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DIRECTORY
539 Best Short Story Ideas for Authors in 2026
Showing 539 short story ideas curated by Reedsy.
Someone has been stealing from other kids' pools of candy on Halloween. This means war.
Sweet Sixteenth? More like Salty Sixteenth!
If a fire broke out in your home, what are the first three things that you would grab? Why?
Write about the origin of April Fools' Day.
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.
"Hi. It's me."
A former party animal lives in a retirement home. They've decided it's time for one last bash.
You're a bartender at a neighborhood pub. A regular comes in and says, "Do I have a story for you!"
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 the day you are magically teleported into your favorite board game.
"When I regained consciousness, I was invisible. And I don't know how to fix it!"
It's show and tell day! Write a story about what you most want to bring to show to your class.
A magician, a troll, and a college student walk into a bar.
You signed up for what you thought was a sweepstakes to win the latest Apple iPhone model, only to discover to your horror when you get to the fall festival that it's actually a competition to see who can eat the most apples in 30 minutes.
You visited a psychic for romantic advice. Instead, they tell you that your spouse has a secret.
"Today is the last day," you decide, staring up at the 67-story building that has owned your life for the last 10 years.
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