Let's Write a Christmas Movie! - Four
AI & I | Quarter 1, Scene 2 in which we meet our cutsie couple to be and throw them straight into the first disaster on their path to a happy for now ending.
If this is the first you hear of this particular Let’s Write challenge, you may want to go back to the index page to get the full picture. TL/DR: I am going to see if I can figure out how to use AI to help me write a short romance.
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Welcome back to our Christmas movie writing journey!
If you're just joining us (where have you been?), you might want to catch up with Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 first. And if you are following along, writing your own story, remember that our first quarter needs to accomplish three key things: introduce our protagonist (without inducing yawns), establish a problem (that feels authentic), and put them in emotional discomfort (the romance equivalent of finding a spider in your shoe).
Last time, we explored Lester Dent's formula for compelling storytelling and how I adapted it for this romance writing challenge. Today, we're finally getting on with the writing. This is the first quarter of our story—where we meet our wheelchair-using protagonist, Jaz, and get to see the delightfully awkward meet-cute that sets everything in motion.
I’m about to share the first of the two scenes with you, but please remember: This is not the final version. It’s a WIP, a work in progress, and we’re here to figure this out together.
Quarter 1, Scene 1: The Fateful Meeting
Now, without further ado (because I know how much you love my rambling introductions)… Let's meet Jaz!
The Yule Fayre was a sensory nightmare. Twinkling lights strung everywhere, the competing smells of cinnamon, mulled wine, and pine, and the constant press of bodies moving in unpredictable patterns. If I wasn't on a mission, I'd have stayed home with a cup of tea and my latest knitting project.
But Maggie had texted that morning: Just got a shipment of that Peruvian alpaca in the shades you wanted. Won't last the weekend.
So here I was, navigating my chair through the crowd, focusing on the mental map I'd made of the market layout. Maggie's stall was at the far end, tucked between a honey seller and someone hawking wooden ornaments. If I could just make it there without someone spilling hot chocolate on me or—worse—patting my head and telling me how "inspirational" I was, I'd count it as a win.
I adjusted my woollen hat and pushed forward, keeping my eyes on the small gaps between people. December in Maine was unforgiving, but the crush of bodies inside the covered market created a bubble of warmth that had me considering shedding my outer layer. Not worth the hassle, though. I'd be back in the cold soon enough.
"Excuse me," I said, my tone practised—polite but firm. A group of teenagers grudgingly parted, one of them glancing down at my chair with that momentary flash of awkward recognition I knew too well.
The Seaport Yule Fayre had been running for fifteen years, and the organisers still hadn't figured out proper accessibility. Each year I emailed my suggestions. Each year they responded with enthusiasm. And each year, nothing changed. If I wasn't so desperate for Maggie's yarn, I might have boycotted it altogether.
I spotted a flash of colour ahead—the distinctive display of hand-dyed wool that marked Maggie's stall. Almost there. I picked up speed slightly, slipping through a gap between a couple arguing about which cheese to buy. The crowds thinned slightly as I approached the artisan section, where the stalls were spaced a bit more generously.
I could see Maggie now, her grey curls escaping from under a bright purple beret as she wrapped a purchase for a customer. Relief washed over me. I'd made it. I wheeled forward with renewed purpose—
Then my chair jolted to a stop so abruptly I nearly pitched forward.
"Whoa! Sorry!" A man's voice, warm and flustered.
I looked down to see the problem: a long red scarf, trailing from someone's hand, had become hopelessly tangled in my right wheel. I followed the scarf up to its owner—tall, with kind eyes and an expression of pure mortification.
"You're stuck—wait, I can fix it." He immediately crouched down, too eager to help, his hands fumbling with wool and spokes.
"Don't! I'm fine," I said sharply, tugging my chair back by instinct.
There was a horrible ripping sound as the beautiful scarf shredded. He winced visibly. "Please, let me—"
"I said no!" Heat rushed to my face. I didn't need rescuing, especially not by some stranger who couldn't keep track of his own accessories.
With another tug, I managed to free most of the scarf, leaving him holding a torn piece of red wool. I didn't wait for another apology. I wheeled away quickly, my heart pounding with a familiar mix of embarrassment and frustration.
Behind me, I heard his hesitant voice call, "Merry Christmas?"
I didn't look back.
Okay, Now What?
Now, we open this baby up and poke around a little (without breaking anything, I promise). There are two questions I want to find the answers to: a, Does it do what we need it to do according to Lester Dent’s formula? And b, Does it land the way I want it to? Let’s see, shall we?
Introducing Our Protagonist
In just a few paragraphs, we've established who Jaz is and what matters to her. She's a knitter with enough skill and passion to brave an inaccessible market to get her hands on a special yarn. She's resourceful, the kind of person who plans her route through the market ahead of time. And we've also seen something of how she deals with her disability. She’s matter-of-fact, pragmatic, and slightly (okay, quite) weary of how it affects others.
The details about her emails to market organisers tell us she's proactive and persistent. The brief mention of how she likes being called "inspirational" (not at all!) hints at her experience with microaggressions without needing to explain it outright.
Establishing the Problem
There are multiple layers here. On the surface, it's the literal entanglement1 of the scarf in her wheel, aka our meet-cute disaster. But beneath that, we've already planted the seeds of deeper conflicts like:
Jaz's frustration with accessibility issues and being treated differently;
Her fierce independence that sometimes (probably often) makes her push people away; and
The immediate tension between her and the man we will make her fall heads over heels for.
Putting Her in "Danger"
In romance, as we have already established, the danger or darkness Lester Dent calls for has to be emotional rather than physical.2
Here, we’ve already caused Jaz to feel:
Embarrassment from the public scene.
Frustration at being "helped" without consent.
The beginnings of guilt (which will grow when she learns about the scarf's monetary value and personal significance).
This emotional thundercloud sets up the internal conflict she'll need to overcome as she reconnects with Will3 later in the story.
Craft Elements to Notice
I’ve included several writing techniques to make this scene particularly effective. Feel free to steal borrow use them in your own writing:
1, Sensory Details
The opening grounds us in the setting. I have involved multiple senses to achieve this—visual (twinkling lights), smell (cinnamon, mulled wine, pine), and physical sensation (press of bodies, Maine's4 cold weather). This is designed to create a sense of immersion, and it characterises the market as overwhelming in Jaz's perspective.
I think something we often miss, especially when we’re writing the first draft, is how sensory details aren't just decorative. They’re actually characterisation in disguise!
2, Internal Monologue
Most of my main characters talk to themselves. I know some readers find this strange, but as someone with a brain that never stops talking, I do like to know what’s going on in there.
I think Jaz's thoughts in this situation help us get a sense of her personality. Her inner monologue about the "inspirational" comment and yearly ignored accessibility suggestions shows us her frustration without the need for a full-on rant. This is the "show, don't tell" advice in action that writing books bang on about.5
And here’s a sneaky little POV bonus: This is first person narration done intimately. Notice how we’re right there in Jaz’s mind, hearing her thoughts in real time, and still getting rich sensory details about the world around her. That balance helps readers feel grounded and emotionally connected, which is basically the holy grail of voicey romance.
3, Micromoments
Adding small details like the teenager's "momentary flash of awkward recognition" and the way she uses a "practised" tone speaks volumes about her daily experiences of moving through the world as a wheeler.
Tiny observations like these can help with massive heavy lifting both in terms of character building and the development of the world they live in.
4, Pacing
Did you notice how the scene accelerates? It begins with a few slower, descriptive passages to establish the setting and character, then it picks up speed as Jaz approaches her destination. There’s a climax in the abrupt halt and quick, tense exchange of words with Will.
This pacing shift mirrors how we build toward the story beat like a proper rollercoaster. We need a slow climb before the exciting (or horrific) drop! Establish, accelerate, impact.
Your Turn: Writing Prompts
Right then! Time to put your money where your keyboard is. Here are some exercises to get those creative juices flowing (or at least dribbling ever so slightly):
A Character Introduction Challenge
Write a 300-word opening that introduces your protagonist through their actions and observations rather than a direct description. What environment puts them on edge? What small details can you add to reveal something about their personality? (Bonus points if you can avoid mentioning their appearance at all. Or at least not until the very end.)
A Meet-Disaster Exercise
Create your own meet-cute that goes spectacularly wrong. Remember that tension can come from conflicting personalities or goals, not just physical mishaps. Think about what makes your characters particularly sensitive or defensive, then hit them where it hurts!
A Sensory Setting
Choose a holiday setting (market, party, family gathering) and describe it through the perspective of someone who finds it challenging in some way. Use at least three different senses. And please, for the love of ship and port, dig deeper than what things look like. Tell us how they smell and sound! This technique is almost criminally underused in most baby writers' work.
Want to level up? Write the same scene twice, from the POV of two different characters. One might love the chaos of the holiday crowd; the other might find it utterly overwhelming. Or maybe one’s riding a sugar high and the other’s spiralling into seasonal dread. How do their sensory experiences differ? What do they notice? What do they ignore?
This is a great way to show how perception = characterisation. Same setting. Same moment. Totally different stories.
Next Time on Let's Write a Christmas Movie
In two weeks (look at me getting all organised!), we’ll continue with the second scene of Quarter 1, where Jaz meets up with her yarn dealer. (Name pending. I’m calling her Maggie right now, but I’m not feeling it.)
In this scene, Jaz learns something surprising about the beautiful scarf she just ruined, we find out more about our leading man before they've even met properly, and we sneak in a few more seeds for their inevitable reunion.
Is it still a spoiler if we're all following the same formula? I vote no.
Until then, I'd love to see your responses to the writing prompts! Share them in the comments, or if you're feeling shy, work on them privately. Nobody becomes a decent writer without actually, you know, writing. And first drafts are supposed to suck. That’s their job!6
Remember that emotional stakes in romance can feel just as high as the physical danger in adventure stories. Sometimes even higher! I'm #TeamBear for life and I’d rather face down a zombie than have an uncomfortable conversation about my feelings for someone (other than the bear). But that's probably why I live on an imaginary pirate ship and write fiction instead of having a proper social life.
Oh, and one more thing. If you're enjoying this series, consider sharing it with other writing friends. The more the merrier, and all that! Besides, misery loves company, and what's more miserable than staring at a blank page wondering if you'll ever write something worth reading? (You will, by the way. Keep going.)
Puss & Kram,
Linnea 🤍
P.S. If you're tired of battling the blank page alone, consider boarding my ship! We're a small motley crew at various stages of our writing journeys, who share triumphs, disasters, and occasionally useful advice. Plus, there's significantly less scurvy than on actual pirate ships. New deckhands always welcome!
Links and Footnotes
I literally cannot use this word without thinking of Jada Pinkett (Smith?) anymore.
Unless it’s a dark romance or romantasy, but that could be a topic for another series.
Do we like Will? The name, I mean?
Note to self: Did you say Maine? (There’s an opportunity for a fictional cross-over here I hadn’t thought of, but need to consider. It could be fun!)
And that normally drives me potty! I am allergic to almost all strict DO this and DON’T do that advice.
That, and to tell you all you need to know about the story you are writing.