Looking for some riveting high school romance story ideas and prompts? Read on for prompts like a popular senior guy working at his nemesis’ dad’s restaurant after school, or a teen popstar’s whirlwind high school romance story with a nerdy student!
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- The Definition of High School Romance Story
- Why Write a High School Romance Story?
- How Not to Write a High School Romance Story
- Common Themes in High School Romance Stories
- Writing Prompts for High School Romance Stories
- Story Prompts
- Picture Prompts
- More Ideas?
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Related posts:
- 12 Paranormal Romance Writing Prompts
- Enchanted Forest Story Ideas
- 25 Non-Cheesy Ways for Your Characters to Meet
- Soulmate Story Ideas
The Definition of High School Romance Story
A high school romance story is, of course, a story about two people falling in love while they (or one of them) attend high school. Twilight and 10 Things I Hate About You are examples of successful high school romance stories that resonate with many.
Creating a story about young love can be challenging at first, especially if you’re like me. It’s been ages since I last stepped into any classroom, let alone a high school’s!
In which case, trying out some writing prompts might help you get back on track. From general topics to more specific ideas, these exciting writing prompts for high school romance stories can make a big difference in how your story unfolds.
Why Write a High School Romance Story?
There are many reasons why a writer might want to write a high school romance story. One of the most obvious reasons is because it’s easily relatable. Most people remember what it was like to fall in love for the first time.
Another reason why you might want to write a high school romance story is because it’s a lucrative market! This data from January 2021 showed that the YA segment saw the biggest increase in unit sales by almost a third.
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How Not to Write a High School Romance Story
There are a few things you should know about high school romance stories before attempting to write one yourself.
1. Avoid clichés. If you want your story to stand out, you should try to avoid falling into these clichés as much as possible. Some examples of these clichés: the edgy character who no one understands, the ugly duckling transformation… You know those.
2. Inject realism into the story. Aren’t we tired of the perfectly beautiful protagonists who can do nothing wrong? I know I do. So write your characters with real personalities, and make your readers fall in love with them despite their flaws.
3. Happy ending not required. While we love happy endings, the fact is many relationships that start in high school will not last forever, and that’s perfectly fine. It’s, after all, a phase where we start trying out our newly-formed wings and preparing to fly! Anything can happen!
Common Themes in High School Romance Stories
Writing a high school romance can be catalytic to the discussion of some of the most pivotal issues surrounding one of the most formative periods in someone’s life.
Some themes commonly discussed in this genre are:
– Dealing with dark topics (abuse, illness, bullying, etc.)
– Two different worlds colliding
– The issue of secret identity
– Searching for one’s identity
– Crushed expectations
– Struggle for excellence
Writing Prompts for High School Romance Stories
Below are some exciting high school romance story ideas, from a popular senior guy working at his nemesis’ dad’s restaurant after school, or a teen popstar’s whirlwind high school romance story with a nerdy student!
I hope the ideas below are original, but undoubtedly with the popularity of this trope, something similar could have existed out there already. But sometimes the smallest details matter, and make all the difference!
(Please note that all the genders in this prompts are just placeholders and are not meant to enforce any hurtful stereotypes nor to offend anyone.)
Story Prompts
1. When his friends find out about one teenager’s obsession with a mermaid who lives in a nearby lake, they bully and accuse him of telling lies in regards to the mermaid’s existence. However, what they don’t know is that the mermaid is real.
2. A nerdy gamer is surprised by the introduction of the newest student in his class because he resembles the girl from a video game he recently acquired from an inconspicuous game shop down the street.
3. When a popular senior guy starts a new after school job in a restaurant, he’s surprised to find that the owner’s daughter is his archenemy at school.
4. A popular teen popstar’s whirlwind high school romance story catches the attention of the media because her boyfriend is the president’s son.
5. Write about two student athletes or two math geniuses competing for the top spot at a national championship.
6. A student working at the zoo after school for extra money is bullied by a clique of popular kids, but when they accidentally set some dangerous animals loose, he must attempt to save them all and win the heart of his crush in the same time.
Picture Prompts
Here are some picture-based high school romance story prompts, because, a picture speaks a thousand words! Below are some image prompts as well as some prompt ideas to accompany each.
(Please click on the image for more information.)
1. A genius, misunderstood teen artist tries to fit into a regular high school with the help of that one friend who always stand by their side.
2. Two teens who are communicating via the graffities they paint in public spaces because they’re forbidden to see each other.
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(Please click on the image for more information.)
1. Two childhood frenemies being reunited again when one teen moves back to her hometown.
2. A senior student who loses everything just when she’s about to graduate because she decides to go against the flow.
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(Please click on the image for more information.)
1. A soulmate story, where the world turns into color once someone finds their soulmate.
2. The sunshine-y girl who bonds with a grumpy guy because of their shared love of preserved butterflies.
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More Ideas?
There are many different types of high school romance stories, just as there are many different ways to approach writing them. If you find yourself struggling to come up with ideas, try thinking about the theme or the setting you’d like to explore and then let your creativity take over from there.
There are many creative and interesting ways to explore the world of high school romance stories, so don’t be afraid to get creative! Now that you have some high school romance story ideas to jumpstart your story, go on and start writing!
Furthermore, here are some other posts that you might find interesting:
- 12 Paranormal Romance Writing Prompts
- Witch Story Ideas
- Enchanted Forest Story Ideas
- 25 Non-Cheesy Ways for Your Characters to Meet
- Soulmate Story Ideas
Or browse our category for more ideas!
Have any question or feedback? Then, please feel free to contact me here. If you like what you read, please consider buying me a ko-fi here!
Until next time!
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FAQs
What are some good romance story ideas? ›
Write about a first date that surprises both people, but in different ways. Write a story that involves love at first sight. Write a story that includes (or subverts) the enemies-to-lovers trope. Write a story about unrequited love.
What's a good romance story plot? ›Two people who expected to go to hell but meet and fall in love in heaven. A cosplayer who meets another cosplayer at a convention and then goes on a quest to find them. A frail person who falls in love with their giant robot bodyguard. An actor who falls in love with a fellow actor in character.
How do you write a unique love story? ›- Write a love story that weaves into your plot's conflict.
- Build your love story's tension slowly.
- Use tropes for inspiration.
- Don't define your protagonists by their love story.
- Before you write, get to know your characters.
- Throw the reader right into the plot. ...
- Confront the reader with the hero's reputation. ...
- Put the reader at the gate to the location and atmosphere of the book. ...
- Tell your reader about the character of the hero. ...
- And now for something completely different.
Include scenes about love and sex.
Try to discuss sex in an open, honest way. For example, you may have your main character discuss sex with other characters or consider having sex with another character. Make sure you include all the awkward moments of a first kiss, a first make out, and a first time.
- Give the characters different motivations. Two characters moving in lockstep don't tend to be very interesting. ...
- Make the characters more active. ...
- Put obstacles in their way. ...
- Show the contrast in their values. ...
- Always end scenes in a different place than they began.
- Exposition. Exposition is the beginning of the story and prepares the way for upcoming events to unfold. ...
- Rising Action. It is that point where the main problem or conflict is revealed. ...
- Climax. ...
- Falling Action. ...
- Resolution.
Forbidden Love. Description: two characters fall for each other despite an external force of conflict. Most of the time, social status, familial connections, religion, race, or even something like an engagement will prevent the characters from being together.
How do you write steamy romance? ›- Create tension by rendering the lovers as opposing forces. ...
- Get involved in your love scenes. ...
- Keep the lovers in character. ...
- Raise sexual tension through conflict. ...
- Reveal sexual attraction through contrast. ...
- Build suspense, anticipation and intensity. ...
- Heighten the characters' five senses.
- The arranged marriage. The arranged marriage plot encompasses a whole lot of romance tropey goodness. ...
- Enemies-to-lovers. ...
- Forbidden romance. ...
- Soulmates. ...
- Alpha heroes (or heroines) ...
- Time travel.
What is the best love story ever written? ›
Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen (1813)
Arguably the greatest romance novel of all time, Austen's Pride and Prejudice follows the opinionated heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, as she frequently finds herself at odds with her beau, the uptight Mr. Darcy.
Romance novels often run between 50,000 and 90,000 words on average. Romance is a unique genre because the plot is all about two characters and their adventure with one another. For that reason, writing a long, lengthy book just about their romance can become a problem for the readers.
Can a 14 year old read confess? ›Confess is romantically sweet and clingy. Colleen Hoover's books are typically directed towards the older teens, probably going more into the twenties. But I think Confess is suitable to some mature teens.
How do you structure a love story? ›- 1) Call to Adventure / The Meet Cute. ...
- 2) Refusal of the Call / Rejection of the Relationship. ...
- 3) Acceptance of the Quest / Giving the relationship a chance. ...
- 4) Trials and Temptations / Three Dates. ...
- 5) Midpoint Crisis / I-need-you-but-can't-have-you. ...
- 6) The Road Back / Pulling Back Together.
Essentially, the three-act story structure involves splitting your romance novel into a beginning, middle, and end. Each of these sections include core plot points to keep up the tension and keep your reader turning the pages.
What is a basic romance plot? ›Think about it: essentially every romance book follows the same arc. Two people meet, they fall in love, something prevents them from getting together, and then they overcome it to be with each other. That's the feel-good formula that romance readers love, and it's essential to a romance story.
What are the 37 plots? ›- Supplication. ...
- Deliverance. ...
- Crime pursued by vengeance. ...
- Vengeance taken for kin upon kin. ...
- Pursuit. ...
- Disaster. ...
- Falling prey to cruelty/misfortune. ...
- Revolt.
So are there 3, 7, 9, 20, or 36 basic story archetypes? Trick question — they're all wrong. The correct number of basic plot types is 6, and we know that thanks to a simple sentiment analysis tool.
How should a story start? ›- Strategy 1: Begin with action or dialogue. ...
- Strategy 2: Ask a question. ...
- Strategy 3: Describe the setting. ...
- Strategy 4: Begin with background information. ...
- Strategy 5: Have the main character introduce himself or herself.
The first way to come up with ideas for short stories is to rediscover the ideas you've already had but have slipped from your mind. Look at any of the places you may have jotted them down. Take time to think. Go through the drafts you have saved.
How do I get a novel idea? ›
- Adapt a story from real life. ...
- Adapt the plot of a fairy tale or folk legend. ...
- Create a character based on someone you know. ...
- Write about a moment in your own life. ...
- Analyze the plot of a book you admire.
- Overcoming the Monster.
- The Quest.
- Voyage and Return.
- Rags to Riches.
- Rebirth.
- Rebellion.
- Tragedy.
- Comedy.
Of course romance IS NOT a sin in a relationship,provided the two people aren't married or attached to a partner! Romance is about love,affect tion,tenderness,and caring for someone…. love IS NOT a sin. Romance between two people is Christ like,and is the same essence as God's love for us.
What are dirty romance novels called? ›Erotic romance novels are stories written about the development of a romantic relationship through sexual interaction. The sex is an inherent part of the story, character growth, and relationship development, and could not be removed without damaging the storyline.
What is dark romance in books? ›Dark romance is a subgenre of romance novels with darker themes and mature content. These stories often come with content warnings, morally-gray characters and plots riddled with trauma and violence. Popular tropes that make up a chunk of these novels include mafia, stalking and kidnappings.
How do you initiate a kiss in writing? ›- Metaphors are key. ...
- Build maximum tension before the kiss begins. ...
- Pay attention to psychology. ...
- Treat the act of kissing as an entire narrative, with a beginning, rising action, and climax. ...
- Have your kissing scene be a revelation. ...
- Think about the experiences of both your characters.
“His lips were warm and soft. They parted slightly, allowing my tongue to slip inside.” If you want something a bit more passionate: “Our bodies pressed together heatedly against the wall, breathing heavily as our lips pressed together.
Is it hard to write a romance novel? ›While romance may seem like the easiest genre to write, it is definitely not. The average romance reader is smart, discerning and not easily impressed. To create a successful romance, it takes a thoughtful strategy. It won't just happen magically.
What is romance tropes? ›A romance trope is a plot device or theme used within a romance novel giving a recognizable starting point to the story that a reader can recognize. Though many romance books can use one common romance trope, it is their storylines and characters that differentiate each book using this common plot device.
What makes a love story special? ›The core need of the protagonist in a Love story is connection. The protagonist yearns for connection, intimacy, and the assurance that another human being sees and knows them. This connection awakens during the Lovers Meet scene.
What is the shortest love story? ›
The record for authoring the shortest love story was set by Shajil Anthru (born on January 27, 1968) of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The book Ey…. Chu comprises two love stories and sixteen chapters wherein the only chapter of the second story is the shortest with merely 4 lines and 4 words.
What is the most tragic love story? ›Romeo & Juliet is the quintessential tragic love story, as evidenced by its countless stagings and numerous film adaptations.
Who is the first lover in the world? ›There is no clear mention in history about the first love marriage in the world. However, from the religious texts, we can conclude that the marriage ceremony of Lord Shiva and mother Parvati was the first love marriage in this world, in fact, it was the first love marriage in this universe.
How many pages is 50,000 words? ›A typical manuscript page (8.5×11 paper, 1-inch margins, standard 11- or 12-point font, doublespaced—like you would type in Word) is considered to be 250 words. So a 25,000-word manuscript is about 100 pages. A 50,000-word manuscript is 200 pages.
What is the average age of a romance reader? ›45% of romance readers have a college degree. The average romance reader is 42 years old. Romance readers are getting younger: 10 years ago, the main romance-reading group was women ages 35 to 54.
How many pages is 80,000 words? ›320 pages = 80,000 words.
What are some unique story plots? ›- A world wherein employees work nonstop with no vacation—a riot ensues.
- Books are printed in only gibberish, and the only man in the world who can read gibberish just died/is dying.
- The world split in half—right down the middle—and no one knows why. ...
- The president banned all national holidays.
| 1. | Casablanca (1942) |
|---|---|
| 2. | Gone With the Wind (1939) |
| 3. | West Side Story (1961) |
| 4. | Roman Holiday (1953) |
| 5. | An Affair to Remember (1957) |
tbh … i saw persons blaming Colleen, but it's on the community for romanticising it, It's a beautiful book but it's not Erotic to be considered spicy.
What are the 10 stories in love Actually? ›We noted its inclusion of unrequited love (Mark and Juliet), interracial love (Juliet and Peter, Joanna and Sam), love across languages (Jamie and Aurelia), countries (Colin, Tony and the Americans), love despite status (the Prime Minister and Natalie), love after death (Daniel and Carol), brotherly love (Billy Mack ...