Notes in Swapped Books
After accidentally receiving each other's order at a small-town coffee shop, two strangers keep the accidental exchange going by leaving notes for one another inside their swapped books. As the notes grow more personal, each begins to wonder about who might be on the other end of their mysterious correspondence.
Suggested length: A short story: 1,500 to 5,000 words, or flash fiction under 1,000
Start the clock
Pick a sprint, press start and keep going until it stops. Momentum beats polish on a first draft.
Make it yours
Three ways to take this prompt somewhere nobody else will.
- Put them in close quarters they can't escape.
- Tell it from the point of view of the one who falls first.
- Write the first meeting so it goes badly, in a way they'll laugh about later.
Writing romance books
Not whether they end up together, but how.
Romance puts a love story at the center and promises a happy ending: happily ever after, or at least happy for now. Readers know where it's going. The pleasure is in the obstacles, the banter and the moment the two leads finally stop fighting it.
What readers expect
- Two leads the reader roots for
- Obstacles that keep them apart
- Emotional growth, not just attraction
- A happy ending, guaranteed
A tip before you start
The happy ending isn't optional. Without it you've written a love story, and romance readers will tell you so.
More Contemporary Love Story prompts
- The Librarian's Prank WarIn a quiet small town, a local librarian and a pop-up bookstore owner find themselves embroiled in a prank war, sparked by a dispute over who truly…
- Letters on the TrainA story about two people who start off as handwritten pen pals in their teenage years and lose touch over time. Years later, they meet unexpectedly on…
- Love Beyond the PredictionImagine a world where a technology exists that can predict the lifespan of any romantic relationship. Your protagonist decides to ignore this…
- The Reunion and the RoadCraft a tale about a romance rekindled at a high school reunion. The characters have vastly changed in their years apart; one is a successful author…
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
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