52 Swoony Romance Writing Prompts

I had this idea that I’d share a writing prompt per week on social media in 2024, but we’re in the second week of the New Year and I haven’t done it yet. So I thought I’d just share them here.

The list below has 52 romance story ideas. Some are basic tropes, but others offer some intriguing premises.

These ideas are for you to use as you wish. Some ways to use them include:

• Writing prompt to get you out of a rut
• Take the idea for a book or short story
• Use it to brainstorm new ideas
• Find inspiration for your current work.

Do any sound interesting to you? Let me know in the Writing Life Group or the comments below.

1. Rekindled Flames: Two high school sweethearts reunite at a mutual friend’s wedding after years apart.
2. Love Letter Mystery: Someone keeps leaving anonymous love letters in a librarian’s return books.
3. Second Chance at Love: After a bitter divorce, a single parent finds love again with an old college friend.
4. Forbidden Romance: Two people from rival families fall deeply in love.
5. Love Across Time: A modern-day character falls in love with someone from the past through an old diary.
6. Celebrity Crush: An ordinary person’s celebrity crush becomes reality when they accidentally meet.
7. Love in the Workplace: Office rivals slowly realize they have feelings for each other.
8. Cupids in Training: Two beginner cupids are assigned to make a mismatched pair fall in love.
9. The Accidental Text: A wrong number text leads to an unexpected romance.
10. The Bucket List Romance: Two strangers meet while completing their respective bucket lists.
11. Virtual Love: Two gamers fall in love through an online game, unaware they are rivals in real life.
12. Fairytale Retelling: A modern twist on a classic fairytale romance.
13. Historical Romance: Love blossoms between a noble and a commoner in a historical setting.
14. Unexpected Roommates: Two strangers are forced to live together due to a housing mix-up.
15. The Pact: Two friends agree to marry each other if they are still single by a certain age.
16. Road Trip Romance: A long road trip leads to unexpected love.
17. Love Potion Mishap: A love potion goes awry, causing unexpected feelings.
18. Dance Partners: Rival dancers are forced to partner and find they have chemistry.
19. Love and Magic: A romance in a world where magic is real.
20. The Makeover Bet: A bet leads to a makeover and unexpected feelings.
21. Secret Admirer: Someone starts receiving gifts and notes from a secret admirer.
22. Holiday Romance: A romance blooms during a festive holiday season.
23. Matchmaker’s Mistake: A matchmaker accidentally sets themselves up with a client.
24. The Wedding Planner: A wedding planner falls in love with the groom/bride-to-be.
25. Love at First Sight: Two people experience love at first sight and navigate its challenges.
26. The Time Traveler’s Love: A time traveler falls in love with someone from a different era.
27. Survival Love: Stranded together, two people fall in love while surviving in the wilderness.
28. Best Friends to Lovers: Two best friends realize they have deeper feelings for each other.
29. Love Undercover: Undercover agents fall in love during a mission.
30. The Bookstore Romance: Two book enthusiasts fall in love in a quaint bookstore.
31. The Proposal Bet: A bet to get a stranger to accept a fake marriage proposal turns into real love.
32. Love on Set: Actors fall in love while filming a romantic movie.
33. The Forgotten Ex: An amnesiac rediscovers love with their ex.
34. Healing Hearts: Two broken hearts find solace and love in each other.
35. The Royal Romance: A commoner and a royal fall in love, challenging royal traditions.
36. Blind Date with a Twist: A blind date set up by friends leads to unexpected results.
37. Love at a Coffee Shop: Regulars at a coffee shop find themselves drawn to each other.
38. Art of Love: Artists find love while collaborating on a masterpiece.
39. Love and War: In times of war, two enemies fall in love.
40. Arranged Marriage Turned True Love: An arranged marriage leads to genuine love and affection.
41. Love in the Countryside: City dweller falls in love with a countryside local.
42. A Second Glance: Overlooked love becomes apparent upon a second chance.
43. Time Loop Love: Stuck in a time loop, someone falls in love with the same person repeatedly.
44. Love in the Stars: An astrologer finds love that defies their astrological predictions.
45. The Heirloom Ring: A lost heirloom ring brings two people together.
46. The Guardian Angel: A guardian angel falls in love with their human charge.
47. The Chef’s Special: A chef falls in love with a food critic.
48. Fate’s Design: Two people keep running into each other, seemingly by fate.
49. Love in the Rain: A chance encounter in the rain leads to a lasting romance.
50. The Musician’s Muse: A musician writes a hit song for an unknown muse.
51. Island Getaway Romance: A vacation romance that turns serious.
52. The Last Letter: Discovering a last letter from a deceased loved one leads to new love.