Menu
Write your book in Reedsy Studio. Try the beloved writing app for free today.
Win up to $250 in our weekly writing contest
Submit your short story on Reedsy Prompts.
DIRECTORY
539 Best Short Story Ideas for Authors in 2026
Showing 539 short story ideas curated by Reedsy.
Petals fall to the ground as someone picks apart a flower and says, "they love me, they love me not."
Write a story about a character whose reflection no longer appears in the mirror. (It's up to you whether or not they're also a vampire.)
You caught the girl in classroom 3B stealing your favorite eraser, which means war.
Write a story about friendship that uses holiday traditions from different cultures.
You bump into someone while walking to the bus. They feel the bump, but can't seem to see or hear you.
Write a story inspired by a photo on Instagram.
Set your story entirely under mistletoe.
August 30, 1946: The date of the one and only time travel convention. You attend every year.
You're home alone for the first time ever. Write a story about how the day unfolds.
Time travel is widely available. However, you can't interact with the past, you can only observe it. On a trip to the past one day, you bump into someone.
Someone you believed to be dead "comes back."
You hear a commotion on the playground — and from the commotion, you can pick out a familiar voice. What happened?
Write a story about two characters competing to take the worst ever picture-day portrait.
Each year, the Springers host the town's most epic Halloween costume party. You're determined to win the grand prize this year, except that this year the theme is "Willy Wonka."
The money is good. But the lies have built up. This empire of yours has been built on a secret, a stolen technology, and the guilt has reached its peak. You have to come out with the truth
"The grass is always greener on the other side." You were prepared to find out.
Find the perfect editor for your next book
Over 1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.
Save your shortlist
Enter your email address to save your shortlist so that you don't lose it!
By continuing, you will also receive Reedsy's weekly publishing tips and access to our free webinars.
Check your email
We've sent over your shortlist. Thank you for using Reedsy's Short Story Ideas Directory 🙌
