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539 Best Short Story Ideas for Authors in 2026
Showing 539 short story ideas curated by Reedsy.
A forgotten object is found in an attic during spring cleaning.
Spin a scary story that could be told around a bonfire at night.
It's your first winter… and it's just started snowing!
Someone you believed to be dead "comes back."
Write a story about an elementary school student who has to overcome their fear of public speaking in order to win a speech contest.
Write about a law in your country that you would change.
It's your first day in a new city where you don't speak the language.
A character starts remembering things that never happened.
You just got the new dog that you've wanted for such a long time, but you're finding that it's a lot more responsibility than you expected.
Sweet Sixteenth? More like Salty Sixteenth!
Write about a character who is confused about what a White Elephant gift exchange is, and ends up going on a search for an actual white elephant.
An introvert sits down next to an extrovert in the classroom. What happens?
You come across an ATM that gives you the exact amount of money you need to survive for the day, how you spend it is your choice. Today you are given $10 million.
Write a story about a series of unfortunate events that takes place over the span of a field trip.
"When i grow up, I want to..."
You are a space kitty, traveling from planet to planet. You write a letter home and this is what it says.
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