The Last Road Trip
Develop a story around two childhood friends who must navigate their budding romantic feelings while embarking on a road trip across the country to fulfill a bizarre but heartfelt last request of a mutually beloved relative.
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 Romance prompts
- Lovers from Rival FamiliesPen a love story set in a historical period of your choice, where the protagonists are from rival families. Despite the societal expectations and dire…
- Runaways in the Airport LoungeWrite a story about two people who meet at an airport lounge and discover they are both running away from their own weddings. Describe their journey…
- The Storm Before the DivorceCreate a tale centered on a couple that rekindles their romance on the eve of their planned divorce. Throughout a 24-hour storm that forces them to…
- Letters from My Best FriendCreate a narrative where the main character falls in love with someone through their letters, without knowing that the sender is actually their best…
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