The Novelist's Living Character
Pen a story about a novelist who falls in love with a character they created, only to meet a real person who is the spitting image of their character at a book signing.
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 Romance prompts
- The Author and the CriticImagine a scenario in which a best-selling romance writer meets their biggest critic at a book signing, only to discover an undeniable chemistry. As…
- The Lighthouse Love DareCraft a tale set in a small coastal village where an old lighthouse is rumored to bring true love to those who light it together at sunset. Follow a…
- The Last Road TripDevelop a story around two childhood friends who must navigate their budding romantic feelings while embarking on a road trip across the country to…
- 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…
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
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