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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 284 prompts reset

This week's contest:
Win $250

Not What It Seems

152 contest entries /
67 stories

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View contest
Closes at 23:59 - Aug 07 EST

Halfway through a fierce competition, your character is given the opportunity to cheat their way to victory: do they take it?

– 52 stories

Write about a character who smells something familiar and is instantly taken back to the first moment they smelled it.

– 217 stories

Write a story about someone experiencing a lightbulb moment of writing inspiration.

– 139 stories

Write a story that ends by circling back to the beginning.

– 212 stories

Write a story about someone who finds a secret passageway in their house.

– 147 stories

Write a story about a character struggling to decide how to handle a problem that is morally gray.

– 41 stories

Write a short story about someone in the self-help aisle of a bookstore. What book do they pick up?

– 88 stories

Write about a character’s secret area of expertise, something most of their acquaintances would be surprised to learn they know tons about.

– 37 stories

It kicks off on a yacht with the delivery of an important letter.

– 35 stories

Write a story about a family road trip.

– 22 stories

Write a story about someone trying to find the perfect birthday gift.

– 19 stories

Write a story about a sweet sixteen.

– 13 stories

Write a story inspired by the last sentence of any book you own.

Write a story that starts someone announcing big news.

Write a story that starts with an argument between two siblings.

Write a story that ends with the word: "wrath."

Write a story that ends with the word: "life."

Write a story based on your favorite song.

Write a story based on a cartoon trope (an anvil or piano falls on someone’s head, someone’s eyes turn to hearts when they fall in love, etc.).

Write a story told from second person point of view (uses "you" language).

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