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47 Best Dramatic Short Story Ideas

Showing 47 short story ideas curated by Reedsy.

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You wake up unable to say a word, but can all of a sudden write the most amazing music.

There is a fountain that truly does grant wishes to those who throw coins in it.

"Have a good night," you say, and breath a huge sigh of relief the moment you walk away.

You find your grandparent's old chessboard in the attic. Absentmindedly, you move a piece. The next day, an opposing piece has been moved.

You find a well-kept, spotless leather bound book in the middle of a vast desert.

"Savor this sunset, folks. It might be the last one we ever see."

Everyday you are delivered a newspaper at your front door that accurately predicts what will happen in the next 24 hours.

Write about the way the sunset looks from the perspective of two characters. One is sad, the other is happy.

A plane that's been missing for years suddenly lands at a major airport.

Everyday, you sit at your window to watch a neighbor play a musical instrument. You can't hear the music, but you're transfixed by the musician's expression.

A long-standing feud erupts during a funeral or wedding.

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.

The world's most important chess game is about to start.

You were sitting on a park bench, enjoying the sun, when a stranger sat next to you and started typing on an old fashioned typewriter.

By the time this party is finished, three people's lives will be changed forever.

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