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A Castle for Christmas: A Fun Look into Movies with Writer Characters and The Netflix Christmas Movie

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A Castle for Christmas movie poster
Image via Netflix.com.

A Castle for Christmas is the latest Netflix Christmas movie released in late November so that us, Christmas romcom lovers can get their fix early on.

So let’s get started…

A Castle for Christmas starring Brooke Shields and Cary Elwes: Plot Summary (no spoilers, yet

Brooke Shields plays Sophie McGuinty (Sophie Brown after marriage), a rich, successful, bestselling author. She has forged a successful career through her series of romance books featuring Emma Gale and her love interest Winston.

The problem? Sophie commits a cardinal sin in the eyes of her fans: She kills Winston in her latest book. The fallout, as well as the upcoming marriage of her now ex-husband (whose actions did certainly inspire the killing of Winston), gives her a wonderful idea: Go to the Scotland village where her father worked and write there.

In Scotland, she immediately makes friends and happy fans who couldn’t care less she killed off Winston. She even has the almost-fell-but-saved-by-a-stranger meet cute with the handsome local and laborer Myles (Cary Elwes).

When she wants to tour the village castle where her dad spent part of his childhood, Myles offers her a private tour. But their instant attraction turns sour when Sophie sneaks around to do her own thing.

From then on, Myles is Grumpy McGrumperson, acting like he hates everything single Sophie does. It gets worse when Sophie finds out Myles is actually the duke who owns the castle.

To add insult to Myles’ injured pride, he is losing the castle to financial troubles, Sophie is his one willing buyer.

Realizing it is either the banks or Sophie, he offers a tricky deal where Sophie can invest a deposit and abide by Myles’s rules to stay in the castle and learn how to run it for a certain amount of time. Of course, the plan is to make her suffer so that she will run, losing the sizeable deposit.

Obviously, Sophie is tougher than he realized, and it doesn’t help that she is pretty, lovely and everyone loves her.

So it is the will of battles while these two try to fend off their attraction.

You really don’t need me to tell you the end. 🙂

Is it fun? Is it full of cliches? Is it pretty to look at?

Yes. Yes. And yes.

Are you looking for originality? Run.

Surprises? Go away.

Can’t stand cliches? Why are you watching a Christmas-themed romcom? What’s wrong with you?

Those who have a soft spot for Christmas, Scotland, Cary Elwes, and Brooke Shields, and the guaranteed romcom ending? You can stay. This movie is for you.

I had a blast. In addition to the soft spots I mentioned above, the movie has another major draw for me:

A writer as a protagonist.

So, for all the writers among us, let’s look at that film through that lens. And yes, let there be spoilers.

Movies with Writer Characters: A Castle for Christmas

Lessons and tips on marketing, writing, inspiration, dealing with negative reviews, and beyond

Fantasy fulfillment: Successful writer with a large backlist

My favorite part of the movie is how it fulfills my fantasies, and I’m not even talking about the duke. Yet.

I immediately empathize with and root for Brooke Shields’ character Sophie. She has lived a charmed life – having gotten a lucrative traditional publishing deal for a big series.

Being a bestseller is a dream for many of us, even if in the end we’ll just use it as an enabler of bill-paying and writing whatever we want.

In that regard, she is where we want to be in our careers.

Replace romance with the genre you write, and the traditional publishing deal with the path you prefer.

She is a romance author. Hello! Romcom drama author here. The romantic storylines are the hearts of my story. (Apologies for the necessary pun.)

She lives in a big house, has a loving and supportive daughter, and most importantly, as we will later find out, she can afford to go to Scotland on a whim and buy a castle. Financial (fantasy) goals right there.

I might not be in the market for Scotland castles, but I sure as hell want to be able to travel and buy houses when and where I like.

And instead of a daughter, I’ll take many loving and super supportive friends (which she will get pretty soon).

Her agent, despite being pushy, is also pretty sweet and capable. (Repeat after me: She has an agent who believes in her! I mean…)

So basically, right out of the gate, this movie was made for me. I was in love. Love at first protagonist reveal if you will.

And who cares about a little thing called divorce if you are going to give me a Cary Elwes later? (Is it just me, or is he the prettiest and youngest-looking 59-year-old man you’ve ever seen? Do ignore his weird smile on the poster, though.)

So of course, she has a major career-related problem too:

She has killed off a beloved character, and her readers want her head on a stick. Big f—ing whoop. (I mean…it would be nice not to have fans protesting outside The Drew Barrymore Show studio, but the silver lining is that she’s getting booked on The Drew Barrymore Show. People know who she is!!!)

Rejection and negative reviews are par for the course. But one reader’s thrash is another’s treasure. And vice versa.

She has/had readers! She can write tens of books. She can afford a castle. She can afford a big apartment. She can handle this crisis.

And she handles it beautifully (and yes, pretty luckily.)

Not all readers are the same. Great marketing lesson right there. She has fans who still love her and are actually glad Winston is gone. (I’m sure she even has fans who are sick of her main character and want stories with new characters.)

Get social. You will be inspired.

Doing different things gives us ideas. She knows what she wants to write about after a day out in the town with the duke, inspired by a lore. Different country, different people, different activities.

Exercise and fresh air motivate you and make you stronger. 

OK, this is my least favorite takeaway and the least obvious one, but she does go about cycling and spends time outdoors a lot. I’m guessing that has helped her put up with the horrid accommodation conditions the duke made her put up with. I’d have gotten the flu the first week, and then after I recovered, I’d be finding legal and satisfactory ways to kick his royal and grumpy ass.

But then I don’t exercise enough, so I shall, begrudgingly, learn this lesson.

Be nice to fans, and be open to marketing ideas.

She is really great with the first one. She even takes over the castle tour and people love it. Duke’s right hand even suggests putting her books in the gift shop, and she says she wouldn’t go that far…

But she is at a stage in her career where she doesn’t need to do it. In real life, if you have a chance to do classy online marketing, take it. And if I am an author giving castle tours and people are loving me for it, you’d bet I’d give them the opportunity to buy books on site.

It’s okay to take a break. It’s okay to recharge. But don’t give up.

This is the most obvious lesson, but it is there and it’s super helpful.

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A Castle for Christmas as a Christmas Romcom

Yes, it is cheesy. And sometimes, instead of falling for the duke yourself, you want to give him a good shake and say “What’s wrong with you, man?” because, repeat after me, grumpiness and negativity are not sexy.

He also sabotages his own happiness by acting against his own desires for most of the movie.

It takes him super long to separate his identity from his property and admit/accept/embrace what really matters in life and to him.

That said, he has redeeming qualities that make us forgive him.

  1. He does acknowledge pretty early on that Sophie’s ex husband is an idiot.
  2. He is smart and he actually has a profession other than just being a royal who inherited something.
  3. He is hard-working.
  4. He’s super compassionate. He did this brilliant, life-saving thing for the whole village, even though it put him at a severe disadvantage financially.
  5. He can be super romantic.
  6. He is attracted to a woman his age.

So you have:

  1. The opposites attract trope but in a redeeming way. Here opposites aren’t necessarily opposites so much as they have conflicting goals and conflicting ways of dealing with problems.
  2. Supportive, super friendly, loyal-as-hell people. No one has a bad heart in this movie. Possible? No. Do we love the escapism? Yes!
  3. Christmas, snow, horse-riding, a castle, shiny and colorful lights, a great dance

And best of all, and I can’t stress enough, the leads are in their 50s. We don’t get enough romcoms in this age group.

(Seriously, if I get one more character who freaks about turning 30 and not being married…)

TL, DR?

– The protagonist is a prolific writer who lives the fantasy of many, many real-life writers.

– Scotland is gorgeous. Christmas can be lovely. Dances rock!

– Romantic love and sex are great at any age.

– There is a lot of cheese. Cheese and clichés abound. You have been warned.

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If you spend your time complaining about how romcoms and Christmas movies are annoying and all the same and so predictable, do not watch it.

The rest of you, especially the writers, jump on board.

So what other Netflix Christmas romcoms do I recommend?   

  • Love Hard
  • A Christmas Prince series (3 movies)
  • A California Christmas series (2 movies)
  • Holidate (This technically covers all major holidays and special days, but Christmas is there too!)

 

Books with Writer Characters: Camino Island by John Grisham

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I’m fascinated with the writing craft and the world of writers. In addition to running this blog about writers, and penning books and articles on the topic, I analyze movies and TV series with writer characters, and the broader themes and lessons they provide for us writers. You can check out the blog posts here: Fictional Writers in Movies, TV, and Books

While my preferred medium is always written, don’t be surprised if I start creating “Writer reacts to writer characters” videos on YouTube. Maybe they won’t be as interesting as lawyers or doctors’ reaction stuff, but hey, we will see. 🙂

For this post, instead of TV or film, I’m picking a book with a writer protagonist: Camino Island by John Grisham, my favorite author.

Hope you like it!

 

Plot Summary for Camino Island

A group of pro thieves still F. Scott Fitzgerald’s original manuscripts from the Princeton Library archives, and the FBI is nowhere near solving the case.

The insurance company, however, is certain bookshop owner Bruce Cable has them and convinces struggling writer Mercer Mann to spy him. Her cover is simple and believable enough: She’s there to work on her next book (which is true) at her deceased grandmother’s house on the island (also true). All she has to do is get close to Bruce, which should be easy enough. Bruce loves all writers and is rumored to have flings with beautiful women ones.

Mercer unwillingly takes on the task and finds herself a great community of writers, as well as a handsome romantic interest.

Can she get close enough to Bruce to find out his secrets? And if she does, will she be able to sell him out?

 

Thoughts on Camino Island

This is a rare John Grisham novel. It’s crime fiction as opposed to a legal thriller. There are lawyers involved, but they have small parts. The leads are a bookstore owner and a writer, and as a seasoned writer himself, it is not surprising that Grisham captures the diversity of the writing world and the many issues writers face so well.

It’s definitely entertaining, and Bruce Cable will return in the sort-of-sequel in Camino Winds.

 

Writing World Related Issues Covered in The Book

  • Writer’s block and inspiration

Mercer has been blocked for years. Neither her student loans nor her problematic relationship with her complicated family helps.

  • Writing fictional stories about real people

In order to help Mercer out of her block, the writer community – especially steamy romance author Myra and Bruce, they steer Mercer toward an idea. Bruce also shares about the manuscript an ex-girlfriend was working on before she died: a fictional affair between Fitzgerald’s wife and Ernest Hemingway. While she entertains the idea for a bit, she eventually writes her own thing.

  • Literary acclaim vs. financial success

Myra’s longtime girlfriend Leigh is a literary author with little financial success. As it turns out, Myra and Leigh have created many of the steamy romances together, finding quite the success. Unfortunately, a lawsuit interfered with their productivity.

Myra is often quick to point out how the mainstream novels enable them to live the comfortable life they lead on the island. Leigh tries to keep herself distant from the “thrashy” novels even though she enjoys the fruits.

  • Networking and socializing

As much as I like my personal space and alone time, I also love people. I love meeting writers and talking shop with them. I suspect it is true for every profession. Non-doctors (other medical professionals excluded) will probably not get doctors as well as their colleagues do. Architects will need other architects and so on.

And writing is its own animal altogether. We spend so much time in our heads and in front of our screens, but at the same time, we try to lead exciting lives so that we write exciting stories. Talking to other writers makes me feel, well, normal and understood.

As much as normal is a relative concept, people in non-creative fields, especially if they are not freelancing, are not likely to understand writers as well as writers do.

As I read parts of Camino Island in my house during a pandemic, I envied the dinners these writers had. I’d love to live in a community full of supportive writers.

I’ve tons of online writer friends, but I prefer meeting them in real life. Fingers crossed for all of us to survive this so that we can look forward to writing conferences, networking events, and chance meetings.

  • Substance abuse

One of the writers in the story is an alcoholic who eventually gets into rehab and stays sober. Another writer had a similar problem.

  • Drawing inspiration from the writer’s own life

My second novel A Change Would Do You Good, which is being edited at the moment, was inspired immensely by the month I spent in Santa Barbara, California.

In Camino Island, Mercer eventually decides to write fiction inspired by the time she spent with her grandmother.

  • Book signing

As a self-published author, I haven’t had a book signing yet. Frankly, I’d love to meet fans, talk about my work, and answer their questions. I hate my signature, but it’d be a small price to pay for the honor.

In the novel, Mercer cancels her remaining events for her first book after the disappointing turnout at the first couple of bookstores.

She was originally reserved a spot at Bruce’s bookstore which she canceled. Otherwise, they would have met before she gets hired about the stolen manuscripts. Maybe she wouldn’t even be approached to be a “spy” at all. This is an important plot point, as well as writer marketing in general.

  • Teaching and beyond.

A lot of writers teach. I love teaching.

Even though I haven’t taught writing yet, I’ve published How to Write an Amazing Romance Novel where I take romance novel enthusiasts through the whole process. For my next non-fiction project, I’m thinking about a guide on writing your first novel.

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There you have it. Camino Island will please Grisham fans, crime fiction lovers and writers – especially those who love bookstores and other writers, fictional or not.

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Have you read a novel featuring a writer lately? Let me know in the comments.

Writing The Ultimate Historical Romantic Drama: Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society Film Review & Writing Lessons

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The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society
Image via Evensi.

Juliet Ashton (Lily James) is a young writer slowly recovering from the emotional trauma of World War II with the help of her career, her best friend/publisher Sydney (Matthew Goode), and her handsome officer boyfriend Mark (Glen Powell).

Farmer Dawsey (Michiel Huisman) runs a book club called Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society (aff. link) with his neighbors, which they had to start to get out of trouble during the German occupation of the island.

When Juliet receives a letter from Dawsey asking where he can find a copy of one of her books, the two start corresponding and bond over their mutual love of reading. Juliet is excited about the book club, and she decides to write an article about them.

Much to Sydney’s objections (due to her publicity tour), Juliet hops on a boat to meet the bunch. While she is at first greeted with enthusiasm, one of the members turns hostile when she expresses intent for writing the article.

The more she gets to know the members, the more she bonds with them. And after she learns about the fate of one of the members, she sets out to find out what exactly happened to her and where she is with some help from Mark. Her growing feelings for Dawsey will further complicate and enrich her situation…

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Thoughts on the film

Based on the novel (aff. link) by Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrows, Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society is the ultimate delightful historical romantic drama. Filled with rich, relatable, and likable characters; realistic and humane conflicts; and a sweet love story with a gorgeous geographical background, it is a film to be enjoyed again and again.

It is also not without comedy. The casting is also perfect, and one of my favorite characters is Isola (Katherine Parkinson – The IT Crowd, Humans–aff.link)- the friendly, warm and romantic bestie Juliet makes in Guernsey. She is the friend we all wish we had.

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Writing Lessons and Inspiration from the film Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society

  • When writing a story that is close to your heart, you need it to finish it, even if it is just for yourself. You need the closure and the therapy.
  • When you get the bug for a story, follow that bug.
  • Sometimes the story you set out to write won’t be the one you end up writing, and that is okay. Sometimes you will need to follow the story wherever it leads you.
  • You either need to live an exciting life or know interesting people with different life stories and varying personalities. Preferably both.
  • Your first book might not sell very much and that is okay.
  • It is important to have people in your corner who believe in you, your writing and who will stand by you during all stages of your career. But it does help if one of those people is your best friend and/or your publisher.
  • It is okay to listen to your heart when it comes to what story you are writing, but it definitely helps you have resources when you are writing that story.
  • Writing a story when everything is fresh in your memory helps you write faster and with more raw emotion. (You can always edit later.)
  • Book clubs rock.
  • Traveling inspires all writers, so is following your heart and going off your plans.
  • Love, romantic or otherwise, inspires us immensely.

 

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What are your takeaways from this lovely film?

 

The Rewrite starring Hugh Grant and Marisa Tomei: Why It’s A Must-Watch Movie For Writers

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*This post contains affiliate links.

Marc Lawrence’s The Rewrite (2014) is absolutely delightful. Of course, your chances of enjoying it are higher if you like Hugh Grant and/or Marisa Tomei, romantic comedies that aren’t like every other romantic comedy and movies about writers. Not to mention, the cast includes J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney. J.K. Simmons’ loving but tough/sentimental (you need to see it) character provides a hilarious contrast to his Oscar-winning, ruthless role in Whiplash.

I’m a fan of the genre, director/writer (Mark Lawrence) and the cast. And as a screenwriter (aspiring, but still), I do have a weakness for movies featuring screenwriters and their world.

Isn’t it also great the 50-something protagonist is only 4 years older than the love interest?

So why do I recommend the movie to (screen)writers in particular? Let’s start with the plot:

The Rewrite Plot Summary

Oscar-winning screenwriter Keith Michaels (Hugh Grant) is far from his glory days. He hasn’t been able to sell something in ages and is forced to take a screenwriting teaching gig in a cloudy, small town to pay the bills.

Moreover, he seems totally wrong for the job: He doesn’t believe great writing can be taught, starts a relationship with a young student (not Marisa Tomei) before his first day and pisses off the head of the ethics committee Mary Weldon (Allison Janney). Not to mention, he doesn’t even read the scripts of the students.

But thanks to the threats of Weldon and help of his new-comer student Holly (Marisa Tomei), Keith starts teaching and turns out to be pretty good.

You can guess that his involvement with the younger student will cause trouble, and he will fall in love with Tomei’s character.

But it’s the fun and honest journey of a desperate, formerly successful screenwriter getting his groove back, helping out a talented student and getting to love again that intrigues us.

The dialogue is truly funny. One of my favorite lines:

Dr. Lerner (J.K.Simmons): I have a wife and four daughters. I have no opinion.

Why Writers Need to See The Rewrite

– It sums up feast-famine, glory-failure, and acceptance-rejection cycles pretty well.
– It shows that we won’t have a gorgeous house by the pool with movie deals at all stages of our career, and why it is okay.
– It shows that helping other writers is not just good karma, but it will inspire and motivate us.
– It shows that not all good jobs look alike.
– And last but not least, despite our tendency to shut down and be on our own, we need our kind of people to make all those cycles, and life in general be more bearable.

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I honestly don’t care if you like Hugh Grant or not. If you are a writer, and especially a screenwriter, you should give this movie a shot.

Have fun, and don’t forget to comment to talk about your favorite movies with writer characters.

 

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