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101 Romance Story Prompts

Want to conjure romantic concepts worthy of the big screen? Here's where to start.
by Ken Miyamoto - updated on May 9, 2023

Do you want to write in the popular romance genre, but need a push in the right direction? Maybe all you need are some clever romance story prompts. If that's the case, we gotchu!

We have compiled a massive list of romance story prompts to help get your creative juices flowing so you can start conceptualizing your romance story.

Let's go!

101 Romance Story Prompts

1. A woman's date goes horribly wrong and meet-cutes the waiter.
2. One character thinks their relationship is a fling — the other thinks it's destiny.
3. Mutual friends set up a blind date.
4. A guy is auctioned off for a date at a company fundraiser.
5. Two characters at a vintage record store listen to the same record in the same listening booth.
6. A guy looking for an engagement ring for the wrong girl falls for the ring saleswoman.
7. A character goes on an online date with someone that lied about their looks.
8. A woman falls in love with the twin of the man she just dumped.
9. A man arranges for a random woman to call him during a date as an Escape Call — they fall in love.
10. Opposites attract when two characters pretend to be dating and fall in love.
11. Two characters are stuck on a Ferris wheel together and fall for each other.
12. A man delivers flowers to a beautiful woman that's being wooed by the wrong guy.
13. A fling goes south when one of them offers the other character a drawer in their apartment.
14. Characters meet their in-laws and discover that each has dated the other's sibling.
15. A woman discovers an old mix tape made by her high school boyfriend — she tries to reconnect.
16. Despite going on what are considered traditional dates, two people don't believe they're actually dating.
17. A couple breaks up and each is on the rebound.
18. A man uses his brother's baby to attract women.
19. Someone asks another out as a dare and ends up falling in love with them.
20. A man bets his female childhood friend that he can make her fall in love with him in two weeks.
21. A man asks his twin brother to fill in for him in the relationship after he grows tired of it.
22. Two people have a secret relationship.
23. Two people are stood up on their dates and end up falling for each other.
24. A teacher falls for her student's single parent.
25. A woman is always a bride, never a bridesmaid.
26. The third wheel of a couple struggles to find love.
27. The third wheel of a couple ends up falling in love with one of them.
28. Characters fall in love when the Tunnel of Love at the fair breaks down.
29. Two people that know each other only from an online fantasy football league meet for the first time.
30. A woman doesn't know her type and ends up seeking out every type of person to find her preference.

101 Romance Story Prompts_If Beale Street Could Talk

'If Beale Street Could Talk'

31. A woman seeks out the model that was used for a popular romance novel series.
32. One secret agent falls in love with another.
33. A popular character falls for an unpopular character.
34. An unpopular character learns that the popular character they had a crush on is not who they want to be with.
35. A character falls in love with an angel living on Earth for a limited time.
36. An angel falls in love with the human they are assigned to watch over.
37. A celebrity falls in love with a regular person.
38. Cupid is actually an angry relationship therapist.
39. A popular girl is highly attracted to nerdy types.
40. A popular guy is highly attracted to nerdy types.
41. The drama teacher's budget is reallocated to the football coach's program.
42. A chemist-by-trade finds a way to manipulate pheromones to make people attracted to them.
43. Two people drink a love potion that makes them fall madly in love.
44. An older woman is attracted to a much younger man.
45. A younger woman is attracted to a much older man.
46. A character falls in love with a fictional character, only to see them come alive.
47. A female coach's team budget is taken over by a male coach's budget.
48. A man who travels a lot falls in love with a flight attendant he always sees.
49. A woman who travels a lot falls in love with a small-town man that has never left his small town.
50. A woman falls in love with her AI phone.
51. A nanny travels abroad with the family she watches over, only to fall in love with a local.
52. One character must overcome a physical or emotional scar to find love.
53. There's a misunderstanding between a couple that is destined to be together.
54. A woman is attracted to both a man and a woman and must decide which one to choose.
55. A woman who was shamed by a bully in high school falls in love with him at the reunion.
56. A character comes home for the holidays.
57. A career-driven woman inherits a small-town property.
58. A businessman whose car breaks down while traveling cross country falls for a rancher.
59. A businesswoman whose car breaks down while traveling cross country falls for a rancher.
60. A character falls in love with the first human-looking android.

101 Romance Story Prompts_La La Land

'La La Land'

61. A couple that thought they were divorced is not.
62. Enemies in business fall in love.
63. A fake engagement leads to love.
64. A big city character falls for a small own character.
65. A small-town character falls a big-city character.
66. Characters are trapped in a confined location and fall in love.
67. Friends of a couple enjoy disliking each other but soon fall in love.
68. A character unknowingly falls in love with a ghost.
69. A grieving character falls in love with their deceased significant other's sibling.
70. A rich girl doesn't want her rich lifestyle anymore.
71. A rich guy doesn't want his rich lifestyle anymore.
72. Identical twins agree to change lives to see if sparks fly with the significant others they've grown tired of.
73. A character falls in love with their abductor.
74. A character is learning a new skill under the teaching of another — they fall in love.
75. There's a love triangle and only true love will prevail.
76. One character gets a makeover and finds love.
77. Characters have a marriage of convenience and agree to seek love elsewhere.
78. Medical industry co-workers fall in love.
79. A character falls in love with the police officer that saved them.
80. One character is actually a mystical creature living a normal human life for a short time.
81. The new girl in town finds love.
82. The new guy in town finds love.
83. The mysterious stranger in town attracts locals.
84. Police officers assigned as partners fall in love.
85. A character wins the lottery and falls in love.
86. A character thought dead returns home to the surprise of those that have moved on.
87. A rock star falls in love with a local during a music festival.
88. A runaway bride finds love elsewhere.
89. A runaway bride discovers that the groom she ran from is actually the right one for her.
90. High school sweethearts reunite.

101 Romance Story Prompts_Happiest Season

'Happiest Season'

91. High school best friends reunite, only to discover they should be a couple.
92. A rich character hides their true wealth to find true love.
93. A werewolf falls for a vampire.
94. Single parents find love together.
95. Soul mates finally find each other against all odds.
96. A character falls in love with someone that is terminally ill.
97. A character falls in love with someone that is traveling in time.
98. Two characters that had a fling discover that they're having a baby together.
99. Characters fall in love at a wedding.
100. Characters are accidentally married.
101. Two characters vowed years prior to marrying each other if they had not yet found love.

If you loved our list of romance story prompts, take a look at our other genre story prompts!

Should You Write in the Romance Genre

The romance genre — specifically the romantic comedies that are so popular right now on platforms like Lifetime and Hallmark — is booming. Those two cable networks produce dozens upon dozens of titles each year for their networks and streaming platforms. Why? Because audiences love them. They love the familiar. They love the formulaic. Both of which offer an easy and laid-back viewing experience at home. The networks that are producing and distributing them have created platforms more accessible to undiscovered screenwriters.

Only the top 1% of working screenwriters make a living writing for major studios and production companies.

Read More: How to Create Engaging Romance in Movies

Most working screenwriters could be referred to as blue-collar screenwriters — those that are signing non-Guild low-five-figure contracts for channels like Lifetime and Hallmark. Yes, there's a script market for Direct-to-Streaming action, science fiction, and horror thrillers that former A-list stars (and plenty of B, C, and D-list stars as well) make a living from, but nobody makes more movies per year than Lifetime, Hallmark, and other smaller networks and streaming platforms.

These are places where a screenwriter can build a resume of onscreen credits and compile a few noteworthy low-five-figure contracts that add up to a sustainable career as a paid screenwriter.

Even Netflix has seen the potential of these romance flicks. You can now see a steady flow of Lifetime-like and Hallmark-like titles produced and distributed on the Netflix streaming platform.


Ken Miyamoto has worked in the film industry for nearly two decades, most notably as a studio liaison for Sony Studios and then as a script reader and story analyst for Sony Pictures.

He has many studio meetings under his belt as a produced screenwriter, meeting with the likes of Sony, Dreamworks, Universal, Disney, and Warner Brothers, as well as many production and management companies. He has had a previous development deal with Lionsgate, as well as multiple writing assignments, including the produced miniseries Blackout, starring Anne Heche, Sean Patrick Flanery, Billy Zane, James Brolin, Haylie Duff, Brian Bloom, Eric La Salle, and Bruce Boxleitner, the feature thriller Hunter’s Creed, and many Lifetime thrillers.

Follow Ken on Twitter @KenMovies

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