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Story prompts

These are optional. Use them if you want a starting point, ignore them if you already know what you want to write about. There's no required format: just honesty.

Pick whatever resonates. You don't need to answer every question in a prompt. Use them as a jumping-off point, not a form to fill out.

How your relationship formed

  • How did your current (or past) relationship start? Was it planned, or did it happen unexpectedly?
  • If you're in a triad or other multi-person relationship, how did the transition from two to three (or more) happen? What surprised you about the process?
  • What did the early days look like? What was exciting? What was hard?

What you wish you'd known

  • What's the best advice you wish someone had given you early on?
  • What did you get wrong at first, and how did you figure it out?
  • What piece of "common wisdom" about non-monogamy turned out to be wrong for your situation?

Communication and conflict

  • Describe a difficult conversation that made your relationship stronger.
  • How do you handle jealousy when it comes up? What's worked and what hasn't?
  • What does a check-in look like in your relationship? Do you have any regular practices that help?

The outside world

  • What's it been like dealing with other people's reactions: family, friends, coworkers, online spaces?
  • Have you ever been on the receiving end of assumptions about your relationship? What happened?
  • What do people get wrong about your relationship structure that you wish they understood?

The hard stuff

  • Has your relationship faced a serious challenge? How did you handle it?
  • If a relationship ended, what did you learn? What would you do differently?
  • What's something about your relationship that's difficult, even when things are going well?

Transitions

  • If you went from solo to a multi-person relationship, what was that transition like? What did you gain? What did you give up?
  • If you came from monogamy, what surprised you most about non-monogamy? What was easier than expected? What was harder?
  • If you've moved between non-monogamy and monogamy (in either direction), what prompted the change? What did you learn from both sides?

What works

  • What makes your relationship work that you think is underappreciated or rarely discussed?
  • What's something small that makes a big difference in your day-to-day?
  • If someone in your situation asked for one practical tip, what would you say?
  • What's your favorite moment or memory from your relationship? What made it special?

Remember: your story doesn't need a happy ending, perfect grammar, or a moral. It needs to be real. Check the submission guide when you're ready to share.