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539 Best Short Story Ideas for Authors in 2026
Showing 539 short story ideas curated by Reedsy.
Each year, the Springers host the town's most epic Halloween costume party. You're determined to win the grand prize this year, except that this year the theme is "Willy Wonka."
A student has to fight against societal expectations in order to fulfill a lifelong dream.
One character wants a snake, but their roommate has a phobia. They adopt one anyway.
It's your first spring… and you have allergies!
You're on an island in the middle of the ocean. One day you find a bottle washed up on the shore with a piece of paper in it.
"Worst. Spring. Break. EVER."
Write about a time that you broke the rules.
Write about a time when you were hurt by someone unexpected.
Two strangers have an interesting encounter on a park bench during a snowy, winter evening.
Amazon has invented time travel and introduced pre-emptive shipping. Today, you receive something completely unexpected from your future self.
"I'd like to buy a plane ticket to your furthest destination today," you told the airline employee.
The one place where the sun rises in the west and sets in the east.
Write a story that draws from a moment in your life where you wish you'd made a different choice. Have your protagonist make that choice, and then see what happens.
You're in charge of creating the new school lunch menu. What kind of menu would you make?
You wake up the day after an epic party. You're not where you expected to be.
Write a story centered on the theme of persistence when it comes to exams.
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