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47 Best Dramatic Short Story Ideas
Showing 47 short story ideas curated by Reedsy.
As you ride your motorcycle off into the sunset, you see something unexpected on the horizon.
"Today is the last day," you decide, staring up at the 67-story building that has owned your life for the last 10 years.
"Savor this sunset, folks. It might be the last one we ever see."
You're on a boat that should have reached undiscovered land days ago. Your compass tells you you're on the right path but there is no land in sight.
"See you later!" you called, not realizing it wasn't true.
A plane that's been missing for years suddenly lands at a major airport.
Write about the way the sunset looks from the perspective of two characters. One is sad, the other is happy.
You're on an island in the middle of the ocean. One day you find a bottle washed up on the shore with a piece of paper in it.
You are home alone watching TV. A character dials a number on their phone. Your phone rings.
"I love you," you said. Before you could hear a response, your phone died.
Everyday you are delivered a newspaper at your front door that accurately predicts what will happen in the next 24 hours.
It's the beginning of a new term at your university. As usual, you scramble to your first class and get there just in time. No one is there but you and the professor.
You wake up from a coma that no one expected you to recover from.
You discover a secret family member you never knew existed.
You enter a room where someone is having a phone call. They don't see you and you overhear a big secret that you clearly weren't meant to.
A bittersweet farewell: bitter for one person, sweet for the other.
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