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Are you ready to write but don’t know what to write about? Prepare to kick your writing into gear by browsing through our list of 200+ short story ideas. New prompts are added each week, and you can search by genre. But don’t let our categories stop you from putting your own spin on a writing prompt: if you find a short story idea tagged as sci-fi, but you think it would make a great romance plot, run with it! For tips on how to come up with your own story ideas, scroll to the bottom of the page.

539 Best Short Story Ideas for Authors in 2026

Showing 539 short story ideas curated by Reedsy.

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Page 12

You wake up trapped in a strange castle with no memory of how you got there and there's something lurking in the shadows as you explore the halls.

Dark

A character must overcome their fear of running to join the soccer team, where their longtime crush is.

Middle School

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

Dramatic

It was the most epic senior prank your high school had ever seen.

Funny

You hear a scream and it's coming from inside your own home.

Dark

Write a story where your character finds out a rumor is circulating about them.

Fiction

Write about a time when you were hurt by someone unexpected.

Narrative

From a dog's perspective, humans seem to be either immortal or at least live extremely long lives. Write from the perspective of a dog contemplating this.

Funny

A reindeer is loose! What can you, a mere elf on the lowest rung of Santa's helpers, do?

Christmas

For a week or so you've noticed a stray animal hanging around your home. One day you let it in.

Fiction

A team of scientists have successfully teleported an apple. It reappears with a bite taken out of it.

Science Fiction

What are you talking about, dude? I'm right here? Can't you see me?

Dark

539 Best Short Story Ideas for Authors in 2026

While spring cleaning, you come across something you had forgotten all about.

Adapt your favorite fairy tale to take place in your home town.

Using only the setting of birthday parties, write a story about growing up.

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

You wake up trapped in a strange castle with no memory of how you got there and there's something lurking in the shadows as you explore the halls.

A character must overcome their fear of running to join the soccer team, where their longtime crush is.

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

It was the most epic senior prank your high school had ever seen.

You hear a scream and it's coming from inside your own home.

Write a story where your character finds out a rumor is circulating about them.

Write about a time when you were hurt by someone unexpected.

From a dog's perspective, humans seem to be either immortal or at least live extremely long lives. Write from the perspective of a dog contemplating this.

A reindeer is loose! What can you, a mere elf on the lowest rung of Santa's helpers, do?

For a week or so you've noticed a stray animal hanging around your home. One day you let it in.

A team of scientists have successfully teleported an apple. It reappears with a bite taken out of it.

What are you talking about, dude? I'm right here? Can't you see me?

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