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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 an ongoing rivalry between a vampire and a werewolf for supremacy over Halloween.
Write a Halloween story based on your latest nightmare.
A trusting person turns into a skeptic.
"The grass is always greener on the other side." You were prepared to find out.
Write about a time that you found out something surprising about yourself.
You've just made the discovery of secret playground deep in the woods... and only you know of its existence.
Write a story where your character is at odds with a family tradition.
Write about a time when you tried something unfamiliar.
Write a story about a character picking a lunch table on their first day at a new school.
You're stranded on a treasure island.
You find your grandparent's old chessboard in the attic. Absentmindedly, you move a piece. The next day, an opposing piece has been moved.
Set your story at a graveyard overnight.
A logical person starts acting irrationally.
It's a Thursday evening, and Greg Richerson is flashing his sports cars again.
Doppelgangers exist in this world. You just met yours — and they're not friendly.
You're home alone for the first time ever. Write a story about how the day unfolds.
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