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539 Best Short Story Ideas for Authors in 2026
Showing 539 short story ideas curated by Reedsy.
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?
A person wakes up in bed, drenched in salty ocean water.
A group of students hold a high-stakes competition to see who can carve the best jack-o-lantern. The class clown is appointed the judge.
Write a story about the local PETA branch starting a campaign supporting black cats on Halloween day.
You are granted one wish. But you have to use the wish for someone else.
Money really does grow on trees and is heavily regulated by governments.
A drama club is horrified upon reading a review of their performance in their high school newspaper.
Write about a time when you tried something unfamiliar.
It's Wednesday evening and you're off to the weekly meeting of your writer's block support group.
Spin a scary story that could be told around a bonfire at night.
You catch a falling star and put it in your pocket.
"Today is the last day," you decide, staring up at the 67-story building that has owned your life for the last 10 years.
Write a story where your character faces a deep fear.
Your date finds an engagement ring inside a slice of cake they ordered for dessert. You weren't planning to propose.
Write about what you want to be in the future, whether that's in terms of personality, goals, or career.
You're kneeling in the dirt, working on your garden when your attention is drawn up by a person saying, "Excuse me, I don't mean to interrupt, but..."
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