We're only a little over a month away from Halloween, and the closer we get, the more spooky season romance writing prompts I think of! This week, we're focusing on horror romance, a burgeoning romance sub-genre defined by the marriage of either a spine-tingling sub-plot or love interest, and swoon-worthy, often lust-filled romance arc that, of course, ends in a happily ever after.

But instead of the usual prompt format with tropes, main character summaries, and a scene for you to write, we're doing story starters, i.e., evocative sentences or small paragraphs.

The benefit of story starters is that they drop you right into the action. You don't have to worry about setting up the scene, which is often where writers get stuck.

And because you're starting in the middle of a scene, your brain will naturally start wondering what happened before it and what comes after, making it much easier for you to create a complete story. It's a non-linear way of writing, but for many authors, it's how they write best. After this exercise, you might discover that you're one of them!

1. One minute, the path was clear, but the next, a mist rolled in, clouding my vision until I couldn't even see my hiking boots. I stumbled, reaching out for a branch or bramble to hold onto, but instead, my hands found claws. Sharp as knives, they sank into my skin, dragging me off the path.

2. He loomed over me, his fiery orange eyes so bright they hurt to look at, and yet I couldn't tear mine from them. It was like he had locked me in place, frozen me where I stood. I couldn't run, couldn't hide. All I could do was watch as he crept closer.

3. The vines curled around his ankle and calves, tightening until he could barely breathe. From behind a tree, a figure appeared. Teeth sharp as knives, fingers tipped with blood-red nails sharpened to a stiletto point,

4. The doorbell chime echoed in the cavernous house, but she was already at the door, swinging it open and pasting on a practiced smile. "Take as many as you want!" she said, offering a plastic pumpkin full of candy. It took her a second to realize who was actually at her door. And when she did, she screamed.

5. I don't believe in ghosts. But the second I step into the old mansion, I wonder if maybe I've been wrong all these years. Because standing under a dusty chandelier is a man in a tuxedo. A translucent man, his body so sheer I can see the dark hall behind him.

I'll be back next week with more romance writing prompts, focusing specifically on cozy spooky season romance, a la The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore.

Until next post, happy reading and writing!