I used to think fake dating was just a cute shortcut in the romance genre. No real build. No chemistry that earned the kiss. Two people agree to pretend for some reason, set a few rules, and voilà!
Then I took a ghostwriting project that included included a pretend relationship setup and it changed my mind. I had to dig deep to make the setup feel honest and the turn to real love feel earned.
I built a vision board, wrote my own prompts, and linked them scene by scene until the story had an ending it deserved. In this post I will share those prompts and the new ones my team and I created for you.
I will also share a live example on how I used one of these prompts in real life to craft a story.
But if you are new to fake dating, I will start with the basics so you know exactly how it works before you write.
Table of Contents
What is Fake Dating
At the heart of it, fake dating is a romance setup where two people agree to pretend they are together for a practical reason. This union-of-convenience is based on a few ground rules with a clear exit plan.
Initially, there’s no desire or emotions involved. The aim is to fake a couple to achieve a particular goal.
However, things start to change when a routine touch lasts a bit longer than usual. When private jokes land as truths. When the glances at each other look at each other’s soul rather than just at the eyes.
The “pretend” relationship creates forced proximity, letting the pressure rise, and real feelings start to grow.
Writing it sounds straightforward, but it is easy to get stuck. You need a reason that would convince a skeptic, clear rules that later fail in public, and emotional stakes that make the risk worth it.
I have gone deeper on how to write fake dating in my post here which you can check later.
For now, here are the short fake dating prompts that are scannable story starters for you to use right away.
Fake Date for Family and Social Obligations
1.
At her cousin’s wedding, matchmaking aunties circle, so they pose as a couple. His borrowed blazer smells like cedar, and the slow dance rewrites their plan.
2.
Before the inheritance dinner, she asks a friend to pass as her partner, crystal glasses chime, and the executor mentions a couples clause, turning one whispered joke into a promise.
3.
Small-town gossip spikes at the church fundraiser, so they stage a romance, paper raffle tickets crinkle, and the lemonade stand becomes their first honest negotiation.
4.
At the family reunion, they pretend to date to grant Grandma a photo, the Polaroid flash pops, and a slice of pie makes the lie feel hopeful.
5.
During a holiday visit, she invites a friend to act like her boyfriend, the porch light hums, and a hand squeeze feels real when her parents set an extra place.
6.
To keep her grandmother from worrying at Passover, they pass as a couple, matzo crumbs cling to sleeves, and a planned goodbye stalls at her apartment door.
7.
His brother’s baby shower needs drama defused, so they play at dating for the afternoon, paper streamers rustle, and the long drive home tests what comes after the event.
8.
She asks her neighbor to front a relationship at the anniversary dinner her parents planned, glass votives flicker, and a kiss for the slideshow becomes a conversation they cannot dodge.
9.
To balance seating at a Diwali feast, they pose as partners, sparklers spit light, and his quiet offer to stay through cleanup changes what they thought this was.
10.
Small-town council gossip demands proof she is settled, so they stage a date for the street fair, kettle corn sweetens the air, and winning the raffle forces a real plan.
Fake Date for Professional or Public Image
11.
To calm investor chatter, the founder asks a coworker to present as his partner. In the boardroom, the lapel pin tilts twice, their quiet cue to hold hands longer.
12.
At the town hall, a candidate fronts a relationship with her neighbor, microphone feedback squeals, and a pollster whispers about likability as their unscripted smiles turn into something real backstage.
13.
For a sponsor gala, an athlete asks a trainer to pass as a date, velvet ropes shuffle, camera flashes flare, and the sponsor clause makes a lingering hand feel risky.
14.
Before the promotion vote, she and a friend play at dating at the awards, lanyards tap, and the HR policy on fraternization makes the projector hum cover a breathless promise.
15.
During a collab pitch, an influencer suggests they stage a romance, ring light glows, a foam heart drifts in her cup, and the bonus pushes their laughs into something real.
16.
She needs a steady image for the partner vote, so a coworker passes as her boyfriend, elevator chimes, and a board member notices chemistry neither planned.
17.
After a viral mishap, a chef asks the restaurant PR manager to front a romance, citrus zest scents the prep line, and their media tour starts sounding like dinner for two.
18.
To reset her image before album launch, a singer invites a sound engineer to play at dating for interviews, cables coil underfoot, and an offhand harmony becomes the story.
19.
A startup founder needs stability for a grant panel, so he and his neighbor pose as partners at demo day, lanyards swish, and investors ask when they met for real.
20.
After a trade rumor, a point guard and the team’s nutritionist pass as a couple, cameras blink, and a quiet postgame dinner challenges every boundary they set.
High Stakes and Unconventional Fake Dating
21.
To meet visa timing for a cross border fellowship, they stage a relationship for the interview, fluorescent lights buzz, and a shared binder of photos becomes a roadmap they cannot ignore.
22.
Her lease requires a cotenant to avoid eviction, so they pose as engaged for the landlord visit, paint fumes linger, and talk of wall colors drifts into future holidays.
23.
To win a community grant, they front as a couple running the after school program, gym floor squeaks, and a planned high five slides into a handclasp no one explains.
24.
After an airline meltdown, they pass as honeymooners for the last seats to Mumbai, boarding beeps echo, and aisle conversation turns into a ridiculous list of anniversaries.
25.
Hospital paperwork requires a primary contact, so they play at dating during her outpatient procedure, wristbands scratch, and his patient waiting makes discharge feel like a beginning.
26.
To pass the co-op board, they pose as engaged at dinner, cloth napkins scratch knees, and the secretary slides a card across, requesting a photo from their first date.
27.
To win funding and save the studio, they act like a couple at a TV audition, taped X marks the spot, and one look makes the producer circle their slot.
28.
After a conference snafu, they front as partners to share a cruise cabin, keycards beep, and the rooming list is locked. Sunset asks them to negotiate a future.
29.
To keep her nonprofit out of headlines, she asks a friend to pose as the highest bidder at the charity auction, confetti sticks to shoes, and the board chair watches.
30.
To afford the hackathon, they register as a couples team for a discount, server fans whir, and the prize money could cover rent, which makes hoodies easier than logging off.
Fake Dating that Turns Friends into Lovers
31.
Best friends since orientation agree to pass as partners at his sister’s engagement party, string lights tremble, and their inside joke lands with a weight that might crack the friendship.
32.
Roommates promise to play at dating for a beach wedding seating chart fix, sunscreen sweetens the air, and first handhold dares them to risk the one thing that always worked.
33.
During his charity stream, gaming buddies agree to present as a couple, chat scrolls like rain, and a forehead kiss for camera lingers after the countdown ends.
34.
Childhood neighbors now roommates stage a plus one at his cousin’s bar mitzvah, tie clips glint, and the practiced arm in arm stroll stops feeling like practice.
35.
Best friends run a podcast and front a romance to boost a live tour, foam on lattes rings the mugs, and their banter slips into a dare.
36.
They co captain a rec soccer team and pose as partners for the sponsor dinner, cleats thump, and a fake toast asks them to describe the moment they first knew.
37.
Coworking regulars pass as a couple for a building holiday party, string carols blend with printer hum, and walking home together becomes the point.
38.
College friends share a lease and stage a relationship to dodge landlord rumors, mail slots clatter, and drafting house rules turns into questions about mornings together.
Want to go deep into friends-to-lovers? Then check our exclusive prompt guide here that covers this trope.
Fake Dating Between Teens and Young Adults
39.
During freshman welcome week, both eighteen, they pass as partners to avoid awkward mixers, LED bracelets blink, and a fake coffee date adds itself to their class calendar.
40.
For the student senate debate, both nineteen, they front a relationship to temper rumors, folding chairs scrape, and their practice answers start including weekend plans.
41.
To secure a double room, both eighteen, they pose as a couple for housing, key tags clack, and a test meet cute script becomes a nightly routine.
42.
At the campus film festival, both nineteen, they stage a romance for their documentary pitch, projector fans whir, and the shot list circles a real first date.
43.
For orientation leader optics, both eighteen, they agree to play at dating through family weekend, tote bags rustle, and their goodbye at the bus depot refuses to end.
44.
During freshman orientation, both eighteen, they act like partners to dodge icebreakers, paper wristbands itch, and an orientation leader assigns a buddy lunch that dares them to plan another.
45.
At the campus musical, they pass as a couple to impress the director, glitter dusts sleeves, and the stage manager frowns when a rehearsal kiss threatens to rewrite their script.
Checkout our prompt list on YA and teen romances if you love this angle.
Housing Problems Leading to Couple-of-Convenience
46.
When the co-op bylaws require stable households for renewal, they present as partners for the interview, radiator ticks softly, and the committee’s follow-up visit threatens to make pretend routine.
47.
After a lease audit demands proof of a second keyholder, they pose as a couple at inspection, key ring jingles, and he offers to label hooks as if staying.
48.
Before the shared-unit inspection, the HOA requires a posted chore roster, so they front a relationship to justify a two-person schedule, lemon cleaner stings, and dividing laundry becomes oddly careful.
49.
On renewal day, sublet policy favors paired tenants, so they stage a partnership for the desk agent, fluorescent bulbs hum, and shared receipts start to look real.
50.
She oversees the emergency key cabinet, and policy forbids duplicates without a domestic contact, so he agrees to pass as hers, metal tags clink, and the form hints at permanence.
Civic and Community Commitments Demands
51.
When the neighborhood watch requires buddy patrols after dark, they pass as partners to share a route, reflective vests crackle, and sidewalks make conversation feel like practice for something bigger.
52.
After a storm, the city permits tree-clearing teams only with paired applicants, so they pose as a couple for the slot, damp bark smells sharp, and teamwork lingers past cleanup.
53.
During the community center’s caregiver certification, protocols require a designated emergency contact, so they front a relationship for the form, vinyl chairs squeak, and practice check-ins become real messages.
54.
Before the summer fair, volunteer shifts pair under a background check, so they present as partners to manage the ticket tent, sunscreen warms skin, and shared cashbox invites coffee later.
55.
On coastal evacuation drills, residents sign up as buddy households, so they stage a partnership for transport priority, megaphones crackle, and their packed go-bag stays by the door.
Arts and Cultural Programs Coerces Couple-Hood
56.
When a gallery residency offers shared housing to collaborative pairs, they pass as partners for the application, turpentine nips the air, and sample project lists start feeling like a promise.
57.
After the theater posts an audition sheet seeking couples for a showcase, they pose as dating for the slot, chalk dust floats, and practice lines borrow the cadence of truth.
58.
During museum programming that pairs artists with docents for evening tours, they present as a couple to qualify, parquet floors shine, and a whispered script starts sounding like personal history.
59.
Before the rehearsal schedule locks, choreographer requests duet partners who share bases, so they front a relationship for casting, rosin dust grips fingers, and lifts begin to feel protective.
60.
On a city arts grant requiring household documentation, they stage a partnership for shared-studio status, printer warm and humming, and budget worksheets nudge them to divide rent like a plan.
From Prompts to Stories in 8 Steps
Now that you’ve the fake dating prompts, it’s time for me to show you with an example how to turn them into a story. Let’s begin by picking up a random prompt from the list.
“To keep her nonprofit out of headlines, she asks a friend to pose as the highest bidder at the charity auction, confetti sticks to shoes, and the board chair watches.“
1) Boil it to a logline
She asks a friend to pose as the highest bidder at a charity auction to protect her nonprofit from scandal. Confetti sticks to shoes. The board chair watches. Real feelings surface under public pressure.
2) Pick your lens
I’d pick a POV. Then –
- Close Third on Her – You write in third person but stay tight in her head. We only feel her goals, fears, and guesses about him. Great when the main engine is her mission to protect the nonprofit.
- Alternating Chapters – Chapter 1 in her head. Chapter 2 in his head. You switch back and forth. This lets readers feel the public act at the microphone and the private chemistry from both sides.
I’d also ensure that my writing reflects polished event energy, an anxious undercurrent, and quiet hope.
Beginner tip: stick to one viewpoint per scene to avoid “head hopping.”
Intermediate tip: let your chosen POV highlight different tensions (public vs. private) in each beat.
3) Give Them Goals
Her goal – Keep the nonprofit out of headlines and block a risky bidder. Fear. One more bad story will sink a program she built.
His goal – Help a friend and avoid becoming clickbait. Fear. Public roles after a messy breakup or career stumble.
Shared lie – They are a couple and he is the winning donor.
Pro move – Give each a private misbelief. For example, she believes worth equals spotless press. He believes love fails under scrutiny. Ask the right questions to the assumptions that you’re making so that you can amplify the slow burn.
Intermediate tip: make their goals conflict in subtle ways. Her need for spotless press versus his aversion to publicity keeps tension alive.
4) Set Clear Rules for the Fake Date
No new backstory beyond first names. Hands only for photos. Smile through the paddle raise. If a reporter corners them, she taps his sleeve twice and they exit.
Pro move – Add a cost if a rule breaks. A donor pulls a pledge. A program loses a venue.
5) Map a Simple Six Beat Arc for the Story
- Hook. A controversial developer plans to win the headline item. The board chair warns her.
- Spark. She recruits her friend in the green room. They agree on rules. He takes a bidder paddle.
- Escalate. A bidding war plays out under spotlights. Cameras click. They must act like a couple on stage.
- Pivot. The board chair asks how they met. Their improv lands too well. The lie starts to feel true.
- Snag. A reporter corners them near the coat check and asks for details that do not exist. A rule breaks.
- Resolve. She tells the truth in private and offers a real fix for the PR risk. He asks for a real date after the last volunteer shift.
6) Create Scene Lists to Write
- Backstage scramble and the favor
- Paddle raise and public handhold
- Photo line with the board chair
- Reporter confrontation near the exit
- Quiet talk in an empty hallway or on the loading dock
- Morning debrief with a donor and a choice to go real
7) Thread a sensory motif
Use confetti as the through line. It sticks to shoes in the ballroom. It shows again on the loading dock. One bright scrap rides home in a pocket and reappears the next day in her office.
8) Example of an Opening Scene To Write
The ballroom smells like champagne and tape. Confetti sticks to her heels. The board chair watches the doors and checks her watch.
He arrives in a navy suit that does not quite hide the carpenter in his hands. She steps close. Her voice is even.
I need help. The headline item cannot go to Hale. If he wins, the story writes itself.
What do you need from me.
Hold the paddle. Look glad to be here. First names only. If I tap your sleeve twice, we leave.
He nods. They test a smile for the cameras. It feels strange and safe at the same time.
The auctioneer warms the room. The spotlight sweeps and lands on the stage. The board chair gives a small nod toward the front table.
You sure, he whispers.
We can cover the pledge as a pooled gift. I already spoke to three donors. We need a clean photo and a quiet night.
The music dips. The auctioneer calls for the first bid. She lifts his wrist. The paddle rises.
Cameras pop. Confetti crunches. Somewhere near the dais, the board chair keeps watching. The plan begins to breathe like a living thing.
Book Recommendations
There’s nothing better than learning from the greats, and bettering what they did. If you need some inspiration on how to craft a perfect fake dating romance, including the things like how to add the details, the emotional turns, and the flare ups, I highly recommend these four books.
1) The Love Hypothesis – by Ali Hazelwood
A perfect consenting student–teacher fake romance. A PhD student and a professor agree to a pretend relationship inside a STEM academic world. Public optics and workplace pressure drive every scene.
The book shows how to keep the façade tight while feelings build within the restrictions of rules, lab schedules, and institutional stakes. Who said slow burn cannot work in fake dating?
What writers can learn
- Show how external stakes (reputation, career) make private tension sharper.
- Anchor your fake dating reason in a specific environment (workplace, academia).
- Use clear rules the characters agree on, so readers feel each break.
2) Take a Hint, Dani Brown – By Alexis Hall
A viral rescue video sparks a public fake relationship between Dani and Zaf with a charity motive. Social media becomes the stage that tests their rules. Every time they’re together, they’re under the public glare.
The chemistry grows in the gaps between staged photos and appearances. Learn how a single dramatic incident triggers a whole fake relationship with deep emotional stakes while staying playful.
The flavor of social media sets a contemporary stage that adds appeal to today’s readers.
What writers can learn
- Kickstart the story with a clear inciting incident that forces the lie.
- Layer public vs. private goals so every scene does double duty.
- Use modern platforms (Instagram, Twitter, TikTok) as ongoing pressure points.
3) The Unhoneymooners – by Christina Lauren
Ever wondered how to transition rivals to lovers via fake romance? This book is a masterclass. Two rivals, Olive and Ethan, end up on a free trip and must pretend to be newlyweds.
Travel logistics and forced proximity create steady scene pressure. This book shows how to escalate complications through setting changes and public performance while keeping consent and emotional stakes clear.
What writers can learn
- Give your characters a practical reason to pretend (free honeymoon, non-refundable trip).
- Use forced proximity + public performance as engines for tension.
- Let misunderstandings evolve into growth rather than staying hostile.
4) To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before – by Jenny Han
A YA favorite where Lara Jean agrees to a fake relationship with Peter to save face at school. What starts as a light cover-up becomes a real bond.
It is one of the most influential modern YA fake dating romances, proving the trope works beautifully with younger characters and simple setups.
What writers can learn
- Write down a contract or agreement that sets rules readers can watch crumble.
- Keep motivations age-appropriate and rooted in school life.
- Show how small public acts (hallway handholding, lunch table seats) trigger bigger shifts in private feelings.