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53 Best Funny Short Story Ideas

Showing 53 short story ideas curated by Reedsy.

Write a story that ends by jumping forward several years.

You were mowing your lawn when someone walked by your yard and burst into tears.

Write a story with an open ending.

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

The Tooth Fairy finds something unexpected sitting beside the expected tooth under a child's pillow.

"BOO!" you yell, grabbing the shoulders of a person you think is your friend from behind. They turn around and it's a total stranger.

You're a janitor at a large school. People wouldn't believe the things you've heard.

You are a student working on a team project. You and your group are accidentally locked in the school library overnight.

You are a space kitty, traveling from planet to planet. You write a letter home and this is what it says.

"I'd like to buy a plane ticket to your furthest destination today," you told the airline employee.

It's a Thursday evening, and Greg Richerson is flashing his sports cars again.

Write a story that ends with a shocking plot twist.

You're a food critic eating the best meal of your life. You're at McDonalds.

An office worker's favorite coffee mug has gone missing, and the obsessive search for the mug throughout the workplace turns into a dire and ridiculous odyssey.

You woke up and all seemed normal. Little did you know that before you'd even had a chance to get out of bed, you would become the subject of a prank.

It's March 31st, the busiest day of the year at the joke shop you own.

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