Love Letters Between the Shelves
After receiving an anonymous love letter at their favorite indie bookstore, a shy aspiring writer decides to find the author by responding with a series of love letters hidden among the shelves. Each letter reveals a little more about their personalities and lives, leading to a heartwarming revelation of identities.
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.
- Give them a deadline: the contest, the wedding, the last train.
- Let a secondary character see what's happening before either lead does.
- End on the first honest conversation, not the first kiss.
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 LGBTQ+ Romance prompts
- The Matchmaking MisfitsAt a luxurious mountain retreat designed specifically for LGBTQ+ singles, guests are paired through an elaborate matchmaking system. However, two…
- The Bottle Letter BookshopA quiet seaside town, a mysterious, handwritten letter found in an old bottle, and an address leading to an unassuming bookstore. Write about the…
- Love Beyond the Match AlgorithmImagine a future society where relationships are determined by algorithms, and everyone must adhere to these matches. Your characters, however, fall…
- The Rival Pop StarsVisualize a scenario where two rival pop stars are publicly pitted against each other by their fans and the media. Behind the scenes, they are…
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