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539 Best Short Story Ideas for Authors in 2026
Showing 539 short story ideas curated by Reedsy.
Only one swordsman emerges alive from a bloody battle. And without a single wound. How does he explain his survival?
You were waiting at a crosswalk when someone you didn't recognize started waving from across the street.
You were staring out the bus window idly when someone sat down and said, "What a DAY!"
An anxious and unsure person becomes extremely decisive.
Write a story about the local PETA branch starting a campaign supporting black cats on Halloween day.
For years, four characters have met for a monthly card game. Write a story in which one character realizes that another is cheating.
You meet someone who's different from you. Write a story about how you become friends.
Where do you see the future of technology heading? Write an essay explaining why.
Write about a time when you tried something unfamiliar.
Write about the most epic Easter egg hunt ever.
A child finds out by accident that Santa Claus… isn't real! Write about the fallout that occurs afterward.
It's your first day in a new city where you don't speak the language.
You have to let go of something you treasure.
You wake up from a coma that no one expected you to recover from.
Write a story about a terrible, unfixable hair cut.
Write about a time that you were challenged in a belief that you had.
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