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DIRECTORY
539 Best Short Story Ideas for Authors in 2026
Showing 539 short story ideas curated by Reedsy.
An evil king has seized control of the land. The world's only hope? An even eviller witch who has the powers to stop him.
You're the director at a marketing agency. Your next project: to come up with an irresistibly catchy Christmas jingle. The only problem is that you hate Christmas.
Ten years later, you see the person who bullied you in middle school in the middle of 7-11.
You just discovered England's biggest secret: every time they sing "God Save the Queen" it extends the queens life.
After the crash, he vanished. Some say he moved to a compound in Africa, some say he went off the grid. But the Silicon Valley genius who engineered the greatest stockmarket disaster in history is hiding in plain sight
"Worst. Spring. Break. EVER."
I thought he seemed a perfectly normal human being, until he started speaking.
Everyday, you sit at your window to watch a neighbor play a musical instrument. You can't hear the music, but you're transfixed by the musician's expression.
You're sitting at your desk eating candy hearts. You start to realize the notes on the hearts are trying to give you a message.
You eavesdrop on a hushed conversation taking place in the hallway. What's being said is not nice about someone you know.
It's dodgeball day in P.E., and in a desperate attempt not to be picked last again for the teams, you...
Write a story about someone trying to hide a pet from their parents.
You were reading a book quietly at a cafe when someone passed you a note.
Put yourself in your teacher's shoes for a moment, and write a story about a day at school from their perspective.
Overheard in Chemistry class: "Well, that wasn't supposed to happen."
A character on their deathbed tells their family about their regrets.
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