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Are you ready to write but don’t know what to write about? Prepare to kick your writing into gear by browsing through our list of 200+ short story ideas. New prompts are added each week, and you can search by genre. But don’t let our categories stop you from putting your own spin on a writing prompt: if you find a short story idea tagged as sci-fi, but you think it would make a great romance plot, run with it! For tips on how to come up with your own story ideas, scroll to the bottom of the page.

539 Best Short Story Ideas for Authors in 2026

Showing 539 short story ideas curated by Reedsy.

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Page 21

In a quiet little coffee shop in a quiet little town, famous people from history stop by every so often for a drink.

Fantasy

Time travel is widely available. However, you can't interact with the past, you can only observe it. On a trip to the past one day, you bump into someone.

Science Fiction

Write a story about living a lie. You get to choose the lie.

Teens

You eavesdrop on a hushed conversation taking place in the hallway. What's being said is not nice about someone you know.

High School

You wake up the day after an epic party. You're not where you expected to be.

Fiction

"Today is the last day," you decide, staring up at the 67-story building that has owned your life for the last 10 years.

Dramatic

A plane that's been missing for years suddenly lands at a major airport.

Dramatic

Write about a story where Mondays are deleted from the universe.

Teens

It's the first day of school, and you're finding it hard to make friends when someone unexpected steps up.

Children's Book

"Hi. It's me."

Teens

If a fire broke out in your home, what are the first three things that you would grab? Why?

Narrative

Write a story where your character is at odds with a family tradition.

Fiction

You wake up unable to say a word, but can all of a sudden write the most amazing music.

Dramatic

Write about the most epic Easter egg hunt ever.

Holiday

A man sidles up to a woman in a bar. Little does he know she's an undercover cop following him.

Mystery / Thriller

"See you later!" you called, not realizing it wasn't true.

Dramatic

539 Best Short Story Ideas for Authors in 2026

In a quiet little coffee shop in a quiet little town, famous people from history stop by every so often for a drink.

Time travel is widely available. However, you can't interact with the past, you can only observe it. On a trip to the past one day, you bump into someone.

Write a story about living a lie. You get to choose the lie.

You eavesdrop on a hushed conversation taking place in the hallway. What's being said is not nice about someone you know.

You wake up the day after an epic party. You're not where you expected to be.

"Today is the last day," you decide, staring up at the 67-story building that has owned your life for the last 10 years.

A plane that's been missing for years suddenly lands at a major airport.

Write about a story where Mondays are deleted from the universe.

It's the first day of school, and you're finding it hard to make friends when someone unexpected steps up.

"Hi. It's me."

If a fire broke out in your home, what are the first three things that you would grab? Why?

Write a story where your character is at odds with a family tradition.

You wake up unable to say a word, but can all of a sudden write the most amazing music.

Write about the most epic Easter egg hunt ever.

A man sidles up to a woman in a bar. Little does he know she's an undercover cop following him.

"See you later!" you called, not realizing it wasn't true.

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