Love on the Wagon Trail
Imagine a romance blossoming on the wagon trails of the American West. A young woman, fleeing a betrothal in the East, meets a rugged and mysterious trail guide. Write about their journey both across the untamed land and into the depths of each other’s hearts.
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.
- Let a secondary character see what's happening before either lead does.
- End on the first honest conversation, not the first kiss.
- Make the obstacle something they both believe in, not a misunderstanding.
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 Historical Romance prompts
- The Painter's Secret ModelSet in Victorian England, a talented female painter, who is constrained by the norms of her time, secretly models in disguise for a renowned male…
- A Southern Belle and a Union SoldierSet against the backdrop of the American Civil War, a Southern belle and a Union soldier find themselves inexplicably drawn to each other through a…
- Letters Across Rival HousesWrite a story about two lovers from rival noble families in Renaissance Italy who secretly exchange letters and poems, dreaming of a future together…
- The Merchant's Daughter on the Silk RoadSet against the backdrop of the Silk Road during the height of its use, a merchant's daughter in love with tales of faraway lands concocts a plan to…
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