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DIRECTORY
539 Best Short Story Ideas for Authors in 2026
Showing 539 short story ideas curated by Reedsy.
Write about the last nightmare you had.
Time travel is real and time tourists show up in large numbers around major historical events. One day, thousands of time tourists are in ships above the earth, quietly waiting.
A pessimist becomes an optimist.
Write a children's book about diversity.
Write a story about the friendship between an introvert and an extrovert
On Easter Monday, if a certain rabbit emerges from the ground and sees its shadow, winter returns for 4 weeks.
Santa Claus is backed up with orders recently, and you're in charge of writing the official letter of apology to all of the children around the world informing them that their presents may arrive a week late this year.
Write a story about a group of five friends who set out at night for trick or treating… and when they return, they're only four.
Write a story about a character who is under intense pressure to succeed at something.
You are an expert spy for the British government, trained to perfection. Your only weakness is that your background music alerts enemies to your presence.
Write a story about a character picking a lunch table on their first day at a new school.
You've just moved into a new house. You wake up one night to the sound of Siri responding to a query. You turned off your phone before you went to sleep.
Two people are playing chess. One person can read minds, the other person can see the future.
Write a story about a young character who wants to learn magic.
Write a story about a rival studio that is desperately trying to create a song to outsell Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You."
You're on a train when someone sits across from you and begins to cry.
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