40: Can Your Christmas Idea Become a Limited Series?
Showrunners Erin Rodman and Davah Avena reveal how they adapted a Christmas novel into Hallmark’s first holiday limited series.
Can Your Christmas Idea Become a Limited Series?
Screenwriter–producers Erin Rodman and Davah Avena unpack how they turned Jenni Bayliss’s novel “The 12 Dates of Christmas” into Hallmark’s first-ever Christmas limited series. They discuss the leap from TV-movie structure to six-episode storytelling, including bigger set pieces, ensemble arcs, and juicy cliffhangers that keep viewers binging. Erin and Davah share how their co‑showrunning partnership worked on and off set. They also delve into career strategy, including developing a unique voice, generating a deep bench of holiday ideas, utilizing TikTok and other platforms for community, and why self-publishing can be a smart path for Christmas screenwriters.
Chapters
0:08 Welcome to the Podcast
3:12 Transitioning to a Series
5:52 Adapting a Novel for TV
8:50 Creative Freedom in Christmas Movies
11:09 Collaborating with a Showrunner
16:33 Maintaining Christmas Spirit
18:44 Writer’s Room Dynamics
22:48 Book-to-Screen Insights
27:03 Audience Expectations
30:14 The Selection Process
45:03 Advice for Aspiring Screenwriters
Action Checklist
Unique Voice:
Focus on your own distinct voice instead of stressing over hitting a perfect, rigid structure.
Idea Generation:
Continue to develop new concepts and loglines to ensure you always have fresh material. And you need a lot. Check out EP 20 with Screenwriter and development exec, Cara Russell – the title of that podcast is Why You Need 70+ Christmas Script Ideas
Social Media + Community:
Use platforms like TikTok and others to connect with fellow writers and find solidarity and opportunities.
Self-Publishing Path:
Consider self‑publishing a novel or story in your Christmas world as an alternate route to visibility.
