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539 Best Short Story Ideas for Authors in 2026
Showing 539 short story ideas curated by Reedsy.
Write about a time when you were hurt by someone unexpected.
Write a story about the friendship between an introvert and an extrovert
A 50-year-old has started to do the daily Sudoku, scared that she is starting to lose her memory.
Write a story about someone trying to hide a pet from their parents.
It's a Thursday evening, and Greg Richerson is flashing his sports cars again.
Write a story about understanding differences in cultures through clothing.
Set your story entirely under mistletoe.
You hear a scream and it's coming from inside your own home.
Write a story about the unlikely friendship that starts up between a young character and the eccentric old lady next door.
A student has to fight against societal expectations in order to fulfill a lifelong dream.
You get lost in the woods during a hike. It's starting to get dark, when you see the glow of a campfire nearby.
Set your story at a graveyard overnight.
Write a story about a world in which Mondays don't exist.
The monster from your nightmare is standing next to you when you wake up.
If a fire broke out in your home, what are the first three things that you would grab? Why?
Write about a family with secrets that get stuck in a corn maze overnight. One by one, all of the secrets come out in the course of the night.
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