

Physical Expression Within Boundaries

While Hallmark romances keep physical contact minimal, they make every touch count: A steadying hand during an ice-skating lesson, a brief touch while passing coffee, a dance at the town social. These moments work because they’re earned through emotional connection and respect natural boundaries.

Body language becomes crucial: lingering looks, subtle smiles, the way characters gravitate toward each other in group scenes. Show their growing comfort through proximity—how they stand closer as the story progresses, how they naturally turn toward each other in conversations.

The Art of Romantic Dialogue

Here, what characters say matters less than how they say it. Dialogue should reveal growing understanding and respect. Early conversations might be playful debates about city versus small-town life. Middle-story exchanges share deeper fears and dreams, often while working on shared projects. Final declarations focus on how each character has grown through knowing the other.

Think of dialogue as the tip of the iceberg, where the few simple words above the water’s surface hide a much larger and deeper meaning.Some of your most romantic moments might have no dialogue at all—just a shared look across a crowded festival, or a moment of perfect understanding when one character supports the other’s dream.

Building to Forever

Your story’s resolution should feel both inevitable and earned. The declaration of love works best when it ties together all the threads of your story: How they’ve helped each other grow, the community they’ve strengthened together, the traditions they’ve shared and created. Show us how they’ve become not just lovers, but better versions of themselves through knowing each other.

Consider ending with a moment that echoes your beginning, transformed by all that’s come between. Let’s take our story:

The most powerful moments come from emotional recognition, that beautiful instant when characters realize they’ve found not just love, but a partner who sees and celebrates their truest self. When you achieve this, your romance will shine with that special magic that keeps readers coming back for more.

Exercises

Choose a scene from your story and write it three ways, each focusing on:

• Dialogue
• Action
• Body language

Now combine these three versions using the strongest elements of each. Note how the emotional impact changes with each version.