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539 Best Short Story Ideas for Authors in 2026
Showing 539 short story ideas curated by Reedsy.
Write a story about the gifts that two people buy for each other over a period of ten years, and how that shows the change in their relationship over time.
You wake up trapped in a strange castle with no memory of how you got there and there's something lurking in the shadows as you explore the halls.
Write a story about living a lie. You get to choose the lie.
Write a story that retells a Shakespeare play, but in a modern-day high school setting.
Write about your favorite hobby.
It's your birthday! Write a story about the ideal birthday that you'd spend with your family, your friends, or yourself.
You are born with the ability to stop time. One day, you see something else moving when you have already stopped time.
You canÍt believe what you just read on the scroll. You have to tell someone.
Someone has been stealing from other kids' pools of candy on Halloween. This means war.
Write a story about Christmas from the perspective of someone who hates Christmas.
Set your story entirely under mistletoe.
Write a story about a character who moves from a small town to a big city for the first time.
A trusting person turns into a skeptic.
Write a dark story in which everything that someone Tweets comes true.
Write a story about a character who sees the ocean for the first time.
A young child discovers a passion for baking. Write about the crazy kitchen adventures that they embark upon with their allergic-to-gluten family, one that culminates in a national baking competition.
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