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539 Best Short Story Ideas for Authors in 2026
Showing 539 short story ideas curated by Reedsy.
If a fire broke out in your home, what are the first three things that you would grab? Why?
You find a well-kept, spotless leather bound book in the middle of a vast desert.
On Easter Monday, if a certain rabbit emerges from the ground and sees its shadow, winter returns for 4 weeks.
You've just made the discovery of secret playground deep in the woods... and only you know of its existence.
You're scrolling through the pictures on your phone. You notice a new one: it's of you sleeping.
Write about a time that you were lost (metaphorically or literally).
You discover a secret family member you never knew existed.
Money really does grow on trees and is heavily regulated by governments.
Write a story based on an experience from your childhood... but set it in a different time period. (Yes, the future counts!)
Write a story that's set at a ski resort during Christmas.
You hear a scream and it's coming from inside your own home.
Someone has been stealing from other kids' pools of candy on Halloween. This means war.
You left cookies on the table on the day before Christmas. When you wake up the next day, the cookies are gone, and in their place is a note. What does it say?
You open a door, but before you can go through, someone sneaks in front of you without saying "thank you." You've had an awful day and this is the last straw.
From a dog's perspective, humans seem to be either immortal or at least live extremely long lives. Write from the perspective of a dog contemplating this.
A character doesn't know how to ask their parent to stop calling them 2+ times a day.
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