The $2,500 Meet-Cute: Can You Write the Ultimate Love Story?
By Run.team · June 18, 2026
Every great romance needs a spark—that heart-stopping moment where eyes meet, a nervous first laugh, or a rain-soaked confession. But why should the author decide who ends up together? It’s time to let your readers step into the lead role and choose their own destiny.
We recently pulled back the curtain on IFFY, the new AI-powered Interactive Fiction studio on the RUN platform. We built IFFY because we know that crafting a complex, branching romance shouldn't feel like a heartbreak. You deserve a seamless workspace where the technical legwork is handled by our AI, leaving you free to focus on the chemistry, the tension, and the swoon-worthy dialogue.
To celebrate our grand opening, we’re issuing a challenge to every hopeless romantic, storyteller, and matchmaker out there.
Welcome to the Heartlines Jam: A high-stakes, rapid-fire storytelling competition designed to capture hearts, unite the Interactive Fiction community, and award $2,500 in cold, hard cash.
The Assignment
We’re challenging you to ditch the linear script and build an interactive "Romance Episode." Your mission: use the IFFY studio to create an unforgettable, totally original love story with a "playtime" of roughly 5 minutes.
Will your reader find their soulmate? Or will they be left reading between the lines? Force your audience to make the heart-pounding decisions: Should they send that risky text? Go in for the first kiss? Or walk away before they fall too hard? The "Happily Ever After" is entirely in their hands.
The Contest Requirements
To qualify for your share of the $2,500 prize pool, your entry must meet these four criteria:
Written in the Stars: Your project must be drafted and built from start to finish inside the IFFY studio.
A Whirlwind Romance: Your story must be punchy and engaging, with an active reading/gameplay time of 3 to 5 minutes.
The Heart’s Choice: True agency is key. The reader must be given distinct, diverging options. Whether the protagonist finds true love or suffers a tragic misunderstanding is up to the audience.
No Old Flames: Your narrative must be 100% original. We want fresh chemistry, new characters, and romantic twists that no one sees coming!
How to Win Their Hearts (and the Prize) 💰
We have $2,500 on the line, and the jury isn't a corporate panel—it’s the readers. Winners will be crowned based on:
Community Votes: How many readers felt the butterflies and fell for your characters?
Total Views: Can you create a story so charming that readers keep coming back to explore every "What If?" scenario and alternate ending?
Rally your followers, share your story link across social media, and watch your name rise to the top of our "Most Loved" leaderboard.
The Clock is Ticking ⏱️
Don’t let this spark fade away! This interactive sprint happens in the blink of an eye:
Are you ready to craft the perfect romance, let the reader play matchmaker, and secure the bag?
Register for the Heartlines Jam Right Here
Don’t go it alone! Click here to join the RUN Jam Discord to trade writing tips with fellow authors, map out your branching love interests, and hype up the community!