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539 Best Short Story Ideas for Authors in 2026
Showing 539 short story ideas curated by Reedsy.
You're a bartender at a neighborhood pub. A regular comes in and says, "Do I have a story for you!"
You are the Grinch who hates Halloween, and your mission this year is to replace every single Ferroro Rocher with brussel sprouts.
Write a story about the passage of time based only upon a series of birthday wishes.
Write a story about someone trying to hide a pet from their parents.
Write about a time you broke a promise. What did it feel like? Why did you break it?
Write a story about a character's first day at an after-school job in a retail store.
It's the first day of school, and you're finding it hard to make friends when someone unexpected steps up.
Write a story with the worlds: "calculation," "corn," and "mayor."
You're spending the night in an old Victorian home-turned-hotel. You're just about to go into your room, when you hear a harp playing from inside it.
"The grass is always greener on the other side." You were prepared to find out.
Write a story about the friendship between an introvert and an extrovert
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