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539 Best Short Story Ideas for Authors in 2026

Showing 539 short story ideas curated by Reedsy.

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Page 15

You get lost in the woods during a hike. It's starting to get dark, when you see the glow of a campfire nearby.

Mystery / Thriller

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

Teens

A woman drops her wallet on the street, and it falls open. You pick it up and are about to return it to her when you notice a strange picture inside.

Dramatic

It was just a regular day at the office. Then the power went out.

Funny

"Have a good night," you say, and breath a huge sigh of relief the moment you walk away.

Dramatic

Write a dual perspective story, with each alternating perspective based on one of these two words: "bitter" and "sweet."

Teens

Write a story where someone says, "If only I could have met you ten years later, maybe… this all could have turned out differently."

High School

Set your story at a graveyard overnight.

Dark

One person's trash is another's treasure.

Fiction

You come across an ATM that gives you the exact amount of money you need to survive for the day, how you spend it is your choice. Today you are given $10 million.

Fiction

Due to collision of powerful spells, two wizards are sealed into a tree during a fearsome battle. That tree is now your coffee table.

Fantasy

Write a story about a character who can only tell the truth.

Kids

You're donating blood as normal in October when you notice that the nurse taking care of you is... strangely... pale? And seems to have oddly-shaped teeth... that almost look like fangs...?

Halloween

Your new cell phone number used to be the number of a very popular personal therapist.

Funny

You discover a secret family member you never knew existed.

Dramatic

While transferring between international flights at an airport, you befriend a strange person while passing through security.

Funny

539 Best Short Story Ideas for Authors in 2026

You get lost in the woods during a hike. It's starting to get dark, when you see the glow of a campfire nearby.

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

A woman drops her wallet on the street, and it falls open. You pick it up and are about to return it to her when you notice a strange picture inside.

It was just a regular day at the office. Then the power went out.

"Have a good night," you say, and breath a huge sigh of relief the moment you walk away.

Write a dual perspective story, with each alternating perspective based on one of these two words: "bitter" and "sweet."

Write a story where someone says, "If only I could have met you ten years later, maybe… this all could have turned out differently."

Set your story at a graveyard overnight.

One person's trash is another's treasure.

You come across an ATM that gives you the exact amount of money you need to survive for the day, how you spend it is your choice. Today you are given $10 million.

Due to collision of powerful spells, two wizards are sealed into a tree during a fearsome battle. That tree is now your coffee table.

Write a story about a character who can only tell the truth.

You're donating blood as normal in October when you notice that the nurse taking care of you is... strangely... pale? And seems to have oddly-shaped teeth... that almost look like fangs...?

Your new cell phone number used to be the number of a very popular personal therapist.

You discover a secret family member you never knew existed.

While transferring between international flights at an airport, you befriend a strange person while passing through security.

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