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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 are an expert spy for the British government, trained to perfection. Your only weakness is that your background music alerts enemies to your presence.

Funny

You find your grandparent's old chessboard in the attic. Absentmindedly, you move a piece. The next day, an opposing piece has been moved.

Dramatic

Mars is the new wild west, complete with gunslingers.

Fiction

The biggest tsunami in a decade is here. You're told to leave the city immediately, and you're on your way out when you see a dog struggling to stay afloat in the distance.

Conflict

Write a story using only dialogue that illustrates what a normal day at your school looks like.

High School

You were waiting at a crosswalk when someone you didn't recognize started waving from across the street.

Fiction

Time travel is real and time tourists show up in large numbers around major historical events. One day, thousands of time tourists are in ships above the earth, quietly waiting.

Science Fiction

Write a story from the perspective of your middle school self.

High School

Fairy godmothers exist, and yours just introduced herself to you on your 15th birthday.

Teens

Write a story with the worlds: "calculation," "corn," and "mayor."

High School

Write a story where your character is acting differently on the outside than they feel on the inside.

Fiction

Write a story that retells a Shakespeare play, but in a modern-day high school setting.

High School

A young child discovers a passion for baking. Write about the crazy kitchen adventures that they embark upon with their allergic-to-gluten family, one that culminates in a national baking competition.

Kids

539 Best Short Story Ideas for Authors in 2026

You are an expert spy for the British government, trained to perfection. Your only weakness is that your background music alerts enemies to your presence.

You find your grandparent's old chessboard in the attic. Absentmindedly, you move a piece. The next day, an opposing piece has been moved.

Mars is the new wild west, complete with gunslingers.

The biggest tsunami in a decade is here. You're told to leave the city immediately, and you're on your way out when you see a dog struggling to stay afloat in the distance.

Write a story using only dialogue that illustrates what a normal day at your school looks like.

You were waiting at a crosswalk when someone you didn't recognize started waving from across the street.

A habitually fearful person turns brave.

Turn one of your grandparent's old stories into fiction.

Write a story that ends by jumping forward several years.

Time travel is real and time tourists show up in large numbers around major historical events. One day, thousands of time tourists are in ships above the earth, quietly waiting.

Write a story from the perspective of your middle school self.

Fairy godmothers exist, and yours just introduced herself to you on your 15th birthday.

Write a story with the worlds: "calculation," "corn," and "mayor."

Write a story where your character is acting differently on the outside than they feel on the inside.

Write a story that retells a Shakespeare play, but in a modern-day high school setting.

A young child discovers a passion for baking. Write about the crazy kitchen adventures that they embark upon with their allergic-to-gluten family, one that culminates in a national baking competition.

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