Pumpkins, Cakes, and a Writer's Life

The whirlwind began with a kick-off meeting in February 2019 and ended with the film’s premiere on October 12 as part of the network’s fall lineup.  

Life in the Fast Layne

Shulman moved to Los Angeles after graduating from Bennington and worked as a writers’ assistant, most recently on the Disney Channel show Fast Layne. Shulman also had the opportunity to write an episode of Fast Layne, though the show was ultimately canceled before the second season was shot.

“Fast Layne was the first episode of television I got to write professionally,” said Shulman. “Writing that script was such a valuable experience because, even though I’ve always written scripts on my own, this was the first time I went through the process of rewriting in the room with other writers.” 

Fast Layne was executive produced by the same team behind Even Stevens, and Shulman loved working for a children’s show that catered to a younger audience with wit and emotional storylines. 

Shortly after Shulman completed her Fast Layne script, she found out that her Hallmark pitch had been accepted—and that the film would premiere only a few months later. 

“We sat down to brainstorm about the movie in February, and the executives told me the movie was going to air in October—and I had only submitted a paragraph for the pitch,” said Shulman. “Usually, films take years to make, Luckily, I had just gone through this experience with the Disney Channel script and felt like I had good practice for writing a movie quickly.”

Love, Fall & Order

 Shulman’s Hallmark opportunity came from her former boss, Marybeth Sprows, with whom she’d kept in contact after assisting her at Paulist Productions, the company behind the prestigious HUMANITAS prize. When Sprows transitioned to an executive position at Crown Media, she invited Shulman to pitch a script for Hallmark’s original programming. 

 Out of the options Shulman submitted, the concept that was selected was her final add—a landlord dispute for which a big-city lawyer returns to her hometown to help her father with the case, only to find that the opposing counsel is her long-ago high school rival.

“Hallmark movies often involve the main character reconnecting with someone they already knew, but in a romantic context,” said Shulman. “I thought it could be fun if, instead, the pair grew up competing.” 

Shortly after her submission was accepted, Shulman found out that her script would also be produced as part of Hallmark’s fall lineup. Thinking of her own love for the Northeast, Shulman decided to set the film in Vermont, and the initial landlord dispute metamorphosed into a contested pumpkin farm.  

The Hallmark Channel’s structured storytelling style provided both a challenge and a framework for Shulman’s writing.

 “In these movies, the romance has to be the primary story, the season has to be super important, and there’s usually an event going on in the background,” said Shulman. “Even though it seems like writing to fit the formula would be easy, it’s a challenge to craft an interesting story that hasn’t been seen before.”

Shulman read Hallmark scripts and watched past films before diving into her own. 

“Over the years, I think Hallmark movies have gotten a little more comedic, a little more dimensional,” said Shulman. “I felt like my movie could be fun and in the vein of these newer movies. I’m really proud of my script, and the way the movie turned out. It was an incredible learning experience, and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity.”

 Shulman watched the premiere of Love, Fall & Order with star Erin Cahill, who live-tweeted throughout the movie.  

“People love Hallmark movies; there’s such a following. Fans really get into them, tweeting stuff like, ‘Love those men in those sweaters!’ and ‘More leaves, all the leaves!’” said Shulman. “I have a huge extended family, so it was fun to get texts from everyone while the movie was playing and even hear from Bennington friends who were watching.”