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Best Short Story Writing Prompts

Join our ongoing contests and win up to $1,500. Flex those creative muscles with these writing prompts.

Showing 258 prompts reset

This week's contest:
Win $250

Final Destination

16 contest entries /
15 stories

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View contest
Closes at 23:59 - Mar 20 EST

Write a story in which the narrator or a character says "Did you hear that?"

– 77 stories

Write a story from the point of view of a ghost, vampire, or werewolf.

– 133 stories

Write a story with the aim of scaring your reader.

– 109 stories

Two strangers discover they have a hidden connection that alters their understanding of each other and themselves.

– 65 stories

A chance encounter brings together two old friends who have changed in surprising or strange ways.

– 45 stories

Set your story in a kitchen, either early in the day or late at night.

– 77 stories

Write a story in the form of a recipe.

– 78 stories

Center your story around a character’s attempt to escape a bad situation that inadvertently leads them back to the source of their problems.

– 46 stories

Start a story with someone receiving a message from their past self, warning them of the consequences of their actions.

– 32 stories

A character’s life of deceit unravels as their past catches up with their present. What are the consequences?

– 37 stories

Write a story about someone seeking forgiveness for their past actions.

– 88 stories

Your character gets everything they ever wanted — only to realize the true cost.

– 67 stories

Your character wants something very badly — will they get it?

– 56 stories

There’s been an accident — what happens next?

– 64 stories

Your character overhears something that changes their path.

– 36 stories

Write a story with two characters who meet for the first time — and one of them has a secret.

– 79 stories

Write about someone who summons the creative muse through a convoluted ritual or method.

– 56 stories

Your protagonist has the perfect day scheduled — but things don’t go according to plan.

– 36 stories

Write from the POV of a character in a story who keeps getting re-written by their second-guessing author.

– 88 stories

Your protagonist discovers that everything they type comes true. What happens next?

– 51 stories

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