8 Great Romance Writing Prompts for Romance Writers

A fiction writing career requires a good imagination. But when you need a little extra help finding the starting point of a story, romance writers can find short story ideas in a variety of places, including:

• Literary magazines: Literary magazines, both print and online, will frequently have writing exercises and prompts to help writers get their creative juices flowing.
• Writing contests: Writing contests will often have a theme attached. Enter one with a best short story prize for romance and follow the contest guidelines to inspire ideas.
• Writing course: Bouncing ideas off of other writers is a good way to find ideas for a short story. Immerse yourself in an environment with other authors by enrolling in a writing course, or joining a writer’s group.
• Real world: True love stories can inspire short story ideas. Talk to friends and family about how they met their partner, read the wedding section of a newspaper to learn the different ways couples met, or use Google to search for real-life story prompts.
• Your own story: Think back on the romantic relationships you’ve had that might be good story starters. Sometimes your own life can serve as the best plot generator for a great story.

If you’re looking for love story ideas, run through these creative writing prompts for inspiration. Find one that strikes a creative chord and start writing a romantic short story.

1. 1. A paranormal romance between a young man and the ghost in his New York apartment is threatened when the building is sold and he has 30 days to move.
2. 2. A historical romance set in the Gold Rush days of California. A rugged, pioneer woman, in search of a fortune, dresses as a man to claim a piece of land and pan for gold in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Her neighbor takes her under his wing to show her the ropes. She begins to fall for him. Then she finds the first gold nugget in her land.
3. 3. A sci-fi love story about two people who fall in love when they sign up to be the first group to go on a one-way trip to Mars. It’s a typical love story, until one discovers that this otherworldly trip is actually a homecoming for their loved one.
4. 4. An arranged marriage, a main character who’s unsure, and a job opportunity of a lifetime. Is it possible to please everyone at once, especially herself?
5. 5. When family members come together for a wedding, a break-up between the matriarch and patriarch threatens to ruin the big day.
6. 6. A lonely woman strolls through the city and stumbles upon an oddities and antiques store. A fantasy story ensues when she picks up a tiny glass bottle the proprietor mistakenly tells her is a love spell but is actually a time-traveling potion. Home alone later that evening, she pours some of the liquid into her glass. She wakes up in another era and finds her soulmate.
7. 7. A young adult creature romance in which a high school boy discovers the girl of his dreams turns into a werewolf during the full moon.
8. 8. It’s winter in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. A single mom heads out to the forest with a young boy, her six-year-old son, looking for the perfect Christmas tree to bring home. It’s quiet, a fresh blanket of snow on the ground. Then she sees footsteps that lead her to an unexpected person from her past and love reignited once again.

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