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DIRECTORY
539 Best Short Story Ideas for Authors in 2026
Showing 539 short story ideas curated by Reedsy.
You are part of a huge team of accountants that manages the karma of people on earth.
You are in a bar when an elderly woman takes the stool next to you and says to the bartender, "Hey, Francine, make it a double. It happened again." You can't resist and ask her, "What happened again?"
Write a story about your dream vacation.
The objects in the Chemistry classroom come to life when students and teachers are not around.
You bump into someone while walking to the bus. They feel the bump, but can't seem to see or hear you.
Write a story about a character who is under intense pressure to succeed at something.
Pick a genre and then write about a long walk home after school.
The voice in your head is your only friend. The AI implant is your only ally. And she's just started to become sentient...
Only one swordsman emerges alive from a bloody battle. And without a single wound. How does he explain his survival?
It's dodgeball day in P.E., and in a desperate attempt not to be picked last again for the teams, you...
"Do you have a minute?" asks the stranger who was reading beside you on a park bench.
Everyday, you sit at your window to watch a neighbor play a musical instrument. You can't hear the music, but you're transfixed by the musician's expression.
Write a children's book about a young child who gets transported into a magical world inside of a snow globe.
A tree falls in the woods. You're around to hear it.
Two colleagues with poor communication skills have to collaborate for the first time on a project.
The last person on earth celebrates their own birthday.
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