Love Letters in the Bookshop
Create a tale set in a cozy, picturesque seaside town where a new bookstore owner discovers a series of love letters tucked within various books left by the previous owner. Through these letters, they connect with a mysterious local who has their own romantic history interwoven with the bookstore.
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.
- Write the first meeting so it goes badly, in a way they'll laugh about later.
- Show the moment one of them almost walks away.
- Give them a deadline: the contest, the wedding, the last train.
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 Tailor and the DesignerCraft a story about a tailor and a fashion designer who are forced to share a studio space. Initially clashing over their creative ideas, they…
- Notes in the Recipe BookDescribe the romantic tension between two competitive rival baristas who work opposite shifts at a popular neighborhood coffee shop. Their only…
- The Baker's CrushPen a story about a non-binary person who joins a competitive baking show to win over their crush, one of the fellow competitors. Explore their…
- The Mismatched Soulmate TimersImagine a world where everyone has a timer above their head showing how long it will be until they meet their soulmate. Write about a character who is…
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