116 Romance Novel Writing Prompts To Get You Started

Writing can be challenging to get started, especially when you're looking at a blank page, which is why I love coming up with writing prompts and using them as story starters. No matter the genre, every writer gets stuck sometimes!

Recently I've been working on a romance novel. I've never written one before but I've read hundreds of romance stories. It's a genre I love, as predictable as they may sometimes be.

The key, I've found, is figuring out who my main character is, what story structure I want to use, and a romantic trope I want to try. I've been outlining and brainstorming for weeks and plan to give myself a challenge to finish writing the first draft in early 2023.

Prompts for romance writers can help to spark creativity and create compelling stories. Through the use of prompts, writers can develop ideas that they may not have thought of before. Come up with a main character and put them into the story prompt.

When using these romance story ideas, it is important to remember that there are no limits when crafting a story. The possibilities are endless! Start with a prompt and a 15 minute timer and see what your brain comes up with. There may be some great short stories ahead or an epic series.

116 Romance Novel Writing Prompts To Get You Started

Prompts for a meet-cute:

1. Two strangers meet while trapped in an elevator together during a power outage.

2. A chance encounter at the local library reveals they have more in common than their book titles.

3. After bumping into each other on their morning commute several times, a shared interest binds them together even after they part ways.

4. A misunderstanding leads to an awkward first meeting that ends in a romantic outcome.

5. Two people who have been neighbors for years suddenly realize the potential of their relationship.

6. A shared moment at a music concert brings two strangers together in unexpected ways.

7. When going on vacation, two people accidentally swap suitcases and sparks fly when they meet to switch them back.

8. When a pet gets lost, two strangers come together to find the animal and form a bond.

9. When caught in a rainstorm, two people dash for the same overhang for cover. What happens next surprises them both.

10. Two people are paired up during a game night and they realize they make a great team.

Prompts for Enemies to Lovers:

1. Childhood rivals reunite for the first time after years apart and find that their animosity has gone up in flames.

2. Two co-workers clash when they have opposing views on an important project and soon discover they have more in common than they thought.

3. When a prank goes wrong, two enemies must work together to make it right and a connection is formed.

4. Two people with different political views are forced to collaborate on a project, leading to unexpected feelings of attraction.

5. After being pitted against each other in a competition, two rivals find that the rivalry has sparked something more.

6. A feud between families leads to love when their children meet and discover they are not like their parents at all.

7. A woman is forced to spend a long time with her best friend's annoying older brother as they help plan an engagement party. The Maid of Honor and Best Man end up finding more to love about one another.

8. After two rival college students uncover a campus scandal, they're forced to work together to avoid a dangerous situation and find more in common than they once thought.

Prompts for Friends into Lovers:

1. When a long-time best friend moves away, they realize how much the other means to them and start a long-distance relationship.

2. A fake dating scheme goes wrong when feelings become real in the process.

3. Two friends discover that despite having different views on love, their friendship has evolved into something more.

4. When two friends are forced to work together on a project, they finally realize their feelings for each other.

5. After helping each other through tough times, two best friends decide to take the next step in their relationship.

6. When two friends start to have secret dates, their relationship changes and they realize romantic feelings for each other.

7. After a night of wild partying, two close friends wake up to find that their friendship has become something more.

8. When a single parent agrees to volunteer at his daughter's school, he doesn't expect to find out the teacher is a long lost friend of his.

Prompts for Fake Relationships:

1. When two strangers pretend to be a couple for the sake of a business deal, they find that their plan may have backfired.

2. To escape an arranged marriage, one person hires another to pose as their significant other and they form an unlikely bond in the process.

3. After losing a bet, two people must pretend to be in a relationship for a month and find that the fantasy turns into something real.

4. Two people with very different personalities form a fake partnership to make their parents happy, only to discover they have more in common than expected.

5. When two people are forced to act as though they are married, they find that the chemistry between them is undeniable.

6. Two lifelong friends pretend to be a couple for a competition and find that their feelings for each other are genuine.

7. After a bad breakup, one person hires another to pose as their new partner in order to get revenge on an old flame, only to fall in love.

8. A single mother convinces her real estate agent to pretend to be her boyfriend to keep her meddling family member from another setup date with her dentist.

Prompts about finding love during the holidays:

1. An unlikely pair gets snowed in together on Christmas Eve and discover that all they need is each other.

2. Two people have been flirting for months, but it takes a New Year’s Eve kiss to finally make things official.

3. When two strangers get stuck at the airport during Valentine’s Day, they find love where they least expected it.

4. After a series of misadventures on Thanksgiving Day, two people realize that their connection is too strong to ignore.

5. Two people find love in an unlikely place when they are paired together as Secret Santas.

6. A couple who have been together for years finally get engaged on Christmas Day.

7. Two strangers meet under the mistletoe…

8. When one woman's romantic relationship turns sour right before the holidays, she enlists her handsome neighbor to join her to save herself from embarrassment with her family.

Prompts for High School Sweethearts:

1. When two high school sophomores meet, they exchange number and begin to text message, only to find out they had the wrong numbers all along.

2. Two students from opposing schools find love when they are paired together for a volunteer project in their community.

3. Overcoming all odds, a jock and a nerd fall in love during senior year of high school.

4.When a woman returns to her small town and bumps into her former high school sweetheart, she is forced to decide between loving them and moving back to the big city.

5. When two people who have been best friends since childhood finally admit their feelings for each other and start dating in high school.

6. After reconnecting at a school reunion, two former classmates discover that the spark between them is still alive.

7. Despite being separated by miles and different schools, two teens find a way to make their long-distance relationship work.

8. A young girl fell in love as high school freshman and never expected a happy ending. When she meets her former crush ten years later she finds he has turned into a handsome young man that could be any of the swoon-worthy heroes she'd read about in romantic fiction. Will she get a happy story this time?

Prompts for Blind Dates:

1. When two people go on a blind date arranged by their mutual friends, they quickly discover that sparks fly between them.

2. After a series of failed relationships, one person agrees to go on a blind date and finds true love when they least expect it.

3. Going into a blind date with the wrong expectations, two people realize that they have more in common than they thought.

4. When a blind date goes wrong and the two people setting their friends up are forced to meet, interest begins to fly.

5. Two strangers go on a blind date and discover that opposites really do attract.

6. A pair of friends decide to set each other up on blind dates, only to find that they have feelings for one another.

7. After a series of bad blind dates, two people finally meet their match and fall in love.

8. Two unsuspecting people are paired together for a blind date and end up finding the love of their lives.

Prompts for Historical Romance:

1. When two people from different social classes meet in Victorian-era London, they discover love despite all the odds.

2. An arranged marriage turns into a story of true love when two people find that fate has brought them together in medieval times.

3. Two rival gladiators fight for each other’s hearts in Ancient Rome.

4. Two people from different backgrounds fall in love during the American Revolution.

5. In a world of strict Victorian propriety, two unlikely souls find solace and passion with each other.

6. A pair of lovers must keep their relationship secret during the Prohibition era when their families are on opposite sides of the law.

7. When two people meet during the French Revolution, they find a love that is stronger than all of the turmoil around them.

8. Against a backdrop of war and political unrest, two young people find solace with each other in World War II Europe.

Fantasy / Paranormal Romance Prompts:

1. When two alien species meet on a distant planet, they discover an undeniable connection between them.

2. When a cursed prince meets the only person immune to his powers, they find themselves swept up in a forbidden love story.

3. An unlikely pair of adventurers form an unbreakable bond while battling dragons and monsters in a mythical kingdom.

4. Two people from opposite sides of a magical portal discover that the love between them is more powerful than any magic spell or curse.

5. When two shape-shifters fall in love, they must find a way to stay together despite their different forms and abilities.

6. In a world filled with sorcery and danger, two adventurers set out on a quest to save the kingdom—and find love along the way.

7. As magical creatures living in different realms, two souls find each other and discover that fate has brought them together.

8. When two people from different worlds come together, they find a connection that transcends time.

Sci-Fi Romance Prompts:

1. When two astronauts meet in deep space, they find a connection that defies logic and gravity.

2. In the future, two people from different backgrounds discover love amid a robotic uprising.

3. A pair of scientists working together on an intergalactic mission fall in love against all odds.

4. When two androids are created for different purposes, they find that the bond between them is stronger than any programming.

5. Two people from separate timelines come together and discover love despite all the obstacles in their way.

6. When two passengers board a spaceship bound for a new planet, they find an unexpected connection with each other as they explore their new home.

7. In a world of advanced technology, two people discover that love is the most powerful force of all.

8. When the universe opens up to reveal parallel dimensions, two people from different worlds find themselves drawn together by fate.

Prompts for Secret Billionaires:

1. When two people with different social standings discover their hidden wealth, they find themselves in a secret romance.

2. A self-made billionaire and an heiress fall for each other despite the secrets of their pasts.

3. After inheriting a fortune from a long-lost relative, a woman must keep her newfound wealth a secret as she explores her budding relationship with her new neighbor.

4. When two billionaires discover that they have been secretly dating each other, they must now find a way to make their relationship work in public.

5. Two rival billionaires meet and discover an unexpected connection despite their differences in status.

6. A billionaire and a socialite must keep their relationship hidden from the public eye as they explore a forbidden love.

7. As two billionaires with rival companies fall in love, they must learn to embrace their differences if they want to make it work.

8. When a billionaire and an underground artist meet, they discover that money is not the only thing that matters in a relationship.

9. When two billionaires find out that they are trying to take over the same company, they have to find a way to work together or lose everything.

10. When a rival company opens nearby, the two billionaire CEOs do everything to drive the other out of business. With all that passion comes an unlikely outcome.

Prompts for Second Chance Love:

1. Two people who were once in love reunite and find that the spark between them is still alive.

2. When two former lovers are forced to work together, they must reconcile their past differences if they want to make it work.

3. A pair of childhood sweethearts meet again after years apart and discover that the love they shared never faded away.

4. When two exes find themselves in the same city after years of being apart, they must decide if their second chance is worth risking it all.

5. After a long separation, two people reunite and find that the feelings between them are stronger than ever before.

6. When a former love moves back into town, two people are forced to face the choices they made a decade ago.

7. When two exes meet five years later, they discover that the love between them never truly died.

8. After a decade apart, two people reunite and find themselves in a whirlwind romance they never saw coming.

9. When two exes cross paths unexpectedly, they must battle the ghosts of their past if they want a chance at true love again.

10. Despite all the hurt and pain from their past, two people find themselves unable to deny the rekindled flame between them.

Prompts for a Marriage of Convenience:

1. Two people from different worlds are forced to marry for political reasons, but soon find themselves in a passionate romance.

2. When two unlikely partners are thrown together in an arranged marriage, they must learn to accept each other if they want it to work.

3. A pair of strangers become husband and wife out of necessity, but soon discover that they have more in common than they thought.

4. A young woman makes a deal with a handsome billionaire to pretend to be his fiancé for a photo op. She didn't expect it to turn into a real life marriage.

5. When two royals are forced into an arranged union, they must find a way to get along. What they didn't expect was to fall in love.

6. A woman and her business partner come up with a marriage of convenience in order to win over a client while on a business trip.

LGBTQIA+ Romance Prompts:

1. When two people from very different cultures fall for each other, they must fight to protect their love in a world that does not accept them.

2. Two young people find solace and acceptance in one another despite society's disapproval of their relationship.

3. A pair of star-crossed lovers must battle cultural differences and social stigmas if they want a chance at true love.

4. When two college guys embark on a road trip, neither of them could predict the adventure as the starting point of their love.

5. Two women who are good friends must learn to overcome their fears in order to embrace their newfound love.

6. A bisexual woman struggles to find acceptance and understanding while she searches for her true identity in love.

7. When two trans people of different genders meet, they must learn to accept themselves in order to be accepted by each other.

8. Two gay men from very different worlds must fight for their right to love one another.

There are so many tropes and sub-genres in the world of romance. Let yourself have fun with these prompts and see where they take you. You never know what your heart has kept from you until you start thinking about happy endings, falling in love, and writing about hopeful connections and happy futures.