High School Romance Story Ideas and Writing Prompts (2023)

high school romance writing prompts

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

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:

Or browse our Story Ideas & Writing Prompts 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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