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539 Best Short Story Ideas for Authors in 2026
Showing 539 short story ideas curated by Reedsy.
Write a story about a character who can only tell lies.
Some fishy things have been going on at school. Write about a group of friends who establish their own detective agency to get down to the bottom of it, once and for all.
You wake up unable to say a word, but can all of a sudden write the most amazing music.
A pessimist becomes an optimist.
You're spending the night in an old Victorian home-turned-hotel. You're just about to go into your room, when you hear a harp playing from inside it.
You find your grandparent's old chessboard in the attic. Absentmindedly, you move a piece. The next day, an opposing piece has been moved.
Write a story where your character is acting differently on the outside than they feel on the inside.
You are a professional hoax-buster.
You're the world's best photographer. Your secret? You can freeze time.
Write a story about a search for a Santa suit.
You are granted one wish. But you have to use the wish for someone else.
In a series of letters to Santa, write a story about growing up.
As you ride your motorcycle off into the sunset, you see something unexpected on the horizon.
A group of villains go on a team-building retreat.
Write a story where your character is at odds with a family tradition.
When people die, they are transported to the event that ultimately caused their death. One day, you are hit by a car and sent 12 years into the past.
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