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39 Best Fiction Short Story Ideas
Showing 39 short story ideas curated by Reedsy.
Pick a genre and then write about a long walk home after school.
Write a story where your character faces a deep fear.
A habitually fearful person turns brave.
You're sitting in a coffee shop watching someone type on their computer. They type the words, "It begins raining outside", and it instantly starts raining.
A person wakes up in bed, drenched in salty ocean water.
"Say cheese!" You push the camera button, hear the click, and... that's when all hell broke loose.
You got on the wrong bus and ended up in a remote town where things seemed a little odd.
Mars is the new wild west, complete with gunslingers.
A story that takes place in the Wild West, but the world is frigid, covered with snow and ice instead of sand.
An anxious and unsure person becomes extremely decisive.
Write about the origin of the saying "April showers bring May flowers."
Write a story where your character is acting differently on the outside than they feel on the inside.
For a week or so you've noticed a stray animal hanging around your home. One day you let it in.
Write a story where your character is at odds with a family tradition.
You pass by a person sitting with their face to the sun, the most content smile you've ever seen on their face.
A pessimist becomes an optimist.
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