Notes in the Recipe Book
Describe the romantic tension between two competitive rival baristas who work opposite shifts at a popular neighborhood coffee shop. Their only communication is through playful notes left in a shared recipe book, slowly revealing more about themselves than just their coffee preferences.
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.
- End on the first honest conversation, not the first kiss.
- Make the obstacle something they both believe in, not a misunderstanding.
- Put them in close quarters they can't escape.
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 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…
- The Lighthouse RestorationCraft a love story set in a coastal town where a local artist and a vacationing writer discover an abandoned lighthouse. As they work together to…
- Rival Coffee Shops at PrideTwo rival coffee shop owners on the same bustling street despise each other — until they are both forced to collaborate on a community project for…
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