Small town romances are having a moment. Much like cozy romance, readers love them because they're comforting. You get a tight-knit community full of quirky characters who, with the odd exception of a meddling mayor or nasty neighbor, support each other and lift each other up.

Small town romances also often feature interesting sub-plots, a.k.a, a story secondary to the romance, but that can still affect the romance and character development arcs (narratives). The sub-plot might be part of the story's premise or set-up, and be the reason the characters meet/reunite. For example, the main characters might meet because one of them is part of the TV/production crew filming in the small town.

The sub-plot can also relate to a character's goal, and one of the things affecting character's internal conflict, aka, one of the reasons they're hesitant to fall in love. For example, a witch who at the start of the story is focused on forming a new coven so she can finally have the found family she's always dreamed of might worry that falling back in love with her ex will take time away from that goal.

That same sub-plot could also affect the witch's character development, because in the process of setting up the coven, she might meet a witch who she clicks with, and their friendship could make her realize that what she needs isn't a big group to support her. That's something she's always assumed she had to have to be a "real" witch, but this friend gives her all the support and friendship she's been looking for.

As you peruse the sub-plot examples below, consider how you'll use them in your story—to affect the premise, the romance, character development, or all three.

Small-town contemporary romance sub-plots

1. Hosting a TV/film production crew

2. Holding a niche sports tournament (Gaelic football, curling, disc golf)

3. Organizing a fundraiser to fix a town building/business

4. Preparing for a specific food or drink festival (wine festival, cheese festival, garlic festival)

5. Preparing for a visit from someone famous/royal

Small-town paranormal romance sub-plots

1. Forming a new coven/pack/insert paranormal creature collective noun

2. Fighting for dominance over a local pack/coven/den/insert paranormal creature collective noun

3. Investigating an evil curse spreading through town and wreaking havoc

4. Organizing a festival to bring the town's different factions together to celebrate a town-specific holiday (think Firelight festival in Gilmore Girls)

5. Opening the town's first vampire blood bank

Small-town historical romance sub-plots

1. Celebrating a historical holiday (Michaelmas in the UK; Twelfth Night in the US; Ferragosto in Italy)

2. Preparing for a seasonal festival (harvest festival; mid-summer festival)

3. Hosting a competition (sheep-shearing; horse and cart races)

4. Creating a secret society

5. Opening a new local business (tavern/pub, tailor's, greengrocers, bookshop)

   
   

Small-town cozy fantasy romance sub-plots

1. Reworking a spell/breaking a curse that has wreaked havoc on the town/its people

2. Opening a local business (potion shop, grimoire shop, enchanted clothing shop, magical plant shop)

3. Investigate what's causing everyone in the town's magical abilities to change/disappear/appear

4. Starting a matchmaking service for the town's different fantastical/magical and non-fantastical/magical residents

5. Preparing for a world-specific holiday (the day the town's minotaur community arrived; the day the town's dragons and fae signed a peace treaty)

Have fun experimenting with these small-town romance sub-plots, and until next post, happy reading and writing!