It's no secret: witches are having a moment in romance. It's not just because Halloween is on its way, either. This trend has been going on for a few years now, and a quick look at both traditional and self-publishing releases show there's no slowing down in the near future.

But with so many types of witch romance out there—small town paranormal, urban fantasy, straight-up fantasy—where do you start?!

With these ten witchy romance book writing prompts, of course, in the form of story starters. And each is complete with the story starter's sub-genre and tropes, so you know exactly where the story I've dropped you into is going.

1. Sub-genre: Paranormal romantic comedy Tropes: Witch MC, Demon MC , forbidden love

   Story starter: "I'm come about a curse," he said, eyes flitting between mine and the store's shelves, which were cluttered with potion bottles and jars. "Okay . . ." I hedged. I was always wary any time someone came in for a curse breaker; those were some of the hardest spells to break, and I wasn't exactly adept at them. My magic leaned more toward cottage witchery. If you needed a mouse infestation dealt with, I was your girl. But curses? Not so much. "Who cursed you?"

   "Your mother," he said, eyes back on mine now, boring into me like a screwdriver through wood. I cursed under my breath. Dead for thirty years, and yet she was still ruining my life.
   

2. Sub-genre: Cozy fantasy romance Tropes: Witch MCs, fated mates Story starter: "We can't just steal the book. That's illegal. We could have our powers taken away!" I whispered. "The king has done it for far less grievous crimes."

   "How else are we supposed to get the recipe?" Matthew asked. "We need it. I can't keep turning into a lizard at a whim. It's quite distressing. I know there are worse problems to have, but do you really want to go to bed with a handsome witch, and wake up with a scaly reptile in your bed?"

   He had a point.
   

3. Sub-genre: Urban fantasy romance

   Tropes: Reverse harem, Witch MC, shifter love interests Story starter: I woke up to birds chirping and the honks of morning traffic. The usual soundtrack to my days. But when I opened my eyes, it wasn't the blue walls of my room that greeted me. It was four pairs of inquisitive eyes, all staring at me from far too close for comfort.
   

4. Sub-genre: Small town paranormal romance Tropes: Witch MC, human MC, opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine Story starter: "What the heck did you do to this thing?" He walked around my beloved piece of junk, kicking at the tires and poking the door handle. Just the poke was enough to send it off its hinges. I flinched, hands reaching out as if to stay him, but he was a fast learned, refraining from touching it for the rest of the survey. "It needs to be scrapped," was his final verdict. My heart hurt at the words; Vine, named for a deep green color of his doors, was the first thing I'd bought with my royalties check. And now this annoyingly handsome mechanic was telling me she was only good for parts? No. No way. Not having it.
   

5. Sub-genre: Historical paranormal romance Tropes: Witch MC, duke MC, arranged marriage Story starter: He watched me undress, eyes keenly following my fingers as they undid the knot tying my cloak together. I wondered what he was hoping—or dreading—to see. Green skin? Sigils tattooed on my belly? Or maybe just my underthings, black lace when they should have been white silk, a fabric I'd always hated the feel of.

I'll be back next week with even more spooky season romance writing prompts. Until next post, happy reading and writing!