Menu
Write your book in Reedsy Studio. Try the beloved writing app for free today.
Win up to $250 in our weekly writing contest
Submit your short story on Reedsy Prompts.
DIRECTORY
539 Best Short Story Ideas for Authors in 2026
Showing 539 short story ideas curated by Reedsy.
A character must confront their fear of commitment if they want to save their failing relationship.
An elderly married couple toast each other over a pint on St. Patrick's Day.
Write about a time that you felt like an outsider.
Write a story about moving to an entirely new city where everything is new and unfamiliar.
Write a story using only dialogue that illustrates what a normal day at your school looks like.
Write a story about a young character who wants to learn magic.
Emotional baggage must now be checked in at the airport.
One character wants a snake, but their roommate has a phobia. They adopt one anyway.
You're on a boat that should have reached undiscovered land days ago. Your compass tells you you're on the right path but there is no land in sight.
Write a story about the small kindnesses that you see every day.
You witness a total solar eclipse.
Everyday you are delivered a newspaper at your front door that accurately predicts what will happen in the next 24 hours.
The old bus driver who drives you to work every day always tells you rambling stories about his friends, who all seem to have passed away. Eventually, you begin to suspect he is immortal.
Write a story in which a Christmas song plays an important role in the plot.
A group of villains go on a team-building retreat.
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.
Find the perfect editor for your next book
Over 1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.
Save your shortlist
Enter your email address to save your shortlist so that you don't lose it!
By continuing, you will also receive Reedsy's weekly publishing tips and access to our free webinars.
Check your email
We've sent over your shortlist. Thank you for using Reedsy's Short Story Ideas Directory 🙌
